Date and nut loaf

Makes 1 loaf

400g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting 200g dates, stoned and chopped, plus extra, halved, to decorate 50g ground almonds 7g fast action dried yeast 150g mixed nuts, lightly crushed, plus extra to decorate 2 tbsp clear honey sea salt

Dust a large flat oven tray with flour. In a food processor, blend the dates together with 220ml of warm water into a sticky compote and set aside. In a large bowl, place the flour, a pinch of salt and the ground almonds, and make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Add the yeast and the date mixture. Stir in a figure of eight motion to combine, adding a little more water if the mixture is too dry or a little flour if the mixture is too sticky.

Add the crushed nuts to the mixture. On a clean surface lightly dusted with flour, knead the dough for 8 mins, then place in a large clean bowl and cover tightly with cling film. Leave in a warm place for 1½ hrs to rise, then knead on the floured surface for 2 mins. Shape the dough by hand into an oval loaf and place on the prepared tray. Cover loosely with cling film and leave in a warm place until the loaf doubles in size. This can take up to 2 hrs.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Make an incision in the top of the bread and bake for 15-20 mins until golden and sounding hollow when tapped on the bottom. Allow to cool completely.

Brush the top of the loaf with the honey, decorate with the extra dates and nuts, and serve.