Step 1

Mix the first four dry ingredients (use BAKING SODA not baking powder - video caption is incorrect!) in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Step 2

Set the oven to 150° C / 300° F fan forced (or 170° C / 340° F no fan) and grease a 1kg / 2lb baking tin with a bit of oil. I also recommend lining the tin with a piece of baking paper as this bread tends to stick.

Step 3

This is an optional step, but recommended! Heat up a medium size pan on a low-medium heat. Once hot, add almonds to it. Dry roast the almonds for a few minutes until fragrant and lightly browned on both sides - move them around the pan frequently so that they don't burn. Remove the almonds from the pan and place them on a chopping board. Add pumpkin and sunflower seeds to the pan and dry roast them together, stirring frequently.

Step 4

Chop toasted almonds up roughly and if using dates, prunes or apricots rather than cranberries, remove the stones (dates) and chop them into smaller pieces too.

Step 5

In a small mixing bowl combine all the wet ingredients.

Step 6

Add cooled-down nuts, seeds and dried fruit to the dry ingredients.

Step 7

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix well to combine. Let the batter rest for about 30-60 minutes so that the chia / flax seeds (also known as a flax egg) have had a chance to activate (become jelly-like) in the added moisture.

Step 8

Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin and decorate the top with extra seeds before putting the bread in the oven.

Step 9

Bake for about 60 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Let the bread cool down completely before cutting into it and use a serrated knife to cut it.