Apricot Studded Loaf – easy to make at home…. and the golden apricot pieces in this delicious bread look so gorgeous! Have it for breakfast or with your afternoon tea/coffee. Yum!
Also, with this last post of the year, it’s time to ring in the new year! My very best wishes to all of you, my friends, for a wonderful 2022!
I first started to make this bread years ago, inspired by a delicious bread a fellow grad student had brought to share. I had never made bread when I lived in India, but had always wanted to try. When she told us she had made it with frozen bread dough, my eyes popped. There was such a thing…?!
So, of course, I picked up some frozen bread dough the next time I went to get groceries. After a few tries, I felt I kind of had the hang of it. I started adding all kinds of stuff to this magical thing that had become my new toy – herbs, spices, dried fruit, nuts…. I loved it all!
Apricot bread with frozen bread dough – quite a hit!
Once, on a whim, I decided to add chopped-up dried apricots and walnuts. Sort of like doing a “new take” on the classic cinnamon-raisin walnut bread I could buy at the store. I had never seen apricot bread at the store, though, so I thought, why not try it at home? After all, I did have dried apricots in my pantry.
The result…. do I really need to spell it out? Let’s just say I took it to school to share with friends, and it was all gone in a matter of minutes, with happy smiles all around!
Special memories with this bread
This apricot studded loaf was destined to create some very special memories for me. We were thrilled when my parents-in-law visited us during the summer of 1988. I decided to make this special loaf to welcome them when they arrived from India.
I served it at breakfast, slathered with butter, of course, and they both really enjoyed it. They thought I had bought it and couldn’t believe I had made it at home. My mother-in-law told me they would love to have it with their mid-morning tea the next day. I was a grad student at the time and I wouldn’t be home for “mid-morning tea”. My mother-in-law knew that, so she said not to worry, she would toast it when they wanted to have it.
When I came home, she told me they would have it the next day too! I was afraid the bread would dry out and taste stale, so I divided the rest of the bread into smaller portions, bagged each portion and put it all in the freezer. For the next 3-4 days, while they brewed a pot of tea, my mother-in-law took out one bag, let it thaw it a bit, then toasted it.
The day they pulled out the last portion, she laughingly told me, “Oh, by the way, the bread’s all gone!” So … time to make a fresh loaf of bread. I sure made a lot of bread that summer!
This post today is dedicated to my wonderful and loving parents-in-law on their very special day. They tied the knot on this date 71 years ago. So often, it’s the little things that linger in one’s memories. Every time I make this apricot-studded loaf, I remember their happy smiles and it makes me smile too!
Home-made frozen bread dough!
It’s been a long time since I last bought frozen bread dough at the grocery store. I’ve been making my own dough for years, and mostly I make it when I need it. However, I do sometimes make a larger batch than I need, just so I can stash some in the freezer.
So… I often have 2-3 kinds of home-made frozen bread dough, ready for me to make whatever I’m in the mood for…. Pizza, Calzone, Sandwich buns, Pav, Pita bread, Naan… Having frozen dough on hand is so very useful!
Dough for Apricot Studded Loaf
How do I make the dough for this bread? After many variations, I’ve pretty much settled on the recipe I’ve shared here.
I first make the slightly sweetish dough with milk (rather than water). After it doubles in size, I gently punch it down and transfer it to a parchment-lined baking tray. I pat it out gently to a large rectangle on the parchment and spread chopped apricots and walnuts all over the dough. Then I roll it up tightly, jelly-roll style, set it aside and wait for it to rise again. That’s it.
All that is left is…. Toss it into the hot oven, set the timer for 20 minutes and inhale the lovely aroma wafting through the house. When the timer beeps, take a peek to see whether it looks “golden” enough…. then take it out.
Wait! Don’t cut the bread right away!
Put the baked loaf on a cooling rack, immediately smear butter over the top and sides and watch the crust….. Its color deepens to a honey-gold as the butter melts into the crust, leaving behind a beautiful and glossy sheen.
