Apricot-Orange Coffee Cake

For the dough:
Whisk together the milk, butter, honey, egg yolks, and vanilla in a bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine 5 cups of flour, yeast and salt. In a steady stream with the mixer on low, pour in the milk/egg/butter mixture until the dough comes together.

Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough for 5-7 minutes or until it is smooth. If the dough is still sticky, add in more flour 1 tablespoon at a time.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover bowl with a greased sheet of plastic wrap and allow it to rise for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size. My favorite place to rise dough is on top of my dryer when I am drying clothes. While the dough is rising you can make the filling (below).

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly flour. Divide the dough into two equal-sized pieces and put one on each baking sheet. Roll each piece into an 18×9 inch rectangle. Cover each with half of the apricot-orange filling (recipe for that is below).

Roll each rectangle of dough into a tight log and pinch the ends of the dough together so the seam will close. Make the shape of the log into a circle with the ends touching. Using a sharp knife or good pair of kitchen scissors, make 11 cuts into the dough nearly all the way through the log. Turn and twist each slice upwards so you can see the inside of the roll and filling (the bottom piece of dough will still be connected). Lightly spray both pieces with non-stick spray, cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise again for about 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine the reserved egg whites and the water in a small bowl. Lightly brush the rolls with the egg white mixture.

Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top. Towards the end of the bake time make sure to take a peek so they don’t over bake. If baking both at the same time, switch and rotate the sheets halfway through baking so they both bake evenly. Remove pans from oven and set them on a rack.

Let the rolls cool for one hour. Whisk together the drizzle ingredients and drizzle on top before serving.

For the filling::
Bring the apricots, water, and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Then keep it at a gentle boil and stir until the apricots have softened and the water has nearly completely evaporated, about 15 minutes. Place the apricot mixture in a food processor, and add in orange zest and orange juice and process until smooth. Scrape the bowl if necessary. Let the mixture cool before placing into the middle of the dough. This is important! If it is too hot, the yeast will die and the dough will not rise!

Recipe adapted from Cook’s Country Almond Ring Coffee Cake.