Description
I’ve spun quite a few yarns but one thing I’ve never done is make a bread that looks like a bunch of rolls of wool yarn. If this looks like it’s going to be super hard and complicated, that’s good-that’s exactly what we want people to think. It’ll be our little secret how simple and easy this technique is. Although it’s great with a dark chocolate filling, this is really a technique recipe and video-this will work with just about any filling you can think of, like dried fruit, jams, custard, or go savory with cheese, meats, etc.
Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole milk, warmed
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons white sugar
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup dark chocolate chunks
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- To make “water roux
- whisk together water and flour in a small saucepan and cook
- stirring
- over medium heat until a very hot
- gluey paste is formed. Mixture should reach at least 150 degrees F (65 degrees C). Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- While roux cools
- pour 1/2 cup warm milk and yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer and let bloom for 10 minutes.
- Add the cooled starter
- sugar
- salt
- beaten egg
- flour
- and butter to the yeast mixture. Using the dough hook
- knead on low speed until a smooth
- elastic
- slightly sticky dough forms
- about 10 minutes.
- Shape dough into a ball and transfer to a buttered bowl; let rise until doubled in size
- 60 to 90 minutes.
- Transfer dough to work surface and press into a round disk. Use a bench scraper to cut dough like a pie
- into 5 equal wedges. Form each portion into a ball of dough. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Generously butter a 10-inch springform pan
- or 10-inch round cake pan. Cut a round piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom
- place into the pan
- and butter that as well. Set aside.
- Take one ball of dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface into an oblong shape
- about 5 inches wide by 9 inches long. Take your bench scraper and make lots of lengthwise cuts
- about 1/8 inch apart
- starting 1/3 of the way from one of the ends
- slicing all the way through the dough to the opposite end
- forming many equal-sized strands of dough. When done
- two-thirds of the dough will be sliced
- and one-third will not be.
- Roll the unsliced part of the dough to flatten to 1/8-inch thickness. Place a rounded tablespoon of chocolate chunks (or the filling of your choice) in the center of the unsliced dough
- and roll it up
- tucking in the sides as you go
- until the chocolate is covered
- and you’ve reached the beginning of the cuts.
- Slowly roll up to form a “wool roll
- being careful not to crush the sliced edges of the dough strands
- finishing with the seam on the bottom. Transfer to the prepared pan
- and place on the bottom
- just barely touching the edge of the pan. Repeat four more times. Place the rolls around the inside of the pan to form a ring.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let dough double in size
- 45 to 60 minutes.
- Meanwhile
- preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Brush the bread’s surface lightly with remaining milk.
- Bake in the center of the preheated oven until golden brown
- 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 3 hrs 55 mins
Servings: 10