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Soft and fluffy milk bread using tangzhong method (water roux method) and shaped into a wool roll is fun to make. The bread is filled with delicious char siu (Chinese BBQ pork) filling. It’s a pull-apart milk bread you will absolutely love.
Yes, I know..the wool roll bread that has taken the internet by storm. Now I’m seeing wool roll bread all over the social media 🙂 I first saw it on YouTube and yes…you’ve guessed it, by Apron. The video has received 8.2 million views and counting as I’m typing here. It’s a fun-looking bread I have to admit! Like a soft roll of wool. What a creative idea! I’m not really sure who started this wool roll bread trend, but it seems to be made viral by Apron.
I use the tangzhong milk bread recipe to make this wool roll milk bread because I just love tangzhong method to produce ultra-soft and fluffy bread and buns. This wool roll milk bread is a nice addition to your Easter menu or any celebration, or just for daily consumption 🙂
The recipe rundown
1. Taste: The bread itself without the filling has a nice subtle milky aroma, just very lightly sweetened, but oh…you just want to keep tearing this baby and eat it!
2. Texture: it’s pillowy soft
3. Level: Intermediate
How to make wool roll bread with char siu filling
1. Preheat a pan and then add cooking oil. Add onion and stir fry until they are soft, about 3 minutes or so.
2. Add the bbq pork (or whatever meat or leftover meat you use) and the rest of the ingredients, except for all-purpose flour
3. Keep stirring until sugar melts and the seasonings coat the pork pieces. Have a taste and adjust by adding more sugar and/or salt as needed. Char siu should be sweet and savory in taste. When you are happy with the taste, sprinkle in the flour and keep stirring.
4. The mixture will be more pasty and sticky, which is what we want. Remove from the heat and let it cools down before using. You can prepare the filling a few days before too and keep it in the fridge for up to one week
5. Prepare the tangzhong bread dough. You can refer to the step-by-step photos here up to the first proofing
6. Line an 8-inch round pan with parchment paper on the bottom
Divide the dough into 5 equal pieces. Work with one dough at a time and keep the rest covered. Roll the dough out into a rectangle, about 10 x 5 inches
7. Use a pizza cutter or dough scraper to cut thin strips along the upper half of the dough. Make sure you really cut through the dough for the wool shape to show later
8. Spread the char siu filling on the bottom half, leaving about 1/2 inch gap on the edge
9. Fold the edge over a bit
10. Start rolling from the bottom to the top
9. Place this inside the perimeter of the round pan. Continue with the rest of the dough and filling and arrange the dough. Cover with a damp cloth and place at a warm place to let them rise again for another hour or until they are almost double in size again
10. 10 minutes before the end of 2nd proofing, preheat the oven at 340 F (170 C). Brush the bread with egg wash and put the pan in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until they are golden brown
Tangzhong bread never fails to produce soft and fluffy milk bread. I just love tearing the bread. My photo didn’t do much justice here though!
