Ingredients:
110g milk
300g flour + more for kneading
2 sachets instant yeast
1 tsp mixed spice
50g caster sugar
¼ tsp fine salt
60g butter, softened
1 egg, beaten
Filling:
150g marmalade
150g dried cranberries
30ml orange juice
100g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
To serve (optional):
Extra cranberries and pistachios to scatter over the top

Method:

• Warm the milk to lukewarm (not hot) and set aside. Take 2 tbsp of the milk into a smaller bowl and add the yeast plus a teaspoon of sugar. Stir to dissolve the yeast and leave for 10 minutes until it starts to froth.
• In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, mixed spice and salt. Make a well in the middle and add the yeast mixture, remaining milk, softened butter and the beaten egg. Mix to form a sticky dough.
• Knead the dough for 5-6 minutes on a lightly floured worktop until smooth and shiny, adding more flour (sparingly) as needed if it’s very sticky. Leave to rise in a lightly greased bowl covered with a tea towel until double in size. (About an hour.)
• While it is rising, warm the orange juice gently and add the cranberries. Stir and leave them to soak and swell up for 30 minutes.
• Punch down the dough and roll out (on a floured surface) into a rectangle approximately 30cm x 40cm. Gently spread with the marmalade. Sprinkle with the pistachios and drained cranberries.
• Roll the rectangle along the longer side into a sausage. If the dough is warm you may need to refrigerate it for 20-30 minutes.
• Grease a 23cm spring form tin lightly and line the base with baking parchment. Slice the ends off the sausage and then cut 6cm-wide horizontal slices. Arrange them in the tin with one in the centre and the others around. Cover and leave the dough to prove until the buns are puffy – about 30-40 minutes. Place the ends on a separate baking sheet to rise under a tea towel or cling film.
• Towards the end of the proving time, heat oven to 200°C (fan). Bake for 20 minutes until the buns are dark golden. Cool on a wire rack.

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First published in the JC December 29 2022