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1
Sift the flour into a large bowl and stir in the shredded suet.
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2
Stir in the milk and water to make a soft dough.
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3
Cut a quarter of the dough off for the lid and set side.
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4
Butter a 1 litre (13/4pt) pudding basin.
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5
Dust your work surface with flour and roll out the dough to make a 30cm (12in) wide circle.
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6
Press the dough into the basin to neatly cover the base and sides.
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7
Place half the butter and sugar into the basin.
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8
Prick the lemon all over with a needle or skewer and nestle on top of the sugar.
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9
Cover with the remaining butter and sugar.
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10
Roll out the remaining pastry to make a 12cm (43/4in) wide circle and lay over the filling.
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11
Pinch the sides together to seal.
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12
Lay a large sheet of baking parchment on your work surface and cover with a larger sheet of foil.
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13
Pinch a 5cm (2in) pleat up out of the middle and fold over (the pleat means the paper and foil can expand as the pudding steams).
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14
Cover the basin with the paper and foil, paper-side-down, and tie onto the pudding with string.
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15
Trim any excess paper and foil.
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16
Tie a string handle onto the basin.
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17
Place a saucer in the bottom of a large pan and put the pudding on top of it.
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18
Pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the basin.
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19
Cover with a lid and gently boil for 31/2 hours.
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20
If the water gets low, pour in more boiling water.
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21
To serve, lift the pudding from the pan and remove the foil and paper.
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22
Run a palette knife around the edge of the pudding.
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23
Place a serving plate over the bottom of the basin and quickly turn them both upside down.
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24
Give the basin a very gentle shake to help ease the pudding out.
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25
Serve immediately.
