Baked Camembert Dough Ball Wreath
A tear & share tangzhong dough ball wreath with a rosemary baked camembert in the middle for dipping! This one’s easy to make & perfect for sharing.
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This baked camembert dough ball wreath is surprisingly easy to make & is perfect for sharing. Simply tear off one of the fluffy dough balls & dip it into that rich, melted camembert cheese!
This tear & share wreath has 3 homemade components. There’s soft & fluffy tangzhong dough balls, a punchy garlic & herb butter and a gooey baked camembert that’s studded with sprigs of fresh rosemary. Bring these all together & you’re onto something rather tasty! It’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser…
Check out our ever growing collection of bread recipes for more inspiration! There’s loads to choose from! Including pizza doughs, burger buns, doughnuts, focaccia & our tangzhong dinner rolls, which is what this recipe is based on!
Baking Bread With A Tangzhong
A tangzhong is a technique originating from Asia, where a small amount of the flour & liquid from a bread dough (usually milk &/or water) is pre cooked to make a thick paste (like a roux). This paste is then cooled down & added in to the dough along with the remaining flour & liquid.
I’m a huge fan of baking with a tangzhong as it gives bread a softer, fluffier texture and extends breads’ shelf life by at least a couple of days. Meaning that breads made with a tangzhong will stay softer & fluffier for longer!
I’ve found that using 5% of the flour from the dough is best when making a tangzhong. I then use 1 part flour to 4 parts liquid (50/50 milk & water).
Ingredient Notes
- Camembert – You’ll need a 250 gram wheel of camembert for this wreath. This is available in most supermarkets.
- Garlic Butter – We’re making our own garlic & herb butter which we’re going to be brushing over the dough balls once they’re baked. For this, you’ll need butter, fresh garlic, rosemary & parsley.
- Bread Flour – A good quality, strong white bread flour works best for these dough balls. Make sure to use one with a protein content between 13-15%.
- Yeast – This bread dough uses dried active yeast, which needs to be activated before being used. Instant yeast will work as well & can be added straight into the flour.
- Milk Powder – Adding a small amount of skimmed milk powder into the bread dough makes them softer & gives them a deeper golden brown colour once they’re baked. Don’t worry if you haven’t got any though, the dough balls will still taste great!
- Eggs – You’ll need a large egg for the bread dough (62-72 grams in the shell) & another egg for the egg wash.
How To Make Tangzhong Dough Balls
The full, printable recipe card for these dough balls can be found at the bottom of this post! Here’s a quick rundown of the recipe…
- Tangzhong
To make a tangzhong, we add bread flour, milk & water into a small saucepan, whisk to combine then cook over a low heat until a thick paste forms (this will only take a couple of minutes). We then transfer the tangzhong to a bowl & let it cool to room temperature before using. - Activating Yeast
If you’re using dried active yeast, you’ll need to activate it before using. To do this, we warm milk & water to 38°c/100°f then whisk in the yeast & leave for 5-10 minutes, to go frothy. - Mix The Dough
To make the dough, we add bread flour into the bowl of a stand mixer with the tangzhong, sea salt, caster sugar, milk powder, an egg & the activated yeast mix. This gets mixed with the dough hook, until a smooth dough forms. This will take 5 minutes or so on a medium speed. - Add Butter
Next, we mix in softened butter, a small amount at a time. Once incorporated, we continue kneading the dough until it passes the windowpane test (more on this below). This will roughly take another 5-10 minutes. - First Rise
Once mixed, we transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl then leave to prove at room temperature until it has doubled in size. This will take 45 minutes – 1 hour. - Shaping
Next, we knock the dough back, divide into 26 x 40 gram pieces, shape into balls then arrange into a wreath on a lined baking tray (there’s a detailed guide to doing this below!). - Second Rise
Once shaped, we let the dough balls prove at room temperature again, this time until they have increased in size by 50%. The dough balls will be touching each other once risen. - Baking
Once risen, we brush each dough ball with egg wash (an egg mixed with a tsp of cold water) then bake at 180°c/356°f for 25-30 minutes, until they are well risen & a deep, golden brown colour on top.
