Selkirk Bannock – Christmassy twist

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 1 cube of yeast, fresh
• 1 pinch(s) of sugar
• 2 tbsp flour, type 550
• 375 ml milk (lukewarm)
• 620 g flour, type 550
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp gingerbread spice
• 1 tsp ginger, fresh or dried, approx.
• ½ tsp coriander
• 1 pinch of allspice
• ½ tsp salt
• 125 g brown cane sugar
• 1 pack of candied orange peel
• 1 pack of candied lemon peel
• 1 pack of raisins
• 100 g lard or butter (melted)
• 1 tbsp icing sugar (for dusting)

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Rest time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 2 hours 40 minutes

Scottish pastries for teatime

HOW IT’S DONE: Brush a round 28 cm pizza pan with melted butter (or line it with pre-cut baking paper). Make a PRE-DOUGH from the yeast, 1 tbsp. sugar, and 2 tbsp. flour. Gradually add the lukewarm milk and mix these ingredients until you have a smooth dough. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for 10 minutes (see below). Mix 620 g of flour with the spices and place in a large bowl with 1/2 tsp. salt and 125 g of sugar. Add the candied orange and lemon peels and the raisins and mix everything together. Make a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture and the melted, still lukewarm lard OR the still lukewarm butter. Now slowly mix everything in, starting from the edges, and mix until you have a soft dough. Place the dough on a floured work surface and knead for about 3 minutes until smooth. Form into a ball and place in a bowl lightly greased with oil. Cover again with the tea towel and leave in a warm place for 1 hour to rise. Knead the dough for another 2 minutes until smooth. Then place the dough on the prepared pizza tray and press down evenly. Cover again with the tea towel and place in a warm place for another 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 210°C (Gas Mark 190°C – NOT quite 3). Make indentations in the bannock with your fingertips. Then place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes until golden brown. Check before the end of the baking time to make sure the bannock isn’t getting TOO dark! Let it rest on the tray for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Brush the bannock, still hot, well with butter and dust evenly with a thick layer of powdered sugar right up to the edges (like a stollen). Once cooled, cut into thin slices (like a stollen) and halve again if necessary. Serve with coffee or tea – or for Sunday breakfast. Tip from my ‘bakery’: By adding the spices, this modified bannock actually tastes like a Christmas stollen. If you don’t like candied lemon and candied orange peel, chop both before adding them (I use my Moulinette). I prepare the yeast dough in my bread maker (in dough mode). That way, I don’t have to worry about anything. After the dough program is over, remove the dough from the pan and simply place it on the prepared pizza tray, let it rise for 20 minutes, press the holes in it, and bake as directed. Wrapped repeatedly in foil, the bannock will easily keep for a week and always tastes fresh!