Apricot Brioche Breakfast Plait

Melissa from Baking a Sweet Life is hosting this month's Bread Baking Day and selected the theme of Breakfast Breads - this has provided me with another opportunity to delve into the pages of Dean Brettschneider's Global Baker.

The recipe is a simple brioche dough that is flavoured with finely diced apricots - the dough does need to rest overnight in the fridge so you'll have to take that into consideration when planning to make this. The dough is also a lot softer than you would be used to but that is due to the particular method that Dean uses.

Apricot Brioche Breakfast Plait
[Makes 1 plait]

250 grams strong plain flour
5 grams salt
25 grams sugar
5 grams/1 teaspoon dried yeast
4 small eggs, lightly beaten
125 grams softened butter, cut into small dice
150 grams dried apricots, diced finely
pearl sugar, for decoration
icing sugar, for dusting
Egg wash
1 egg
2 tablespoons water

Sift the flour, salt, sugar and yeast into a large bowl - make a well in the centre and stir in three-quarters of the egg to form a soft dough.

Dust the bench with a little flour and tip out the dough. Knead the dough for about 2 minutes - it will be very soft - then form into a ball and cover with a bowl and let it rest for a minute. You need to repeat this 2 minute knead/1 minute rest for a total of 10 minutes or so until the gluten has developed.

Next, knead in the remaining egg slowly. the dough will move from being sticky to smooth and shiny over time.

Once this is done, knead the butter in slowly until the dough is elastic and silky.

Finally, sprinkle the apricot pieces onto the bench and knead them into the dough.

Form into a ball and place in an oiled bowl - cover and let it rest in a warm spot until doubled in size.

Lightly flour the bench again and tip the risen dough onto it - very gently fold the dough back onto itself. Reshape into a ball and return it to the lightly oiled bowl to rest, covered, overnight in the fridge.

The next day, tip the dough onto a floured bench and cut into three equal pieces.

Roll each piece into a 30cm/12 inch long rope and then plait these ropes to form your loaf.

Place it onto a baking paper lined tray, cover, and allow to rise until doubled in size.

Once risen, brush with the eggwash and sprinkle over with pearl sugar.

Bake in a preheated 180°C/350°F oven for about 20-25 minute or until golden and cooked through.

Place the plait on a wire rack to cool - finish off with a dusting of icing sugar.

Sliced through you can appreciate the golden dough brilliantly studded with apricot jewels.

Eat it straight from the oven or if you can restrain yourself, toasted the next day with lashings of good butter.