Apricot Cream Cheese Ring

1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 egg
2 cups Gold Medal Better for Bread bread flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 teaspoon bread machine yeast
1 3 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 tablespoons Gold Medal Better for Bread Bread flour
1/4 to 1/3 cup apricot preserves
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Measure carefully, placing all ingredients except cream cheese, 1 1/2 tablespoons flour, the preserves, beaten egg and almonds in bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer.

Select Dough/Manual cycle. Do not use Delay cycle. Remove dough from pan, using lightly floured hands. Cover and let rest 10 minutes on lightly floured surface.

Mix cream cheese and 1 1/2 tablespoons flour. Grease round pan, 9 x 1 1/2 inches. Roll dough into 15 inch circle. Place in pan, letting side of dough hang over edge of pan.

Spread cream cheese mixture over dough in pan; spoon preserves over cream cheese. Make cuts along edge of dough at 1 inch intervals to about 1/2 inch above cream cheese. Twist pairs of dough strips and fold over cream cheese. Cover and let rise in warm place 40 to 50 minutes or until almost double.