Jam Roly-Poly

Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan / gas 4). Finely grate the lemon zest and set aside. Prepare a large sheet of foil by greasing it generously with the softened butter.

Combine the self-raising flour, salt, vegetable suet and 2 tablespoons of the caster sugar in a large bowl. Rub lightly with your fingertips just until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs — do not overwork.

Add the cold milk gradually, stirring with a butter knife until the dough just comes together into a soft but not sticky ball. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and gently bring together with your hands.

Roll the dough out on the floured surface into a rectangle roughly 25 cm × 30 cm and no thinner than 5 mm.

Stir the lemon zest into the jam, then spread it evenly over the dough, leaving a 2 cm border on all sides. Fold the long edges in by 1 cm, then roll the dough up tightly from the short end into a log and pinch the seam firmly closed.

Place the roly-poly on the prepared buttered foil. Dust the top with the remaining tablespoon of caster sugar, then wrap in the foil, pleating a generous fold along the top to allow the pudding to expand. Twist the ends firmly to seal.

Place the foil parcel in a roasting tin. Pour boiling water into the tin to a depth of 3 cm, then cover the entire tin tightly with a second sheet of foil. Place in the preheated oven.

Steam-bake for 45 minutes, then carefully lift the foil cover and check the water level. Top up with boiling water if the level has dropped below 1 cm. Re-cover and continue to steam-bake for a further 45 minutes (90 minutes total).

Remove the tin from the oven. Carefully unwrap the foil — take care, the steam will be intense. Allow the roly-poly to rest for 5 minutes before slicing into thick rounds. Serve immediately with hot custard or clotted cream.