Add a touch of whimsy to your upcoming Thanksgiving table with this Wool Bread with Apple Filling recipe.
Aptly named for it’s resemblance to the stands in a skein of wool, this bread is as fun to make as it is to eat.
So, roll up your sleeves and grab your apron, let’s get baking.
You know those bagged, frozen dinner rolls that you have to set out to rise for hours? Well, that’s what I typically make for the holidays.
This year, I’m going to serve up edible wool, in the form of this bread that would make for a lovely presentation on any holiday dinner table.
The magic of wool bread lies in the texture and technique of cutting and rolling the dough in a way that creates those distinct strands.
You’ll see what I mean further down in this post and in my accompanying video.
You can use the recipe that I’ve included in this post, which makes a light, fluffy and flavorful bread or you can always use one of your own favorite bread or dinner roll recipes.
Let’s talk fillings because this is where you can truly make this recipe your own.
While I used an apple, cinnamon and vanilla filling for this post, I’ve seen any number of delicious fillings used for this type of recipe.
Consider a mix of cinnamon and cranberries, or thin chocolate batons (like the ones used for pan au chocolat croissant), a spread of nutella or a cream cheese and freeze-dried raspberry mixture.
There are tons of tasty options. And if savory is more your cup of tea, you could go with filling options like caramelized onions and cheddar, garlic butter and herbs or even a combination of sun-dried tomato and feta for a light, Tuscan vibe.
Sweet or Savory, or even no filling at all. You can’t go wrong.
You’ll need to cut the risen dough into multiple balls and allow them to rest before rolling each one out before creating the strips that will end up resembling a skein of wool.
After adding the filling to the upper third of the rolled out dough, use a knife or bench scraper to cut small strands about 2/3 of the way up.
If your dough sticks, a light dusting of flour will keep things manageable.
Start rolling the dough from the top (uncut end), just above the filling, and continue to slowly and gently roll the dough into a log so that the strands naturally wrap around the roll.
Place each log snugly into the springform pan, butt-to-butt to create a connected ring.
Be sure to set aside at this stage and allow the bread to rest and rise.
In this case, I cut my strips about a 1/4″ wide. Next time, I’ll cut them more narrow.
The more slender you cut the strips, the tinier the illusion of strands of wool you’ll see in the baked bread that will look even better and more yarn-like.
Be sure to check out my step-by-step video to get a closer look at the cutting and rolling technique for this wool bread.
I continue to work on my food-on-the-move videography series, and I’ve included my latest Food in Motion video above featuring this Wool Bread with Apple Filling for your viewing pleasure.
You can watch the video fullscreen within this post, or you can click over and watch it full screen over on YouTube. If you opt to watch this video on YouTube, please consider subscribing to my channel on that platform too.
The full recipe I used follows the video below.
Food in Motion
Wool Bread with Apple Filling
Equipment
- 9" springform pan
Ingredients
BREAD STARTER (tangzhong)
- 3 tbsp warm water
- 3 tbsp whole milk
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
DOUGH
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2-1/2 cup unbleached bread flour
- 1 egg
- 4 tbsp unsalted. butter, softened
- 1 tbsp instant yeast
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
FILLING
- 4 large apples, peeled, cored and chopped
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp all-spice
Instructions
For the bread starter
- Whisk all starter ingredients and combine well until smooth.
- Add mixture to a saucepan and cook over medium heat until a thick paste-like substance forms. Watch closely because the ingredients will form fast, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat right and add to your stand mixer.
For the filling
- While the dough is resting, prepare the filling of your choice. Peel and core the apples. Chop into small chunks and add all spices and mix well. Set aside until ready to add to the dough.
For the wool bread
- Add the milk to the bread starter. Whisk bread flour with all remaining dough ingredients. All this mixture to the starter and combine until a soft, smooth dough forms. This should take about 8 minutes on a low speed mixer.
- Lightly grease a bowl, shape the dough into a ball and let the dough rest in the greased bowl, covered for about 1-1/2 hours.
- Grease or spray a 9" springform baking pan.
- After the dough has rested, deflate the dough and it into four equal parts. Lightly flour a working surface and roll each of the parts into a ball. Cover and allow to rest for about 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
- Roll each dough ball into a rectangle about 6" x 12" in dimension. Place about a 1/4 cup of the filling at the top of the rectangle and spread evenly across the top.
- Use a small knife or a bench scraper to cut (1/8"-1/4") strips into the lower part of the dough below the filling and about two-thirds of the way up. Roll each piece tightly from the uncut end. Continue to roll the dough down toward the strips, creating a log. Place the first log into the greased pan.
- Repeat steps with the remaining dough balls and place each log end-to-end with each other, making sure the ends are lined up with each other, close enough to cuddle but not so tight that they can't rise.
- Cover the pan with a cloth and allow to rest for about 1-1/2 hours, until puffy.
- Gently brush the dough with milk. It's important to be careful so that the dough does not deflate during this step.
- Bake bread for about 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and allow it to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Continue to cool on a baking rack once removed from the pan.
This wool bread with apple filling is light, soft, fluffy and flavorful. It also pulls apart wonderfully.
If you love making bread as much as I do, I think you’ll enjoy seeing a few other recipes that I’ve shared here over the years. I’ve linked a few of my favorites below.
Raspberry Holiday Wreath Bread
I hope you’re inspired to give this Wool Bread with Apple Filling a try.
Thanks for popping by for a visit.
See you back here next time.
xoxo
Beautifully detailed and explained.
Beautifully styled and photographed.
Beautiful video.
Beautiful creator.
Lisa, your bread looks DELISH. Your photography is beautiful as usual.
I have never heard of wool bread. That may be because I was born and bred in the south. What is the story on this bread. Is from the old country???lol. Which one?
Thanks in advance if you have time to answer this post.
Hi Lois, thanks so much for your kind words.
I think wool bread has a far less “romantic” origin.
I’ve seen various versions of fillings over the years, but it looks like the original recipe and technique may have come from a been a YouTube Blogger.
An “Old World” recipe would have been so much cooler, right?
Anyway, it’s a beautiful bread and super easy to make.
I’m going to make it instead of dinner rolls for Thanksgiving this year.
Let me know how it turns out for you.
Happy Fall.
xoxo