Coca de San Juan (St James Cake)

Ingredients:

560g fine bread flour
120g sugar
80g baker's yeast
16g salt
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp orange blossom water
140g butter
1 tbsp finely-grated lemon zest
1 tbsp finely-grated orange zest
5 eggs
115ml water
50g pine nuts (soak for 30 minutes in water, then drain)
50g candied fruit
mint leaves

For the Starter Dough:
240g fine bread flour
5g baker's yeast
20g butter
145ml water

Method:

Begin with the dough. Sift the flour into a bowl and crumble in the yeast. Add the milk and cream the ingredients together. Add the water slowly, kneading all the white, until the mixture comes together as a soft dough.

Place the dough with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and set aside in a warm place to rise for about 80 minutes, or until trebled in volume.

Place the starter dough in a large bowl and add the flour, sugar, baker's yeast, salt, cinnamon, orange blossom water, butter, orange zest, lemon zest and 4 of the eggs.

Knead the ingredients together by had, then add the water slowly until the ingredients come together as a soft dough. Continue kneading this dough until smooth and elastic.

Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Sprinkle these with a little flour, then stretch out on a cool work surface into ovals.

Arrange the loaves on two baking trays lined with baking parchment. Cover loosely and set aside to prove for 30 minutes. Beat the remaining egg and brush to top the loaves. Sprinkle over the chopped pine nuts and candied fruit.

Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 200°C and bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through (the loaves should sound hollow when tapped on their bases).

Allow to cool, then slice crossways and serve.