Fill a 24 cm / 9.5-inch, 6-quart / 5.7 L stockpot two-thirds full with water, set a heatproof saucer on the bottom, cover and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, ginger, mixed spice and salt in a 28 cm / 11-inch bowl. Stir in the suet, brown sugar and dried fruit, breaking up any clumps with your fingertips.

Whisk the egg, milk and golden syrup together, pour into the dry mix and stir until you have a soft batter that drops slowly off the spoon. If it feels stiff, add up to 3 tbsp more milk, 1 tbsp at a time.

Using tongs, dip the cloth into the boiling water for 20 seconds. Lift it out, let it cool for a minute, then wring it out. Lay it flat and rub the 2 tbsp flour and 1 tbsp caster sugar into the middle in a circle about 30 cm / 12 inches wide, until it forms a pasty coating.

Spoon the batter into the center of the cloth and gather the corners up. Tie it with kitchen string, leaving about 5 cm / 2 inches of slack above the batter so the dumpling can swell by a third. Tied too tightly, it cooks dense and gummy in the middle.

Lower the bundle onto the saucer with the knot facing up, so the water comes at least two-thirds of the way up the dumpling. Cover, reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 hours, turning the bundle over at the 90-minute mark and topping up with boiling water from a kettle whenever the level drops. Heat the oven to 150 C / 300 F about 15 minutes before the time is up.

Lift the bundle out with tongs, dunk it in a bowl of cold water for 3 seconds to loosen the cloth, then set it on a 26 cm / 10-inch ovenproof plate. Cut the string, peel the cloth away and bake for 10 minutes, until the skin looks dry and dark and feels slightly chewy rather than tacky.

Rest the dumpling on the plate for 10 minutes. Slice it into 8 wedges with a serrated knife and serve warm.