Brie-stuffed milk bread wreath
Create a delicious and stunning charcuterie board center piece with this tear and share brie-stuffed bread wreath! The dough is made from soft and fluffy Japanese milk bread, and filled with melted brie.
Equipment
- 18 by 13 inch baking sheet
- Mixing bowl
- Small skillet or pot
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Tangzhong
- 3 tbsp (23g) bread flour
- 1/4 cup (60g) water
- 1/4 cup (60g) milk
Dough
- 1/2 cup tangzhong (see above)
- 1/2 cup (120g) milk, lukewarm
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp (7g) instant or active dry yeast
- 2 1/2 cups (325g) bread flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp (60g) unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into pieces
Filling
- 3 - 4 oz (85 - 155g) brie
Egg wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp milk or water
Instructions
Make the tangzhong
- In small skillet or pot, whisk together flour, milk, and water until smooth. Bring to simmer over medium-low heat, whisking frequently, until mixture has thickened but is still pourable. It should take 5 – 10 minutes. Your whisk should leave a mark when dragged along the bottom of the pan.
- Pour into a bowl and cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent a film from forming, and allow to cool to room temperature.
Make the dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Let sit for 5 – 10 minutes until the yeast is foamy and active. If you do not see any activity, your yeast may be dead. Start over with fresh yeast.
- Add the bread flour, egg, salt, and tangzhong to the bowl. Using a dough hook attachment, knead on medium-low speed until the dough just comes together. Add the butter in pieces while the mixer is running. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Continue kneading for 10 – 15 minutes until the dough is smooth and passes the window pane test. You can also choose to knead by hand during this step.
- Cover and let rise for 1 – 1.5 hours until doubled in size.
Prep the filling
- Cut your brie into 25 equal pieces. Each piece should be about 1 inch wide.
Shape & make the wreath
- Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Trace a circle in the middle about 3 - 4 inches (8 - 10 cm) in diameter.
- Once the dough is ready, turn it out onto a lightly floured countertop. Knead a few times to release the air. Use a rolling pin to roll out to a 10 inch (25 cm) by 10 inch square. Cut into 25 smaller squares, each 2 inches (5 cm) wide. You can do this by making 4 vertical cuts and 4 horizontal cuts each space 2 inches apart.
- Place a piece of brie in the center of a square. Pinch the edges together to seal, and gently roll on the countertop to shape into a smooth ball. Place on the countertop seam side facing down. Repeat with the remaining squares.
- Arrange 9 of the rolls around the circle that you traced in the parchment paper. Take the remaining 16 rolls, and arrange them in a second layer surrounding the first circle.
- Cover lightly and let proof for 20 - 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Once the wreath is done proofing, it should look puffy and when you press a finger into the dough, it should only fill halfway. Whisk together egg and milk or water, then brush the top of the wreath with egg wash.
- Place in the center rack of the oven and bake for 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown and makes a hollow noise when tapped.
- Remove from the oven let cool for 5 - 10 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
- It's best to use a flat baking sheet without raised edges. However, you can definitely use a smaller baking sheet with raised edges (such as a 9 inch by 13 inch pan). However, as the bread expands in the oven it will likely bump up against the edges of the pan, and the wreath won't be perfectly round.