AuthorSteve Nubie
Apricots are a small, orange and flavorful fruit. Unfortunately, apricots are highly seasonal and can be one of the hardest fruits to find in a grocery store or market at certain times of the year. However, dried apricots work equally well when rehydrated and this recipe uses dried apricots.
This bread is actually a batter or cake bread. Unlike yeast breads that start with a dough ball that is left to rise, batter breads start with a batter that looks like pancake batter. The standard indicator for a batter bread is the use of baking soda and/or baking powder in place of yeast. It’s also important to note that a batter or cake bread will not rise before baking. The bread rises in the pan towards the end of the baking cycle.
You can make this recipe from start to finish in the bread machine if you have a cake bread cycle, or you can finish it in the oven after using the bread machine to mix and blend the batter. Don’t use the dough setting if you can help it. The standard dough setting has a rising cycle that warms the dough with the assumption that there is yeast in the recipe. When the rising agent is baking soda or baking powder this rising cycle can actually start to bake the bread and compromise the end result when fully baked.
If you don’t have a cake bread setting and want to finish in the oven select a pizza dough, pasta dough or cookie dough setting. If all you have is a dough setting and want to finish in the oven, pour the batter out of the bread pan into a buttered baking pan after the kneading cycle has completed and before the rise cycle begins.
Soak the apricots in warm water for 30 minutes. Chop into pieces. Reserve the apricots and nuts and add all of the other ingredients to the bread pan and either select the cake bread setting to bake from start to finish in the bread machine or the pasta or pizza dough setting if you want to finish in the oven.
If you have a fruit and nut hopper, dust the apricots with flour and add the fruit and nuts to the hopper. If you don’t have a fruit and nut hopper, add the fruit and nuts to the batter towards the end of the kneading cycle when you hear an audible beep. That’s the signal to add fruit and/or nuts. In a bread machine, set the machine to the Cake Bread setting for a 1-pound loaf and medium crust.
If you’re baking the bread in a bread machine let it rest for 10 minutes upon completion. If you’re baking in the oven, preheat the oven to 400° F. Pour the batter into a buttered bread pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. The standard test for any batter bread is to insert a knife or wooden skewer into the center of the loaf when you think it’s done. If the knife or skewer emerge wet, add 10 minutes of baking time and repeat until the knife or skewer emerge dry.
Ingredients
Directions
Soak the apricots in warm water for 30 minutes. Chop into pieces. Reserve the apricots and nuts and add all of the other ingredients to the bread pan and either select the cake bread setting to bake from start to finish in the bread machine or the pasta or pizza dough setting if you want to finish in the oven.
If you have a fruit and nut hopper, dust the apricots with flour and add the fruit and nuts to the hopper. If you don’t have a fruit and nut hopper, add the fruit and nuts to the batter towards the end of the kneading cycle when you hear an audible beep. That’s the signal to add fruit and/or nuts. In a bread machine, set the machine to the Cake Bread setting for a 1-pound loaf and medium crust.
If you’re baking the bread in a bread machine let it rest for 10 minutes upon completion. If you’re baking in the oven, preheat the oven to 400° F. Pour the batter into a buttered bread pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. The standard test for any batter bread is to insert a knife or wooden skewer into the center of the loaf when you think it’s done. If the knife or skewer emerge wet, add 10 minutes of baking time and repeat until the knife or skewer emerge dry.
