Effortless Lardy Cake West (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Dough
01 -
240 millilitres warm water, you might need a splash more
02 -
60 grams pure lard
03 -
1 teaspoon kosher salt
04 -
2.25 teaspoons quick-rise yeast
05 -
50 grams white sugar
06 -
445 grams plain or bread flour
→ Filling
07 -
3 tablespoons really tiny bits of candied lemon or orange peel, if you want
08 -
180 grams dried currants
09 -
2 teaspoons mixed spice powder
10 -
200 grams white sugar
11 -
225 grams pure lard
→ Glaze
12 -
2 tablespoons golden syrup
13 -
2 tablespoons water
# Instructions:
01 -
Start by tossing the flour, lard, salt, sugar, and yeast into the mixer bowl. Pour in warm water and knead with the dough hook for like 4 or 5 minutes till it smooths out and isn’t sticky. Shape it into a ball, give the bowl a thin coat of oil, put the dough back, loosely wrap it with plastic, and let it chill out somewhere warm for 40 to 60 minutes so it doubles in size.
02 -
Get your 33x23 cm pan slick with some grease and leave it nearby.
03 -
Once the dough’s puffed up, punch it down and plop onto a lightly floured counter. Roll it out a bit bigger than your pan. Spread lard all over, then scatter the currants over two-thirds. Throw on the sugar, mixed spice, and candied peel if you’re using it.
04 -
Grab one short side and fold it into the middle. Do the same with the other short end so it’s in thirds, like folding a letter. Fold the top edge down into the center, then the bottom up, so it’s stacked up. Flip so the folds are underneath and gently roll till it’s a little smaller than the baking pan—don’t let it tear.
05 -
Do the letter folds again, flip, then roll out until it matches the pan size. Loosely wrap with plastic and let it chill for 10 minutes.
06 -
Move your dough into the greased pan and press it in gently to fit. Drape it with plastic wrap and let it rise for 40–60 minutes till it looks puffy.
07 -
Crank your oven to 200°C. Take a dough scraper or sharp knife and run it right down the middle lengthwise, then cut across to give you eight pieces. Pick off any currants sitting on top so they don’t burn. Bake for 30–40 minutes until it’s a lovely deep golden brown.
08 -
Mix your golden syrup and water for the glaze. As soon as it comes out of the oven, brush this all over while it’s still hot. Let it sit for about 10 minutes, then turn the whole thing upside down onto a tray so the bottom’s on top. Let it cool off totally before you slice it up and dig in.
09 -
Pop it into something airtight at room temp for up to three days, or freeze if you want to keep it longer. It tastes best within a day or two of baking.
# Notes:
01 -
Make sure your dough is soft and smooth for the best rise and fluffy texture. Using homemade mixed spice and candied peel really amps up the flavor. Don’t forget to pull off any currants that are showing before baking—they’ll char if you don’t.