Chai-Spiced Ginger and Date Tea Loaf

Ingredients

For the dates

• 1 tbsp chai tea
• 100g/3 ½ oz chopped dates

For the dough

• 60g/2 ¼ oz unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
• 135ml/4 ½ fl oz full-fat milk, preferably organic
• 60g/2 ¼ oz soft dark brown sugar
• 2 large free-range eggs, beaten
• 15g/½ oz fast-action dried yeast
• 450g/1 lb strong white flour
• pinch salt
• 50g/1 ¾ oz stem ginger in syrup, chopped, plus 2-3 tbsp syrup from the stem ginger for the glaze

For the spice blend

• 1 tbsp green cardamom pods, seeds only
• 3 black cardamom pods, seeds only
• pinch black peppercorns
• 1 whole star anise pods
• 50g/1 ¾ oz unsalted butter
• 50g/1 ¾ oz jaggery (or palm sugar)
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste

Instructions

1. 1
   For the dates, in a small saucepan bring 150ml/5fl oz of water to the boil. Add the tea and boil for a minute. Strain the tea into a bowl and add the chopped dates. Set aside for ten minutes and then drain the dates using a sieve.
2. 2
   Grease and line a 20cm/8in, round, loose-bottomed spring-form cake tin.
3. 3
   For the dough, melt the butter in a small pan and warm the milk in a separate pan.
4. 4
   In a bowl, combine the warm milk, butter, sugar and eggs. Stir in the yeast until thoroughly mixed. Set aside for five minutes.
5. 5
   Put the flour and salt in the bowl of a free-standing mixer fixed with a dough hook. Add the yeast mixture, drained dates and chopped stem ginger and mix to a soft, smooth and shiny dough.
6. 6
   For the spice blend, while the dough is mixing, crush the green and black cardamom seeds with the black pepper and star anise in a small pestle and mortar. Transfer to a small bowl and combine with the butter, jaggery (or palm sugar), cinnamon, ginger and vanilla paste to make a spreadable spiced butter. Set aside.
7. 7
   When the dough is ready, roll it quite thin and at least 60cm/23½in long. With your fingers or the back of a spoon, spread the spiced butter all over the top of the dough. Roll up, quite tightly, from the long side, like a Swiss roll.
8. 8
   Cut into 3 x 20cm/8in long pieces and arrange them vertically on the counter. Plait the pieces in a simple three-braid plait. Carefully lift the plait and arrange it in a circle around the inside of the prepared cake tin. There may be a little gap in the centre but this will fill in as the bread proves. Cover the top of the tin with cling film and place in a warm place to prove for one hour.
9. 9
   Preheat the oven to 180C/fan oven 160C/350F/Gas 4.
10. 10
    Place the tin in the oven and bake for about 35 minutes, or until golden-brown. While it is still hot, brush the top generously with the ginger syrup. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before sliding a butter knife around the edge of the tin to release it.
11. 11
    Remove the baking paper and leave on a cooling rack until completely cool.