How to store
1. Let the bread cool down completely
2. Wrap it up with cling wrap and place it inside another zipper bag. This can be kept at room temperature for about 3 days
3. For longer storage, freeze them for up to one month. I don’t recommend storing it in the fridge as it will dry out the bread
4. Don’t thaw the frozen bread when you want to serve them. Simply reheat frozen bread in the oven at 325 F for 20 minutes or until heated through
Did you make this wool roll milk bread with char siu filling recipe?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag to show me what you’ve made 🙂 Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
You may also like this purple sweet potato wool roll bread with custard cream
Purple Sweet Potato Wool Roll Bread With Custard Cream
Wool Roll Milk Bread with Char Siu Filling (Tangzhong Method)
Ingredients
Easy char siu filling:
- 500 gr Chinese bbq pork dice into small pieces. See notes
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 1 small onion
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 Tbsp sugar or more to taste
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp red yeast rice powder optional
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Water roux:
- 15 gr bread flour
- 90 ml whole milk
Dry ingredients:
- 300 gr bread flour
- 5 gr instant yeast
- 5 gr milk powder
Wet ingredients:
- 120 ml whole milk
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
Ingredient to add last to the dough:
- 40 gr butter softened
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp sugar
Egg wash:
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
Prepare char siu filling:
- Preheat a pan and then add cooking oil. Add onion and stir fry until they are soft, about 3 minutes or so. Add the bbq pork and the rest of the ingredients, except for all-purpose flour. Keep stirring until sugar melts and the seasonings coat the pork pieces. Have a taste and adjust by adding more sugar and/or salt as needed. Char siu should be sweet and savory in taste. When you are happy with the taste, sprinkle in the flour and keep stirring. The mixture will be more pasty and sticky, which is what we want. Remove from the heat and let it cools down before using. You can prepare the filling few days before too and keep it in the fridge for up to one week
- When ready to use, divide the filling into 5 equal portions
Prepare tangzhong:
- Place milk and the bread flour in a small saucepan. Whisk until there is no more lumps. Cook this mixture over medium heat until it is thickened, about 5 minutes or less. Remove from the heat and let it cool down completely
Prepare the dough:
- Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the wet ingredients and the tangzhong you made earlier. Use a dough hook attachment to knead the dough until all the crumbly dough starts to come together into one mass, it may take about 2-3 minutes for this to happen. Don't be tempted to add any liquid. You may need to stop halfway and scrape the dough off the hook and the sides of the bowl and knead again several times
- Once it comes into a dough, stop the machine. The dough will not be smooth, don't worry. Cover the dough and let it rest for 20 minutes. Please don't skip this step
- After the rest, turn on and knead the dough again and knead for 1-2 minutes until it is a bit smoother. Then add the salt and sugar into the dough. Continue to knead until the dough is relatively smooth. You need to stop and scrape the dough off the hook and the bowl several times during this process
- Once you have a smooth dough, turn the machine back on again to knead and gradually add in the softened butter a bit by a bit. The dough will turn into a REAL sticky mess again because of the butter, just keep kneading and stop halfway and scrape the dough off the hook and bowl again and continue to knead until the butter is absorbed by the dough. IT WILL HAPPEN, don't worry! DO NOT be tempted to add any extra flour. You will get a shiny smooth dough that is very elastic.
First proofing:
- Place this dough in a lightly oiled large bowl, cover it with a clean and damp tea cloth or plastic wrap and let it rise at a warm place for about 1 hour or longer. It may not double in size, but it will puff up some for sure.
Fill and shape:
- Line an 8-inch round pan with a parchment paper on the bottom
- Divide the dough into 5 equal pieces. Work with one dough at a time and keep the rest covered. Roll the dough out into a rectangle, about 10 x 5 inches. Use a pizza cutter or dough scraper to cut thin strips along the upper half of the dough (refer to the photo above). Make sure you really cut through for the wool shape to show later
- Spread the char siu filling on the bottom half, leaving about 1/2 inch gap on the edge. Fold the edge over a bit and then start rolling from the bottom to the top. Place this inside athe perimeter of the round pan. Continue with the rest of the dough and filling and arrange the dough (as shown in the photo above)
2nd proofing:
- Cover with a damp cloth and place at a warm place to let them rise again for another hour or until they are almost double in size again
Baking:
- 10 minutes before the end of 2nd proofing, preheat the oven at 340 F (170 C). Brush the bread with egg wash and put the pan in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until they are golden brown
Cooling:
- Let the bread rests inside the pan for 2-3 minutes and then loosen the edge and remove from the pan onto a cooling rack to let them cool down completely
6 comments
Can I make the wool roll bread by hand? As I don’t have a kitchen aid.
Hi Bee, it’s possible, but this is quite a sticky dough to knead by hand and it requires quite a bit of patience and LOTS of kneading, especially if you do it by hands.
Looks amazing. Can wholemeal bread flour be used instead for both bread and bread prover?
Hi Patricia, you can use wholemael bread flour. It’s healthier, but the texture may not be as soft and fluffy as regular bread flour. But I like the “nuttiness” from wholemeal flour 🙂
Hi, can I skip the milk powder or any replacement for that? I don’t usually store milk powder at home😅😅
Hi Christine, yes you can skip the milk powder. If you are using milk (preferably whole milk), that should give you some “milky” aroma too. I hope this helps.