Prune and Dried Cranberry Couronne

My new range arrived and I cannot shout YAY loudly enough. The old one was…challenging to say the least. This new one has all of the bells and whistles I could ask for so I figured it was time to bake. I decided to go with some pastry because we both love it and well, just because. I settled on a prune and dried cranberry couronne as we both love prunes and I had them on hand so there you go. A prune recipe can be a surprising delight.

Some of the photos below are from a different couronne recipe. Let’s just say someone forgot to charge her camera and leave it at that I am very sorry. But the process is the same no matter the filling. Don’t get old people, don’t get old.

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Prune Recipe – Prune and Dried Cranberry Couronne

• 9 oz bread flour (around 2 cups)
• 1 tsp salt
• heaping tablespoon active dry yeast (1/3 oz)
• 3 1/2 TBS butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup less 1 TBS milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

For the Filling

• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• pinch of salt
• 8 prunes, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 2 TBS sugar in the raw

• Add the flour to the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix in the yeast, butter, egg, salt and milk. It will make a soft dough.
• Add the dough hook and knead for about 10 minutes or if you prefer knead by hand until you have a soft, silky dough.

• Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover to let rise for and hour or until doubled in size
• While the dough is rising, make the filling:
• Mix the butter, brown sugar and spices together until smooth. Set aside.
• Like a baking tray with parchment or silicone
• When the dough is done it’s first rise, turn it out onto a lightly floured counter

• Roll it out to a 13 x 10″ rectangle
• Add the topping to the dough rectangle
• Spread the topping to just about the edges
• Sprinkle with the dried fruits

• With the wide edge facing you, tightly roll the dough up like a jelly roll.
• Pinch the edge to close and roll it to seal.
• Cut the dough all the way through, but for about an inch at the top
• Take a hold of each end and twist (like braiding but with only two pieces), then bring the the twisted piece together in a circle
• Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet, cover and let rise until doubled in size. About 30 – 45 min
• Beat an egg with a little bit of water and brush the couronne before baking. Sprinkle with sugar in the raw.
• Preheat oven to 400°
• Bake the couronne for 25 – 35 min until risen and golden brown.

• Cool on a wire rack

How Was the Prune Recipe?

I hardly wanted to wait for it to cool before I cut a piece to try. It really did smell like heaven in the house while it was baking. I will note that it was a titch chilly and I didn’t get much rise at first so I ended up doing three rises – after not getting a good result I tried the dough setting on my new range.

Well, that worked like a dream! After sitting in there for about half an hour I had a lovely, risen dough. I didn’t have time for it to rise again so I just baked it. This turned out to be, in both of our opinions, one of the best couronnes I have made. So who knows. I might try this “mistake” again next time to see how it impacts baking.

No matter what we are both enjoying this pastry and it’s going to be gone very quickly. It’s very light and the dried fruits complement each other quite well. The cinnamon doesn’t overpower at all.

I love making couronnes because the possibilities are just about endless. You can use fresh fruit like with the strawberry pear couronne I used for demonstration purposes above or the blackberry vanilla couronne I made when we had the fruits growing on our little farm. You can also make a savory couronne like the goat cheese, bacon, and sundried tomato couronne I made a few years ago for a potluck.

Breakfast? Brunch? Dinner? Dessert? Any or all the couronne is a delicious pastry and the filling possibilities are only limited by your imagination. Of course with a savory variation, the sugar needs adjusting. You can check out how I managed that by clicking through the goat cheese, bacon, et al recipe above.

No matter how you fill one, a couronne is a delicious treat. Even as a prune recipe.

Prune and Dried Cranberry Couronne

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buttery yet light pastry with pieces of prune and dried cranberries throughout

• Author: Patty @bookscookslooks.com

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 9 oz bread flour (around 2 cups)
• 1 tsp salt
• heaping tablespoon active dry yeast (1/3 oz)
• 3 1/2 TBS butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup less 1 TBS milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

For the Filling

• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• pinch of salt
• 8 prunes, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 2 TBS sugar in the raw

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Instructions

• Add the flour to the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix in the yeast, butter, egg, salt and milk. It will make a soft dough.
• Add the dough hook and knead for about 10 minutes or if you prefer knead by hand until you have a soft, silky dough.
• Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover to let rise for and hour or until doubled in size
• While the dough is rising, make the filling:
• Mix the butter, brown sugar and spices together until smooth. Set aside.
• Like a baking tray with parchment or silicone
• When the dough is done it’s first rise, turn it out onto a lightly floured counter
• Roll it out to a 13 x 10″ rectangle
• Add the topping to the dough rectangle
• Spread the topping to just about the edges
• Sprinkle with the dried fruits
• With the wide edge facing you, tightly roll the dough up like a jelly roll.
• Pinch the edge to close and roll it to seal.
• Cut the dough all the way through, keeping it intact for just a little bit at the top
• Take a hold of each end and twist (like braiding but with only two pieces), then bring the the twisted piece together in a circle
• With the wide edge facing you, tightly roll the dough up like a jelly roll.
• Pinch the edge to close and roll it to seal.
• Cut the dough all the way through, keeping it intact for just a little bit at the top
• Take a hold of each end and twist (like braiding but with only two pieces), then bring the the twisted piece together in a circle
• Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet, cover and let rise until doubled in size. About 30 – 45 min
• Preheat oven to 400°
• Bake the couronne for 25 – 35 min until risen and golden brown.
• Cool on a wire rack

Notes

If you don’t like prunes, dried apricots would be an excellent substitution