The tough part? Having to wait until it’s well-cooled before slicing. Believe me, I’ve learned patience the hard way. Of course I’ve tried slicing it while it’s still a bit warm…. never doing that again! I’ve discovered that it is best if I make this enticing apricot studded loaf in the evening…. late evening!
That way, I take it out of the oven just before I go to bed, and it has a fighting chance to cool all night on my countertop, undisturbed. No fear of being attacked before it’s ready. Never mind that I’m going to be smelling fresh bread in my dreams all night!
Special Diets
This bread is vegetarian and soy-free. To make it vegan, use coconut milk, or other non-dairy milk you prefer. Also replace the butter with coconut oil. See Recipe Notes for details. To make the loaf nut-free, use a nut-free milk, and omit the walnuts. Or…. replace with raw sunflower seeds: be sure to taste-test these for freshness first – sunflower seeds tend to become rancid fairly quickly).
Special note of caution: If you have asthma or have known allergies to sulfur dioxide treated dried foods, be sure to look for apricots that have been dried without sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide is widely used as a preservative, especially in dried fruit, and while most folks tolerate it well, those with asthma might not.
If you are a bread-lover, perhaps you would also like to try a couple of the other breads I’ve posted on this blog:
Rye with Pumpkin -Savory Bread Going for Gold
If you like dried apricots, perhaps you might also like to try my sweet and spicy Simple Apricot ‘Duck” Sauce, so versatile and perfect with a whole host of savory snacks that “need” a dipping sauce to heighten your pleasure.
I hope you make this Apricot studded loaf, wow your friends, and enjoy over a cup of tea/coffee…
Do leave a review and a star rating. Much appreciated.
Enjoy!
Apricot Studded Loaf – Make It At Home
Equipment
- electric/gas oven for baking bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Cups All purpose flour Recommend using bread flour if available- the loaf will be softer and will likely rise a bit more.
- 3/4 cup Milk – boiled and cooled to room temp Slightly lukewarm is OK, but should NOT be hot – it will kill the yeast!
- 2 tsp Soft butter at room temp
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Sugar – granulated
- 1 tsp Instant Yeast If not available, quick-rising yeast is OK too; see recipe Notes for detailed directions
- 4-5 whole Dried Apricots – chopped
- 1 tbsp Walnuts – chopped about 3-4 walnut halves
- 2 tsp Oil I use peanut oil, but any mild-flavored edible oil is OK; for coating dough, greasing parchment. etc.
- 1 tsp Fresh lime/lemon juice
Brushing on top of loaf
- 1 tbsp Milk brushing on loaf before baking
- 1 tsp Butter coating on loaf after baking
Instructions
- Place flour, butter, salt, sugar and yeast in a bowl and mix well.
- Add milk and mix with a spoon. I recommend using a silicone spoon or spatula.
- It will be sticky and tacky at first, then it will start leaving the sides of the bowl as you keep working the dough. Let it rest for 5-10 min.
- With greased hands, knead for a few minutes and gather the soft dough into a silky smooth ball. Coat the dough with a few drops of oil, cover the bowl and set aside to rise. A good place for dough to rise is the middle rack of the oven (cold oven!), with a pan of hot water placed on the lower rack. The steam from the hot water provides a warm and humid environment that helps the dough rise.
- It will likely take about an hour to double in size. Gently punch down.
- Transfer dough to a greased parchment sheet. Use a silicone spatula, if available; if not, grease your fingers and gently transfer the dough. With greased hands, shape the dough into a thick log, about 6 inches (15 cm) long.
- Coat with oil, cover and set aside in the oven for 2nd rise. This will likely take about 30-40 min (maybe even less than 30 min). Again, place a pan of hot water on the lower rack.
- Meanwhile, chop the apricots and walnuts.
- Chopped walnuts
- The dough spreads out a little as it rises during the 2nd rise.
- With lightly greased fingers, gently pat the dough into a rectangle: about 7 inch x 11 inch rectangle (18 cm x 28 cm).
