Never know what to do with your left over festive fruit? Whack it in a loaf! This loaf has a good crust and a brilliant sweetness. Cut this up and make it into lovely toast and butter it up with something sweet. Alternatively it’s also good with meat and cheese as the dates act a bit like a sweet relish already within the bread.

• 500g strong wholemeal flour
• 1 sachet of yeast
• 10g salt
• Lots of chopped up dates 
• 300ml tepid water

Mix the flour, salt and yeast together and combine with the water. This makes quite a sloppy dough. Let it prove in a warm place for an hour then squash the air out of it and prove again for another hour. Mix in the dates and distribute evenly. Place in the loaf tin for a final prove and bake at 200°C for 40 minutes. 

Nom.