Hmmm. I've now read that recipe. My version goes - sling all the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl (obviously theres an extra step if you have to clean and shred the suet), and add water little by little until the dough is soft and springy, a little like scone or biscuit(that'a US biscuit)dough. Form it into a sausage shape just under 3 inches diameter, and wrap into a parcel in buttered foil, ensuring that the joins are folded over several times. Put it into a steamer and cook. (Time above) If it's in a pudding basin it isn't really spotted dick. Mum's plain pudding was in a basin - I do unsweetened suet pudding to serve with roast lamb. Mix flour suet and water to soft dough and sling into basin. Cover with foil and steam. It should by rights then be sliced and placed under the joint to soak up the gravy and get a crisp surface where there is no gravy. (This is from Sussex)