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1
For the cake: Pour 350g of the flour in a bowl with the salt, sugar and yeast.
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2
In another bowl, beat the eggs and add them, with the vanilla extract, lemon zest and cinnamon, to the lukewarm milk.
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3
Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients to make a medium-soft dough, being prepared to add more flour as necessary.
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4
I generally use about 400g in all, but advise you to start off with the smaller amount: just add more as needed.
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5
Work in the soft butter and knead by hand for about 10 minutes or half that time by machine.
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6
When the dough is ready it will appear smooth and springy: it suddenly seems to plump up into glossy life.
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7
Cover with a kitchen towel and leave until doubled in size (1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes).
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8
Or leave to rise slowly in a cold place overnight.
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9
Then punch down and press to line a jellyroll pan measuring 25x35 cm.
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10
You may think it's never going to stretch to fit, but it will, although you may need to let it rest for 10 minutes or so mid-stretch, especially if the dough has had a cold rise.
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11
When it's pressed out on the pan, leave it to rest for 15 to 20 minutes and then brush with the egg, cinnamon and cream mixture.
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12
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
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13
Peel and chop the apple and toss it in a bowl with the blackberries and the zest from the other half lemon.
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14
Set the bowl aside for the few minutes it takes to make the crumble topping.
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15
Put the flour, ground almonds and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl, stir to combine, then add the cold, diced butter.
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16
Using the tips of your fingers - index and middle stroking the fleshly pads of your clumpy (this is very buttery mixture) oatmeal.
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17
Fork in the sugars and sliced almonds.
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18
Tumble the fruit over the egg-washed dough and then sprinkle the crumble on top of that.
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19
Put in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn down to 180 degrees C and cook for a further 20 minutes or so, until the dough is swelling and golden at its billowing edges and the crumble is set; don't expect it to be crunchy.
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20
Remove from the oven and, if you can, wait 5 minutes or so before cutting it into greed-satisfying slabs.