METHOD
1. Soak the apricots in a little hot water.
2. Mix the flour with sugar, salt, cinnamon and yeast. Heat up the milk with the butter until it melts, then add the water, put aside to cool slightly, then add to the dry ingredients.
3. Mix with a dough hook attachment adding the eggs, one at a time. Knead until it stops sticking and bounces off the sides of the bowl, or stops sticking to your hands. This takes quite a long time and a couple of tablespoons of extra flour might be needed if the dough keeps sticking.
4. Leave in the bowl in a warm place for an hour, until doubled in volume. In the meantime warm up the jam slightly – it will spread easier – and chop finely the drained apricots. Melt a little extra butter for brushing.
5. Turn the risen dough out onto a floured surface and divide it in four parts. Working with one part after another, roll or stretch it out to a wide rectangle 30 x 15cm.
6. Spread the jam all over the surface quite generously, sprinkle with apricots and sultanas and roll up like a long sausage. Seal the seam well, then cut in half. Brush one side of each shorter roll with butter and roll again into a tight spiral, with the seam inside. Seal the edge and brush the outside with butter. Place in a tray 40 x 20cm lined with parchment.
7. Continue with the rest of the dough so that you have eight buns spaced evenly in the tray. Brush the tops with beaten egg or the rest of the butter and leave covered in a warm place for half an hour.
8. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. When the buns have risen and touch one another sprinkle with pearl sugar if you have any.
9. Bake for 30 minutes until golden on top. They will stick to each other but tear off beautifully thanks to the butter on their sides.