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apricot studded loaf served

Apricot Studded Loaf - Make It At Home

Mix the dough ingredients to make a soft, smooth dough and set aside to rise. When doubled, transfer to a greased sheet of parchment, placed on a large cutting board. Cover and rest dough for 5-7 min, then pat out into a 7 inch x 11 inch rectangle (18 cm x 28 cm). Top with chopped apricots and chopped walnuts. with greased fingers, roll up tightly, jelly-roll style, starting from the short side; Transfer to a parchment-lined baking tray, seam side down, pinch ends closed and tuck them under. Coat loaf with oil, cover loosely and set aside to rise (30-40 min). Brush with milk and bake in preheated oven for 20-22 min at 400 F (200 Celsius) till crust is golden brown.. Remove and spread butter over the top and sides while hot. Cool for at least an hour before slicing. Serve with butter at breakfast or teatime. Enjoy.
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Resting time needed to proof dough 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Course Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine American, French
Servings 6
Calories 191 kcal

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.
    bread dough ingredients
  • Add milk and mix with a spoon. I recommend using a silicone spoon or spatula.
    add milk to make bread dough
  • 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.
    sticky bread dough
  • 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.
    bread dough
  • It will likely take about an hour to double in size. Gently punch down.
    bread dough -doubled
  • 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.
    dough log for 2nd rise
  • 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.
    covered dough -2nd rise
  • Meanwhile, chop the apricots and walnuts.
    apricot loaf-chopped apricots
  • 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).
    pat the dough rectangle
  • 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.
    rolled up dough
  • Gently pinch the ends closed and tuck the pinched dough under the rolled-up loaf.
    pinch the ends closed
  • 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.
    apricot dough after 3rd rise
  • 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.
    milk wash before baking
  • 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.
    apricot loaf in 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.
    butter the crust
  • 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!
    apricot studded loaf served

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

Nutrition

Calories: 191kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 5gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 216mgPotassium: 113mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 141IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 2mg
Keyword bread, butter, Dried Apricots, Instant yeast, milk, walnuts
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