Playing around with milk bread dough again. # 383: Savory Filled Loaves

This bake gave me a strong feeling of déjà vu, throwing it back to the wool roll bread I made in 2023. It probably didn’t help that I used the same dough recipe from King Arthur Flour, but hey it’s a fantastic milk bread recipe! Easy to make with consistent results = music to this bread-challenged-baker’s ears.

The crumb is so soft and plush, it would pair really well with nutella or some sort of berry and mascarpone filling. I’ll have to play around with a new design and swing to the sweet side next time.

I forgot how fluffy they get in the oven and placed them a liiittle too close on the pan. Oops! The upside is that you get a super soft edge when they decide to hug it out while baking.

I’m finally getting to the final teaspoons of the giant bag of active dry yeast I got back in 2021 during a pandemic panic moment. A truly momentous occasion considering I only make a few kinds of bread!

I’m honestly shocked that there isn’t a difference in the yeast’s efficacy 4 years later. Shouts the magic of freezers! Also I promise there isn’t anything else in there even a quarter as old – the red star yeast was definitely the only senior citizen.

I dive more into what tangzhong is in my wool bread post, but it’s essentially a cooked milk and flour paste that gives the dough a bit of a head start. No need to wait for it to proof by itself overnight or anything tedious – just heat milk, water and flour in a pan to make a roux and then use it almost immediately as an ingredient.

Finally a recipe big enough for the stand mixer again! She was feeling lonely after being ignored for the last week.

Plop.

Fast forward to after its nap. Time to plait!

Highly recommend a hefty dusting of flour before you fold it so the loops don’t glue back together.

I was so focused on trying to get the loops to cooperate I forgot to take a mid-plait photo. You essentially weave the loops together one at a time, and then open the folded dough like a book to get this look. Not gonna lie, the video I was watching made it look incredibly easy, but the frustration level matched trying to learn different types of French braids in middle school. If you know, you know.

Quick filling from what was on hand: cream cheese, a savory herb mix, lemon zest and some flour to help soak up extra moisture.

Ok less of a book and now more of a door hinge? Close the hinge and seal the edges of the dough around the filling and flip it so the plait is on the top.

Aaand place them at least four inches apart unless you want them to snuggle in the oven.

Happy munching!

Design inspo from: Chef Burcinarda on Instagram

Dough recipe from: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/filled-wool-roll-bread-recipe