Ingredients

• 400g/14oz strong bread flour
• plus extra for dusting
• 1½ tsp salt
• 40g/1½oz caster sugar
• 40g/1½oz butter
• softened
• plus extra for greasing
• 10g/¼oz fast-action dried yeast
• 120ml/4fl oz milk
• 50g/1¾oz sultanas
• 60g/2¼oz glacé cherries
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 oranges
• zest only
• 200g/7oz icing sugar
• butter
• to taste

Directions

• Put the flour
• salt
• sugar
• butter
• yeast
• milk and 120ml/4fl oz of water into a bowl and mix together with your hands.
• When all the flour has been incorporated
• tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and pliable.
• Return the dough to the bowl
• cover with cling film and set aside to rest for an hour.
• Add the sultanas
• cherries
• cinnamon and orange zest to the dough and
• using an electric mixer or your hands
• work it in well.
• Shape the dough into a sausage shape by flattening out the dough and rolling it up.
• Put the dough on a greased baking tray. Slide the baking tray inside a plastic bag
• to protect the dough from drafts
• taking care not to allow the plastic bag to touch the top of the loaf. Leave to rise for an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
• Bake the dough for 25-30 minutes
• then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• While the loaf is cooling
• make the water icing. Tip the icing sugar into a bowl
• add a little water and mix well to form a paste. Gradually add more water until the icing is just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Drizzle or spread the icing over the top of the tea loaf. Cut into slices and eat with lashings of butter.