Wool Roll Bread with Almond Filling (Frangipane)

Wool Roll Bread has started to pop up on all my social media lately. Since I saw it the first time I knew I had to make it, and it also looks particularly Christmasy to me. Why? No idea, lol! I think wool makes me think of cosy weather. The filling in this wool roll bread is an almond paste (frangipane) with a spice mix.

Tang Zhong

To make this woll roll bread I used a Japanese technique called Tang Zhong. Don’t get scared because it’s VERY easy. All you need to do is to cook a bit of milk and flour until a paste forms, like a bechamel sauce of sorts. Then you reserve it and add it to the bread dough. This simple extra step has a gigantic effect on the texture of the bread crumb. When you pull it, it strings out and is extra fluffy. This technique is typically used in a bread called Hokkaido.

The filling

The filling for this wool roll bread is an almond paste or frangipane. It tastes delicious and definitely does not need almond extract because it has the natural flavour of almonds :). I also added spices to give them a Christmas touch. If you prefer a simpler filling, you can also use something like the filling of a cinnamon roll.

Woll Roll Bread

The taste of this wool roll bread is outstanding. When I made I was ultra-focused on the look at first. I love how it looks. However, after I made it… OMG, it’s so good. When we tried it, we almost fainted because it was too good. It’s delicious and the texture of the crumb is perfect. I just know you’re going to love it.

Woll Roll Bread with Almond Filling (Frangipane)

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Bread, Breakfast, Tea Time

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings: 12 portions in a 25cm/10in diameter pan

Author: Lorena Salinas from Cravings Journal

Ingredients

For the tang zhong

• 30 g all-purpose flour
• 120 ml milk

For the bread dough

• 390 g all-purpose flour
• 65 g sugar
• 8 g instant yeast
• 1½ tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 70 ml/g warm milk descremada, sin lactosa o vegetal. NO evaporada
• 110 g unsalted butter at room temperature

For the filling

• 70 g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 90 g icing sugar
• 1 egg
• ¼ tsp salt
• 100 g almond flour whole or peeled
• 30 g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon optional
• ¼ tsp ground clove optional
• ½ tsp ground ginger optional
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg optional
• tang zhong from above

Instructions

For the tang zhong

• In a small pot or saucepan, mix the ingredients until they look homogeneous.
• Place the pot over medium heat and let it cook while stirring all the time until it thickens completely. It will look like a VERY thick bechamel sauce.
• Remove the tang zhong from the pot and place it in a bowl. Let it cool down completely before using in the recipe.

For the bread dough

• Place all the ingredients in a bowl and start mixing first with a spatula and then with your hands when the spatula doesn't help anymore. Knead for 20 minutes by hand.

  If you're using a stand mixer like me, place all the ingredients in the bowl and mix them in slightly using the hook. Then knead on medium speed for 10 minutes.
• Place the dough in a bowl, cover it and let it proof in a warm spot for 1 hour or until it doubles in size. I like to place it in the oven with the light on.

For the filling

• In the same bowl where you had the dough (no need to wash) place all the filling's ingredients and whisk them together or use a stand mixer.

For the assembly

• Once the dough has proofed, weigh it and divide it into 6 equal portions. Flatten each one and then fold the edges towards the centre to form a parcel. Flip it around and make it spin, pushing it down slightly against the surface to close the place where the dough meets at the back.
• Go back to the first portion you shaped and use a rolling pin to flatten it, but only do it lengthwise.
• With a knife or dough scraper, make a mark at the middle of the dough, dividing the top from the bottom without actually cutting it.
  
• On the bottom half make several cuts, close to each other to make strings.
  
• Spread around 1/6th of the filling on the half that has no strings. Fold the edges in to contain the filling.
  
• Roll the portion of dough starting from the half with filling and finishing with the half with the strings. Repeat these steps with all the portions.
  
• Place the rolls in a 25cm/10 inches round pan. If it's not non-stick, line it first with baking paper at the bottom and grease the sides. Start by placing two rolls on either side of the pan and then the rest in between these two so that it's symmetrical. You'll have to squeeze them a bit to fit them all in. IMPORTANT: make sure that the part where the strings finish goes under and against the back of the pan. It's because it unravels a bit as it bakes and you don't want the filling to come pouring out.
  
• Let the bread proof for 1 hour in a warm spot or until it doubles in size.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F for 30-40 minutes or until golden.

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