Inspired by our Filled Wool Roll Bread, this recipe uses the same Japanese Milk Bread dough to form adorable mini wool rolls. The soft, pillowy bread is swirled with two flavors of frangipane filling: orange cardamom and raspberry (so your guests can choose!). The mini wool rolls are arranged in a quilt-like pattern in the pan for an impressive presentation. Even if your rolls don’t look perfect going into the oven, they’ll fill out the pan as they bake to create a stunning final product.
This recipe was one of our Bake of the Week features for March 2024.
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To make the tangzhong: In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients and whisk until no lumps remain.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook the mixture, stirring regularly, until thickened, paste-like, and the spoon or spatula leaves lines on the bottom of the pan. This should take 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the strength of your burner.
Remove the tangzhong from the heat and transfer it to a large mixing bowl, the bowl of a stand mixer, or the bucket of a bread machine (wherever you plan to knead the dough).
To make the dough: Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Place the flour into the bowl with the tangzhong and add the remaining dough ingredients. Mix to combine, then knead — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — until a soft, smooth dough forms, about 8 to 10 minutes on medium-low speed of a mixer. (The dough may be tacky and stick to the sides of the bowl slightly; that's OK.)
Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly greased large bowl or standard dough rising bucket, cover, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. The refrigerated rise will make the dough much easier to handle and shape.
To make the orange cardamom filling: In a small bowl, mix the frangipane, orange zest, cardamom, and orange blossom water until smooth.
To make the raspberry filling: In a separate small bowl, mix the frangipane, orange zest, and raspberry jam until smooth.
To assemble: On a lightly floured surface, gently deflate the dough, divide it into four pieces (about 170g each), and shape each piece into a ball.
Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll it into an 8" square. If the dough begins to snap back during rolling, set it aside and begin rolling out the second piece. After a couple of minutes, return to the first piece to continue rolling it to the full size (this gives the gluten a chance to relax).
Portion half of one of the filling flavors onto the top half of the square. A tablespoon cookie scoop works well here; use two scant scoops per piece of dough.
Starting at the top, spread the filling across the entire width of the square and down about 4", leaving the bottom 4" bare. If the filling is difficult to spread, warm it in the microwave for 15 seconds and stir; check the consistency. Repeat, if necessary, until it's easily spreadable. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the jammy bits over the filling and press gently to adhere.
Using a bench or chef’s knife, cut the uncovered dough at the bottom into very thin strips (anywhere from 1/8" to 1/4" wide).
Starting from the filling-covered top and rolling toward the uncovered strips, roll the dough into a log about 8" long.
Lightly press the strips into the rolled log to secure. Cut the log into four 2" pieces and then place them, seam-side down, in a row and in alternating orientations in the pan.
Roll, fill, and shape the remaining pieces of dough, placing the rolls into the pan to form 4 rows of 4 buns, each row in an alternating pattern. Cover the mini wool rolls and let them rise for 60 to 75 minutes, until puffy.
While the rolls rise, preheat the oven to 350°F.
To finish and bake the wool rolls: Gently brush the rolls with milk, being careful not to deflate the delicate dough, and sprinkle generously with granulated sugar.
Bake the mini wool rolls for 30 to 35 minutes, until the tops are golden brown; a digital thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 190°F.
Remove the rolls from the oven and cool in the pan until you can transfer it safely to a rack to cool completely, at least 15 minutes. Serve the rolls slightly warm or at room temperature.
Storage information: Store leftover mini wool rolls, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days.
Tips from our Bakers
Both fillings detailed above make enough to fill 8 rolls. If you don’t want to use two fillings, simply double the filling ingredients of your choice to fill all 16 rolls.
