Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.

Put the flour, yeast, sugar, spice and salt into the bowl of a freestanding mixer. Stir to mix.

Add the soft butter. Mix on speed 2 with a dough hook whilst you pour the warm water in from the side. Mix for 3 – 4 minutes until the dough comes together. Check the texture of the dough. If it feels dry, add a little more water. Alternatively, you can knead by hand on a floured work surface.

When you are happy with the consistency of the dough, mix using the dough hook for a further 4 minutes on speed 2, or until the dough comes away from the side of the bowl. Alternatively, you can knead by hand on a floured work surface.

Tip into a lightly greased bowl and cover. Wash the dough hook and the bowl from the freestanding mixer.

Leave to rise until doubled in size. This normally takes between 1- 2 hours depending on how warm it is. If the room temperature is cold, I put mine in the oven set on dough setting at 42°C and it takes around 2 hours.

When it has doubled in size, knock the dough back with your hand and then remove the dough from the bowl and put it back into the freestanding mixing bowl.

Continuing with the dough hook, mix on speed 1 to knock the air out of the dough and then put the speed up to 2 and mix for 1 minute. Add the dried fruit and mix for a further minute.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, quickly knead and divide into 3 equal parts.

Using your hands or a rolling pin, roll each piece into a rectangle. Roll up from the shorter end to create a loaf shape. Pop into the prepared loaf tins.

Loosely cover with cling film. Leave to rise until doubled in size. This normally takes around an hour. If the room temperature is cold, I put mine in the oven set on dough setting at 42°C.

Preheat oven to Fan Oven 180°C /200°C/400°F/Gas 6

When the dough is ready, remove the cling film and cook in the centre of a pre-heated oven.

Cook for 40 minutes or until the loaves are golden. Cover with kitchen foil for the last 5 – 10 minutes if it is browning too quickly.

Leave in the baking tins for few minutes and then remove onto a wire rack.

Topping: brush the top of the loaves with runny honey to glaze.

To serve: delicious served as is, with butter, and/or jam, wonderful with cheese and also fabulous with chicken liver pate or foie gras.