Apricot Couronne

Apricot Couronne 

Adapted from Paul Hollywood's recipe.

So I decided to archive my bakes and share recipes, most of which adapted from other blogs I chanced upon and love. My latest obsession is the great British bakeoff where aspiring bakers struggle with technical bakes judged by celebrity bakers, Paul Hollywood and Mary berry and show off their creativity in the show stopper rounds. And so it seems appropriate to christen this first post with a recipe adapted from the show, Paul hollywood's apricot couronne. It is so delish I couldn't wait for the sweet citrus bread to cool before I took a bite. The bread is citrusy, aromatic and mildly sweet, this recipe is a keeper. Try it!

For the dough:
250g bread flour (I used 150g bread flour and 100g plain flour because I ran out of bread flour and it worked just fine!)
5g salt
7g instant yeast
50g unsalted butter
105ml milk
1 egg

For the apricot filling:
90g unsalted butter
70g light brown sugar
120g dried apricots, chopped and soaked in the juice of 1 orange
35g plain flour
60g cranberries
65g walnut
Finely grated zest of 1 orange

To finish:
50g quince jam
50g icing sugar, sifted
25g flaked almonds, lightly toasted
To make the dough

1. Sift flour into a large mixing bowl, Adding the salt to the bowl on one side and the yeast to the other. Add the butter, milk and egg and lightly bring the mixture together with your hands, forming a ball of soft dough. 

2. Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured worktop and knead for about 10 minutes. When the dough feels smooth and silky, place it in a lightly floured bowl. Cover the bowl with a dry tea towel and leave to rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

To make the apricot filling

3. Put the butter, sugar, drained apricots, flour, cranberries, walnuts and zest into a bowl and mix thoroughly. Set aside until needed. (Keep the drained juice to make the glaze for extra flavour.)

To assemble
4. Turn the dough on to the lightly floured worktop. Roll it out to a rectangle. Spread the apricot filling mixture evenly over the dough, then roll up like a Swiss roll into a tight roll.

5. Cut the dough in half lengthwise, leaving 1 end in tact and twist them together to finish the 'crown'. Transfer to baking sheet. Prove for 30-45 minutes until the dough springs back quickly when you touch it lightly. 

6. Preheat the oven at 200 deg.  When the couronne is proved, Bake for 25-35 minutes until brown. Transfer to a wire rack.

7.   Heat the quince jam and quickly brush over the warm loaf to glaze. Mix the icing sugar with enough remaining juice to make a thin icing. Drizzle over the loaf and sprinkle with the lightly toasted flawed almonds. Leave to cool.

I will definitely be baking this again soon! Have fun baking! 

This is what is left after the first day.