Apricot Couronne Recipe

Packed with soft dried apricots and fresh apple, and lightly spiced with cinnamon, this apricot couronne bread is delicious for a weekend breakfast or afternoon snack. 

Over the past year I have tried out some new bread recipes and techniques too. This time I am sharing my recipe for apricot couronne bread.  

This bread shape looks so effective and isn’t that tricky to achieve. The filling is simply made of dried apricots and an apple so you don’t need anything too special on hand if your cupboards are a bit empty.

Getting your hands stuck in and making bread is a great way to destress and the finished crown loaf feels like a great achievement.

What is a couronne

Couronne means “crown” in French and refers to the shape of the loaf with its twisted edges and hole in the centre.

In effect the bread is supposed to look like a crown, making a centrepiece for your table.

Ingredients

Here’s what you will need – exact measurements are in the recipe card below.

• strong white bread flour
• salt
• easy bake yeast
• caster sugar
• unsalted butter 
• egg
• water
• semi-skimmed milk
• dried apricots 
• eating apple 
• cinnamon
• light brown sugar

Step by step

There are a few stages but each in itself it quite straightforward. I’ve separated the stages out here so you can see what each step entails.

Note that this method uses a stand mixer for the kneading. You can also mix and knead by hand if you prefer, it just takes longer to achieve a smooth and elastic dough.

Mixing and Kneading:

1. Tip the flour in the bowl of your stand mixer, and add the salt on one side and the yeast on the other (not together as salt kills yeast).
2. Add the sugar, and the butter, cut into small cubes.
3. Attach the dough hook to your mixer and begin to mix slowly.
4. Add half the egg, and then the water and milk. Continue to mix slowly to form a sticky dough.
5. Turn the speed on the mixer up to medium and continue to knead using the dough hook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

First Rise:

1. Cover the mixer bowl with clingfilm and leave to prove in the bowl in a warm place for about an hour, or until doubled in size.

Preparing the Couronne Shape:

1. Remove the dough from the bowl once it has doubled, and roll it out on a floured surface to form a rectangle.
2. Chop the apricots and apple into small pieces and place them on the dough. Sprinkle over the cinnamon and light brown sugar.
3. Roll up the widest side to form a roll shape like a Swiss roll.
4. Slice the roll in half lengthways using a sharp knife.
5. Twist the two strands around each other and then form into a circle or coil.

Second Rise:

1. Place the couronne on a lined baking sheet and allow the dough to rise again for about 30 minutes.

Baking:

1. Use a pastry brush to brush the remaining egg over the dough when you are ready to bake it.
2. Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F, and fill a second hot baking sheet with boiling water from the kettle just as you place the couronne in the oven, to create steam.
3. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Check the bottom of the couronne by tapping to ensure it is cooked through.
4. Place on a wire rack to cool.

When to serve

We enjoyed the apricot and apple couronne for a lazy late breakfast/brunch with glasses of OJ, and coffee of course. It is also great for snacks any time of the day.

I’ve been asked to make it again soon, and perhaps next time I will make the dough in the evening and let it prove in the fridge overnight, which makes it so much easier. I love a shortcut!

More bread recipes

You might also like:

• croatian povitica
• Biscoff twist bread
• apricot and cranberry plait

Pin my apricot couronne for later:

Recipe

Apricot Couronne

A delicious braided loaf in a crown shape filled with apricot and apple, ideal for brunch 

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate Save Saved!

Course: Baking

Cuisine: British

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Proving Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 10

Calories: 156kcal

Author: Lucy Allen | BakingQueen74

Ingredients

• 225 g strong white bread flour
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp easy bake yeast
• 30 g caster sugar (superfine sugar)
• 30 g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 egg you will only use half in the dough, the rest is for the egg wash
• 60 ml water just boiled
• 60 ml semi-skimmed milk

For the filling:

• 10-12 soft dried apricots chopped
• 1 medium eating apple chopped (I left the peel on)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp light brown sugar

UK Measurements – US Measurements

Instructions 

• Note: The method given below is for making the dough in a stand mixer.
• Place the flour in the bowl of your stand mixer, and add the salt on one side and the yeast on the other.
  225 g strong white bread flour, 0.5 tsp salt, 1 tsp easy bake yeast
• Add the sugar, and the butter, cut into small cubes.
  30 g caster sugar (superfine sugar), 30 g unsalted butter
• Attach the dough hook to your mixer and begin to mix slowly.
• Add half the egg, and then the water and milk.
  1 egg, 60 ml water, 60 ml semi-skimmed milk
• Continue to mix slowly to form a sticky dough.
• Turn the speed on the mixer up to medium and continue to knead using the dough hook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Cover the mixer bowl with clingfilm and leave the bowl in a warm place for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
• Remove the dough from the bowl once it has doubled, and roll it out on a floured surface to form a rectangle.
• Chop the apricots and apple into small pieces and place them on the dough.
  10-12 soft dried apricots, 1 medium eating apple
• Sprinkle over the cinnamon and light brown sugar.
  1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp light brown sugar
• Roll up the widest side to form a roll.
• Slice the roll in half using a sharp knife.
• Twist the two strands around each other and then form into a circle or coil.
• Place the couronne on a lined baking tray and allow the dough to rise again for about 30 minutes.
• Use a pastry brush to brush the remaining egg over the dough when you are ready to bake it.
• Preheat your oven to 180 degrees, and fill a hot baking tray with boiling water from the kettle just as you place the couronne in the oven, to create steam.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes.
• Check the bottom of the couronne by tapping to ensure it is cooked through.

Did you try and love this recipe?Then please leave a star rating and comment below to let me know how you got on!