FRUITY SWEDISH TEA RING
FRUITY SWEDISH TEA RING
FRUITY SWEDISH TEA RING

Ingredients
  • 420g/15oz strong white flour
  • plus extra for dusting
  • 7g salt (approximately a teaspoon)
  • 10g/â…“oz fast-action yeast
  • 25g/1oz unsalted butter
  • softened and cut into cubes
  • plus extra for greasing
  • 35g/1¼oz caster sugar
  • 2 medium free-range eggs
  • 100ml/3½fl oz full-fat milk
  • warmed
  • 75g/2½oz dried cherries
  • 75g/2½oz mixed peel
  • 75g/2½oz sultanas
  • 75g/2½oz dried apricots
  • chopped
  • 100g/3½oz pecans
  • chopped
  • 60g/2¼oz caster sugar
  • 3 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp apricot jam
  • 1 lemon
  • juice only
  • 100g/3½oz icing sugar
Directions
  • Put the flour
  • salt
  • yeast
  • butter
  • sugar
  • eggs
  • milk and 50ml/1¾fl oz water in a bowl. Mix with a spoon until combined.
  • Add another 50ml/1¾fl oz water and knead in a freestanding mixer with a dough hook attachment for five minutes
  • or until you have a smooth soft dough. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 45 minutes in a warm place.
  • For the filling
  • combine the fruit and nuts in one bowl
  • and the sugar and cinnamon in another.
  • When the dough is proved
  • turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knock back the dough and lightly knead.
  • Roll the dough out into a 40x60cm/16x23½in rectangle
  • taking care not to knock all the air out.
  • Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture evenly over the dough and then cover with the fruit and nuts.
  • Starting at a long side
  • carefully roll the dough up into a cylinder (like a Swiss roll). Shape into a ring then use water to stick the two ends together.
  • Grease a large baking tray with butter. Lift the dough onto the tray and
  • using scissors
  • make vertical cuts around the outer edge of the ring
  • leaving a 4cm/1½in gap between each cut.
  • Put the formed ring into a proving bag and leave to rise for 40 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
  • Bake the proved loaf for 15 minutes
  • then check if the loaf is browning too quickly. Cover it with aluminium foil (to prevent it burning) if necessary and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes
  • or until cooked through and golden-brown.
  • For the decoration
  • gently heat the apricot jam to make a glaze.
  • Once baked
  • remove the tea ring from the oven and brush it with the apricot glaze. Set aside to cool completely on a wire rack.
  • Make an icing by combining the lemon juice and the icing sugar until smooth. When fully cooled
  • drizzle the lemon icing over the loaf and serve.