Apricot Sweet Buns

I periodically buy a magazine called Bake From Scratch and subscribe to their Instagram feed. The pictures of their baked goods always has me drooling and I bookmark all the things I want to try.  Then, life gets in the way, and all the things I want to bake don't get baked!  Such is the case with these sweet buns.  They were featured in their magazine earlier in the year and I saved the article. Every now and then I would come across it and think I need to make them. Then I would forget (is that busy or age-related memory issues?) This last week they posted a picture on Instagram and I decided right then and there that I was going to get these made! I'm so glad I did.  As I tell my almost-four year old grandson when we eat something good, these were "yummy, yummy in my tummy!"  They weren't overly sweet but the dough had a wonderful flavor due to the addition of almond extract (love the stuff).  The tanginess of the apricots balances the sweetness of the dough. They were heavenly warm.  I shared the leftovers a few hours later at my granddaughter's soccer game and they were still good.

Don't let the length of the recipe intimidate you.  It is easily broken down into parts, as your time allows.  The apricot filling can be cooked ahead of time and refrigerated for up to a week. I made the dough and assembled the buns one night while dinner was cooking, then refrigerated them.  The next morning I set them out for their final rise and baked them.  By 9 a.m. we were eating warm buns and enjoying our morning coffee!

The recipe calls for a brown sugar glaze, with the added flavor of vanilla. At first I was going to make a simple confectioners' sugar glaze for them, but decided to stay true to the recipe. The glaze added just enough sweetness, I think the confectioners' sugar glaze would have made them too sweet.

I was raised in California's apricot country. This recipe calls for dried apricots in the filling. Please, please use California dried apricots. They are so much more flavorful than their foreign counterpart and you are helping a California farmer!

Apricot Sweet Buns

1 cup warm whole milk (105 to 110 degrees), divided
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Apricot-Almond Filling (recipe follows)
Brown Sugar Glaze (recipe follows)

In a medium bowl, combine ¾ cup  warm milk and yeast. Let stand until mixture is foamy, about 10 minutes.

 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together sugar, melted butter, sour cream, egg, almond extract, and remaining ¼ cup  warm milk.

 

In a large bowl, whisk together 3⅔ cups flour and salt. Stir half of flour mixture into sugar mixture. With mixer on low speed, add yeast mixture, beating just until combined. Beat in remaining flour mixture. Switch to the dough hook attachment. Beat at medium speed until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. Add remaining ⅓ cup  flour, if needed (dough should not be sticky). Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease top. Loosely cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

 

Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

 

Lightly punch down dough. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and roll into a 21x13-inch rectangle. Spread Apricot-Almond Filling onto dough. Fold dough in thirds, like a letter, creating a 13x7-inch rectangle. Roll dough into a 13x8-inch rectangle. Cut ½ inch off each short end of rectangle. Cut dough into 12 (1-inch) strips. Twist each strip, and tie in a knot, tucking ends under. Place on prepared pans. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place  until puffed, about 30 minutes.

 

Preheat oven to 350°F.

 

Bake buns, one batch at a time, until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes, covering with foil halfway through baking to prevent excess browning. Brush buns with Brown Sugar Glaze. Let cool on pans for 10 minutes. Serve warm. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Makes 12 buns.

 

Apricot-Almond Filling

Makes about 1½ cups

 

1 cup  dried apricots

⅓ cup  granulated sugar

1 tablespoon  unsalted butter, cubed

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup  sliced almonds

 

In a small saucepan, bring apricots and enough water to cover by 1 inch to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cook until apricots are softened, about 20 minutes. Drain apricots, reserving 2 tablespoons cooking liquid.

 

In the work bowl of a food processor, place warm apricots, reserved 2 tablespoons cooking liquid, sugar, butter, and cinnamon; pulse until mixture has the texture of jam. Stir in almonds; let cool completely. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

 

Brown Sugar Glaze

 

 

¼ cup (60 grams) water

¼ cup (55 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved

 

In a small saucepan, bring ¼ cup water, brown sugar, and vanilla bean and reserved seeds to a boil over medium heat. Remove vanilla bean, and let cool completely. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

 

The apricot filling spread over the yeast dough.

Fold over into an envelope shape and roll out.



Ready for their final rise. At this point, I covered them tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated them overnight.