LARDY CAKE (LARDY BREAD)

Lardy Cake (Lardy Bread) image

Lardy cake originates from Wiltshire, and in the West Country local bakers still make it to their own recipes, cramming in as much lard, sugar, and fruit as they or their customers choose. This is not in the least a healthy dish but it's heartwarming and a feel-good food. Serve plain or with butter.

Provided by Joy Bowman

Time 2h50m

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm water, plus more if needed
1 pinch white sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons lard, divided
6 tablespoons butter
½ cup sultana raisins
½ cup dried currants
¼ cup thin strips of orange zest
¼ cup white sugar

Steps:

Sprinkle yeast into 1 cup warm water with the pinch of sugar. Leave until frothy, about 15 minutes.
Put the flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in 1 tablespoon lard with 2 knives or pastry blender. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast liquid. Beat with an electric mixer until a dough forms and starts to pull away cleanly from the sides of the bowl, adding more water if necessary.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a clean bowl and cover with a clean tea towel. Leave in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Turn risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to a 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Dot 1/3 of the remaining lard over the surface, then sprinkle with 1/3 each of the raisins, currants, orange zest, and sugar. Fold the bottom third of the dough up and then the top third down and give a quarter turn on the work surface. Repeat the process twice more, starting with the rolling.
Grease an 8x10-inch pan. Roll out the layered dough to fit and place in the pan. Cover and leave in a warm place until puffy, about 30 minutes. Score the top in a criss-cross pattern with a knife.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Bake in the preheated oven until well risen and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately or leave to cool on a wire rack.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 313.4 calories, Carbohydrate 45.7 g, Cholesterol 21.3 mg, Fat 12.6 g, Fiber 2.3 g, Protein 4.9 g, SaturatedFat 6.2 g, Sodium 240.3 mg, Sugar 12.4 g