This wonderfully fruity loaf is ideal for breakfast or simply as a snack. Best enjoyed as is, toasted with lashings of lightly salted butter or even making French toast! This recipe is enough to make 2 small loaves.
All combined with a special touch of almonds to give you a moreish loaf which is so good, it’ll be gone before you know it. This does require preparation the night before and 3 hours of resting the day of, but it’s worth the wait.
Ingredients
- Strong White Bread Flour – 375g
- 2 x Tablespoons of Ground Almonds
- Golden Caster Sugar – 70g
- Yeast – 7g
- Milk – 100ml
- 4 x Medium Eggs
- 1 x Teaspoon of Salt
- Unsalted Butter – 200g – Softened
- Dried Apricots – 150g – Roughly Chopped
- 1 ½ x Tablespoons of Flaked Almonds
Method
STEP 1
In a large bowl, sieve in your flour. To this add your yeast, sugar, salt and ground almonds. Stir until they’re all combined.
STEP 2
Add in 3 medium eggs and using your hands, a wooden spoon or a mixer if you have one, mix for around 6- 8 minutes.
STEP 3
Add in your softened butter and mix for another 8 – 10 minutes until you have a smooth dough and all the ingredients are fully combined. Roll into a large ball and place into a lightly oiled bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.
STEP 4
The next day, grease two standard loaf pan or line with baking paper.
STEP 5
Divide your dough into 16 balls and evenly split your chopped, dried apricots into 16 as well. Press your dried fruit into each ball then seal and roll up again, repeat until they’ll all done.
STEP 6
Place 8 balls into each loaf time in an even layer and allow to rest and prove for another 3 hours somewhere warm, they should double in size.
STEP 7
Near the end of your proofing time, preheat your oven to 200°c.
STEP 8
Beat up 1 egg and brush over the top of your loaves. Sprinkle your flaked almonds on top to finish them off. Place them in the oven for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown and delicious. Cool on a metal wire rack.
STEP 9
Enjoy as is or toast and serve with lashings of lightly salted Cornish butter.