- Top the patted out dough with chopped apricots and chopped walnuts, going all the way to the edges.
- With greased fingers, roll it up tightly, jelly-roll style, starting from the short side.
- Transfer to a parchment-lined baking tray, seam side down.
- Gently pinch the ends closed and tuck the pinched dough under the rolled-up loaf.
- Coat loaf with oil, cover loosely and set aside to rise (30-40 min). Place the baking tray in the oven on the center rack, with a pot of hot water on a lower rack.
- The loaf after the 3rd rise.Remove from the oven to prepare for baking while the oven is being preheated. Start preheating the oven – to 400 F (200 C). Keep the pan of water in the oven while it heats (about 1 cup water is enough). The steam generated from the water helps the loaf rise even more as it bakes.
- While the oven heats up, brush gently with warm (not hot!) milk. Repeat once more. The milk-wash keeps the dough surface moist and also gives a nice even colored crust.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20-22 min at 400 F (200 Celsius) till crust is golden brown. Each oven is a little different, so keep a close watch after 17-18 min, to prevent over-browning.Also: Notice the pan of water in the back corner of the oven.
- Turn the oven off and remove the pan from the oven immediately. If you leave it in the hot oven, the loaf will dry out and become hard.
- Immediately spread butter over the top and sides while the bread is still very hot. The crust color will deepen and the butter leaves a glossy shine. This also softens the crust, keeping it from becoming chewy when cold.
- Transfer to a cooling rack. Do not slice until the bread has properly cooled: a at least an hour or so, preferably longer. Use a sharp serrated bread knife to cut the bread; never cut bread with a smooth edged knife, it will ruin the delicate soft and airy texture of the bread.
- Apricot studded bread – sliced and ready to serve.
- Serve with butter at breakfast or teatime. bread, butter, jam, coffee…Enjoy!
Notes
To store baked bread:
Keeps well at room temp for 2-3 days in a plastic bag, loosely tied to allow some air . To store longer: Place slices in a sealable plastic bag and- Refrigerate
- use within 4-5 days
- I recommend toasting it briefly to soften the crumb.
- if you wish, you can microwave it very briefly- only 7-10 seconds
- do not heat longer in the microwave – it will become chewy and hard.
- Freeze
- place bagged bread in another bag before freezing: “double-bagging”
- good for at least 2 weeks, possibly longer
- to thaw: remove as many slices as needed, then place on the counter for about 5-7 min before lightly toasting to soften the crumb.
To store dough in the freezer:
Make the dough ahead of time or make an extra batch – Home-made frozen bread dough. Freeze the dough immediately after kneading, before the first rise,- Put it in a plastic bag or container with a well fitting lid
- Use a bag/container that is large enough to accommodate a little bit of rising before the dough freezes
- good for about a month, possibly longer
- To thaw frozen dough: plan for about an hour to thaw the dough, even though it may get done sooner.
- Place the container on the counter
- open the seal of the plastic bag, or ,
- if using a container with a lid, loosen the lid.
- the dough should get thawed in about 30 min or so.
- Do not rush the process.
- Continue with the thawed dough as described
- from the first rise
Amazing taste! Heavenly smelling bread!! Instructions were quite easy to follow. Replaced Walnuts with Cashews. Would surely make it again.
So yumyum 😋 😋
Thank you!
This was better than any store bought bread I have eaten!
This is the first time I have made a loaf bread and not have it turn out dense and unpalatable. It was a great recipie and everyone enjoyed it 🙂
Oh good! I’m so glad this turned out well for you,Jessica! I really love this bread too!
Maybe you could also try the Bun Maska recipe… it’s kind of similar, except you make rolls (buns) and put the chopped apricot inside each bun.
Here’s the link : https://theculinaryheart.com/easy-bun-maska-at-home-make-the-irani-cafe-staple/
Thanks you for your thoughtful and kind review and the 5-star rating. 🙂