Apricot Braided Loaf

This month the #twelveloaves group is baking bread using stone fruit.

You should know, this is the second loaf of bread I made for this post. You don't want to know about the first one. Let's just say, the dough is the blob taking over my trash can. I wish "someone" would take the trash out so I would quit being reminded of the legendary fruit filled loaf debacle. Something about the recipe being for two loaves but not mentioning it.... something about the apricot filling being super runny and flowing all over the dough... something about... well... never mind. I was distracted.

So where did I turn in a pinch? Why King Arthur Flour, of course.

I was a little concerned about this bread for awhile too. It's unusually humid here right now, and the dough was super sticky.. but as you can see, the dough behaved and produced an amazingly delicious loaf. The one thing I might do differently next time? I'd probably add more apricots. I was pretty conservative after my fruit filled loaf debacle (which, mind you, I'm not talking about) but I'm pretty sure more apricot slices would work well here.

Enriched dough.... cream cheese... apricot jam... fresh apricots... breakfast deliciousness.

Apricot Braided Loaf Recipe

Inspired by King Arthur Flour

Sponge

3 ounces warm water (95 to 105 degrees F)

1 tsp sugar

1 1/2 t instant yeast

1 ounce unbleached all purpose flour

Dough

All of the sponge

3 ounces vanilla yogurt

2 ounces softened unsalted butter

1 large egg, beaten

1 3/4 ounces sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

10.6 ounces unbleached all purpose flour

one beaten egg for the egg wash

pearl or sparkling sugar (I used pearl) optional

Filling

2 1/2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

.9 ounces sugar

1 ounce sour cream

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 ounce all purpose flour

4 ounces apricot jam

3 to 4 apricots, thinly sliced (about 1/4 inch slices) 

Instructions

1. Combine the sponge ingredients in a small bowl, stir, and cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit for 15 minutes. 
2. In your stand mixer bowl, combine the sponge, yogurt, butter, egg, sugar, salt, vanilla, and flour. Beat for about 8 minutes. If the weather is really dry, don't add all of the flour immediately. Start with 10 ounces, and add more if needed. 
3. Place the dough in an oiled dough rising bucket or bowl, cover, and allow to rise for one to two hours, until doubled. 
4. Mix the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, and flour until smooth. Cover and set aside. 
5. Line a cookie sheet with parchment and spray the paper with spray oil. 
6. Dump the dough out onto the parchment, and press it into a 10 inch by 15 inch rectangle. Mark the dough lengthwise into thirds by pressing a ruler into the dough. Spread the cream cheese mixture onto the middle third. Spread the jam on top of the cream cheese mixture. Top with the apricot slices. 
7. See this post about how to braid the dough.  I couldn't explain it better. Come back when you are ready. 
8. Welcome back. 
9. Preheat the oven to 360 degrees F.
10. Let the dough rise for about 45 minutes. When the dough is ready, brush it with the egg wash and sprinkle it with the sugar. 
11. Bake for 30 minutes until a deep golden brown. 
12. Cool on a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes. 
13. Slice and serve.