Almond and apricot Bostock

French toasts glamorous cousin

Somewhere between French toast and an almond croissant, this Bostock is my favourite weekend bake.

It’s simple, versatile and pretty much just melts in your mouth

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You can buy a brioche or enriched loaf from most bakeries and supermarkets, a day old is perfect for Bostock. However if you fancy making one, I have included a recipe below.

Ingredients

(vegan conversion in brackets)

Makes 8

For the enriched bread

200ml warm milk (250ml soy milk)

120g melted butter (120g plant based butter)

1 egg   (no egg)

500g strong white bread flour

7g instant dried yeast

10g salt

50g caster sugar

For the apricot syrup

3tbsp apricot jam

3tbsp water

For the almond topping

75g soft butter (plant based butter)

75g caster sugar

50g ground almond

1tsp almond essence or extract (optional)

Pinch of salt

Flaked almonds (optional)

Method

1) Starting with the wet, pour all your dough ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Either knead by hand for 8 minutes or in a stand mixer fitted in a dough hook for 5. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes (this relaxes the gluten and helps it form bonds) then knead for another 3-4 mins.

2) Scoop the dough into an oiled bowl, pop a cloth over the top and prove for 2hrs. Scoop the dough out onto a floured surface and divide in half. Roll each half up like a sleeping bag, then place each roll side by side in a 2lb (or whatever you have) loaf tin. Pop a cloth back over the top and proof for a further few hours until doubled in size and nicely ‘puffy’.

Preheat the oven to 200c/180 fan

3) Brush your loaf with a little milk or cream then bake for 30-40 minutes until golden. If the top becomes too dark, pop a sheet of tin foil over the top. Cool on a wire rack for at least 2-3hrs. Brioche is best a day old for Bostock ;)

Preheat your oven to 200c/180fan

4) In a saucepan over a medium heat, whisk together 4tbsp apricot jam and 4tbsp water, bring to a boil then set aside. Slice your bread into thick slices, spread them out onto a lined baking tray and brush over your jammy syrup. Mix together your butter, sugar, almond flour and extract, Spread a thick layer over each slice. Make a well in the almond butter and spoon a dollop of apricot jam into the centre. Finally sprinkle with flaked almonds and bake for 20 minutes until golden. Cool then eat.