St John's cake recipe (coca de sant joan)

Created by Jody Vassallo

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Cuisine: Spanish
Serves 8

Catalonians enjoy this sweet bread on the feast of St John.

Ingredients

200ml warm milk
2 x 7g sachets dried yeast
500g (3⅓ cups) plain flour
125g (½ cup) caster sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
1 egg, lightly beaten, plus 1 egg yolk, beaten, to brush
50g unsalted butter, melted
60ml (¼ cup) olive oil
2 tbsp vanillin sugar*
2 tbsp crystallised ginger*
2 tbsp glacé cherries*
2 tbsp pine nuts

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Preparation

Combine milk and yeast. Leave in a warm place for 10 minutes or until the mixture bubbles.

Combine flour, sugar, zest and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and gradually stir in milk mixture, 1 egg, butter, oil and enough warm water to form a dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and glossy. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm, draught-free place for 1 hour or until dough doubles in size.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Turn dough out onto a lined oven tray. Gently shape dough to form a 27cm x 32cm oval. Brush with egg yolk, sprinkle with vanillin sugar and decorate with ginger, cherries and pine nuts. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean and cake is light golden.

* Vanillin sugar is slightly bitter in taste; substitute caster sugar.

* If you like, substitute candied fruits of your choice for the ginger and cherries.

Photography by John Laurie.

If you enjoyed this St John's cake recipe (coca de sant joan) then browse more Spanish recipes, bread recipes, cake recipes, baking recipes, prepare ingredients in advance recipes and our most popular hainanese chicken rice recipe.

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