BREAD, christmas, Uncategorized

CHAI, APRICOT & CARAMEL FESTIVE LOAVES – Recipe

Posted on by misterbowtie

CHAI, APRICOT & CARAMEL FESTIVE LOAVES Ingredients:

  • 100g (1/2 Cup) Dried Apricots
  • Boiling Water, As Needed
  • 180ml (3/4 Cup) Milk
  • 5 Vanilla Chai Tea Bags
  • 50g (1/4 Cup) Caster Sugar Plus a Pinch
  • 2 Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
  • 1 Large Egg, Room Temp.
  • 250g Plain Flour (2 Cups)
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
  • 45g (3 Tablespoons) Unsalted Butter, Room Temp.
  • 300g (1 + 1/4 Cup) Thick Caramel
  • Pink Salt, Optional
  • Chai Sugar or Demerara
  • 1 Egg for Egg Wash

 

METHOD:

  1. Start by soaking dried apricots in a medium bowl of boiling water and 2 tea bags.
  2. Submerge the apricots until they are plump at least a few hours or overnight.
  3. Use kitchen scissors to cut the apricots into bite sizes and set aside in a bowl.
  4. Bring 3 teabags and milk in a pot to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 10 minutes.
  5. Cool for 15 minutes then measure the how much infused milk you have, top up with the apricot soaked tea, extra milk as necessary to reach 120ml of milk.
  6. Warm the mix until just warm to the touch, sprinkle over the yeast and stir it in well.
  7. Set aside to activate for 5 minutes.
  8. Whisk together egg and sugar until combined.
  9. In mixer bowl, add the flour and salt.
  10. Using the dough hook attachment on low, stir the dry mix together.
  11. Add the yeast and egg mix whilst kneading on low speed.
  12. Add the softened butter and half the amount of apricots and continue to knead until just combined.
  13. Turn the speed up to medium and knead for 10 minutes. The dough will be a bit stringy and really sticky – that’s how it is meant to be.
  14. Oil or butter a large bowl and transfer the dough into it with an oiled spatula.
  15. Cover with cling wrap loosely and leave at a warm place to prove until it doubles in size.
  16. Meanwhile line mini loaf pans with overhanging baking paper lengthwise for easier removal. Cupcake pan can be lined with cupcake liners too or left as is it should not really stick. The loaf pans are longer and harder to lift, hence the paper.
  17. Lay a large cling wrap over your work surface and dust with flour generously.
  18. Place the dough onto the surface and dust with flour. Using your hands push and pat down the dough to spread out into a rectangular shape about 1/2 cm thick.
  19. Warm the caramel just enough to easily drizzle and spread out over the dough, leaving 1 cm border around the edges.
  20. Scatter the rest of the apricot all over.
  21. Starting from one end, using the cling wrap start to roll up the dough tightly whilst peeling the cling wrap away.
  22. Once the dough is as tightly wrapped up as a roll as you can, use an oiled knife or metal spatula to slice golf ball sized dough and place into the cupcake moulds. For mini loaf pans I did about double that. You are looking at 3/4 full moulds regardless of what you choose to fill in.
  23. Use fingers to flatten the tops, then cover in cling wrap loosely and prove until it rises 1/3 of the pan height above the brim.
  24. Mean while, preheat the oven to 180C (350F).
  25. Egg wash the breads & sprinkle generously with chai sugar or demerara if you don’t have any.
  26. At this point you can crack some pink rock salt or sea salt just to lift the flavours a little. But it is optional.
  27. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is crispy and springy to the touch, and golden brown.
  28. Cool for 10 minutes before running a knife around the edges & gently lifting out the breads with the overhanging baking paper.
  29. Breads stay very fresh and soft if stored airtight after cooling.

 

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