Apricot Brioche

Brioche is a delicate bread and, with the apricots inside, when toasted is a full breakfast in itself. You need to start this the day before.

Couverts3 brioche

Ingredients

Put the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, milk and eggs in a food mixer and process, using the blade, for about 5 minutes to a smooth dough.
If mixing by hand this will take 8 minutes.
Add the butter and mix for a further 5 minutes in a mixer or 10 minutes by hand.
Tip the dough out into a bowl, cover and leave in the fridge overnight.
Grease three 450 g/1 lb loaf tins.
The dough should now be stiff and easily shaped.
Divide the dough into 75 g/3 oz pieces and add 1 teaspoon of the apricots into the middle of each piece.
Fold the dough over the filling and shape into little balls.
Put the balls in the tins in rows of 2 balls, 1 ball, 2 balls, and so on until the tin is full.
Each tin should hold no more than 10 pieces.
Leave the brioche to rise for 1–2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
Bake the brioche for 20 minutes until golden brown, then turn out and cool on a wire rack.

Cut into slices, toast and serve with lots of butter.