Rising and proofing time:
up to 4 hrs

Ingredients:
2½ tsp dried yeast
1 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
2½ cups rye flour
2 cups bread flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp fine salt
½ cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
¼ cup pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted
1 egg, beaten, for glazing

Method:
1 Dissolve the dried yeast in 11⁄4 cups warm water. Add the molasses and oil and whisk well to dissolve the molasses evenly. Put the two types of flour and the salt into a large bowl or the bowl of a electric mixer fitted with a dough hook.

2 Gradually pour the liquid into the flour mixture, stirring it to form a rough dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead the dough for up to 10 minutes, or 5–7 minutes in an electric mixer on medium speed, until elastic.

3 Stretch the dough out thinly, scatter the apricots and pumpkin seeds over the surface, and knead for a minute or two more until well incorporated. Put into a lightly oiled bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and leave to rise in a warm place for up to 2 hours, until well risen. This dough will not double in size, as rye flour is very low in gluten, and rises slowly.

4 Turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knock it back. Knead it briefly and divide it into 8 equal sized pieces. Shape each into a plump, round
shape. Try and poke any bits of fruit or seed that are sticking out back into the rolls, as these may burn easily when baking.

5 Place the rolls onto a baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and leave to rise in a warm place until well risen. This could take up to 2 hours. The rolls are ready to bake when they are tight and well risen, and a finger poked into the dough leaves a dent, which springs back quickly.

6 Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Brush the rolls with beaten egg and bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes until golden brown and the bottoms sound hollow when tapped. Remove the rolls from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.

STORE:
These are best eaten the same day, but will store overnight, well wrapped.

BAKER’S TIP:
Here I have used apricot and pumpkin seeds, but dried cranberries, raisins, or blueberries would all work well, too. As an extra alternative, you could also try other seeds, such as sesame or poppy seeds.

Apricot and Pumpkin Seed Rolls