Every family has favourite dishes and ones the children remember. This bread was a great favourite, so I made a batch yesterday to take to my grown-up son for his birthday. It’s easy to make, and I used good Mudgee hazelnuts to make it even better. The original recipe calls for mixed peel, but if you prefer, use lemon essence or lemon zest.

HUTZELBROT

approx. 6 cups plain flour

l tablespoon dry yeast

l tablespoon sugar

l tablespoon oil or melted butter

2 teaspoons salt

2 1/2 cups warm water

3/4 cup fruit medley

2 teaspoons mixed spice

l cup whole (shelled) hazelnuts

1/2 cup sultanas

1/3 cup chopped peel or 1 teaspoon lemon essence

Place 3 cups flour, yeast, sugar, oil and salt in a large bowl. Add water and mix to combine. Stir in remaining ingredients and enough more flour to make a soft dough. Knead well until smooth and elastic, place into a clean greased bowl and cover, leaving in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled. Punch down and shape into two round loaves and place on a greased tray. Cover and leave 30 minutes to rise then bake in a preheated 190C oven for 30-40 minutes until golden and loaves sound hollow when tapped on the base. Cool on a rack. Makes 2 loaves.