The Windowpane Test
The best way to assess the gluten development in your dough is by using the windowpane test. Here, you take a small piece of dough & stretch it between your fingers. If it stretches thin enough so that you are able to see through it, enough gluten has been developed. If it tears, more kneading is required.
How To Shape Dough Balls
Shaping dough into balls is surprisingly easy & this technique can be used to shape dinner rolls, burger buns & more! Before shaping, make sure to knock your dough back & lightly flour your work surface.
Here’s how to shape dough balls…
- Using a dough scraper, cut your dough into equally sized pieces (a set of scales comes in handy here!).
- Take a piece of dough then stretch & pull the edges into the middle.
- Flip the dough over then use a cupped hand to shape into a tight ball, pressing down lightly as you shape the dough. Use an un floured section of work surface to do this. Dragging the seam on the work surface helps increase surface tension.
- Place your shaped dough onto a lined baking tray then repeat with the remaining dough.
Assembling & Baking The Wreath
This dough ball wreath is pretty big, so you’ll need to use a large enough baking tray to fit it all on! When we arrange the dough balls on the tray, we use the wooden box from the camembert as a guide. If your cheese doesn’t come with an oven proof box, use a round baking dish instead.
Garlic & Herb Butter
Once baked, we’re going to be brushing our dough ball wreath with a homemade garlic butter which gives it a fantastic glaze & even more flavour! This stuff’s super easy to make, simply mix melted butter with grated garlic & chopped rosemary & parsley. I like to make the butter whilst the bread is in the oven & any leftovers can be served on the side.
- First, take the camembert out of its’ packaging then place the bottom half of the wooden box into the middle of a large baking tray that’s lined with baking parchment. Pop the cheese back in the fridge.
- Next, knock the dough back, transfer to a lightly floured work surface then divide into 26 pieces, each weighing around 40 grams. Shape each piece of dough into a ball.
- Place 10 of the dough balls around the wooden box then the remaining 16 around the outside. Make sure to leave a small amount of space between each piece.
- Cover the dough with lightly oiled clingfilm (or an upside down tin) then leave to prove at room temperature for 30-45 minutes, until risen by roughly 50% & touching each other.
- Once risen, brush the dough balls with egg wash.
- Take the camembert out of the fridge then use a sharp knife to score the top in a criss cross pattern. Poke sprigs of rosemary into the cuts then place the camembert into the box in the middle of the wreath.
- Drizzle the camembert with olive oil then bake the wreath for 25-30 minutes, until the bread is golden brown & the cheese is melty.
- To finish, brush the dough balls with plenty of garlic butter then serve!
Tips & Tricks
- Make your dough balls with a tangzhong, to make them extra light & fluffy.
- Knead your dough until it passes the windowpane test, to ensure proper gluten development.
- Brush your dough balls with eggs wash to give them a deep, golden brown colour once they’re baked.
- Poke some fresh herbs into the top of your camembert before baking, for extra flavour. A drizzle of olive oil over the cheese stops the herbs from burning in the oven.
- Finish your dough balls with a homemade garlic butter, for maximum flavour!
Frequently Asked Questions
A strong white bread flour works best for dough balls. A bread flour with a protein content between 13-15% is best.
Both dried active & instant yeast can be used interchangeably in bread recipes. Dried active yeast needs to be activated in warm milk/water before being used whereas instant yeast can be added straight into the flour. Instant yeast will make your dough rise slightly quicker as well.
This bread dough needs to rise twice before being baked. The first rise happens after the dough is mixed & you’ll know when it’s done when the dough has doubled in size. The second rise happens once the dough has been shaped into dough balls & you’ll know when its done when the dough has increased in size by 50% & the dough balls are touching.
Leftover dough balls should be stored in an airtight container & are best eaten within a day or two when stored at room temperature. Stored in the fridge, dough balls will keep for an extra couple of days. If you’d like to serve your dough balls warm, they can be reheated in a microwave or in the oven.
To bake a dough ball wreath in an Aga, use the simmering plate to make the tangzhong and bake the dough balls in the baking oven, on the bottom set of runners.
Equipment Used
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More Bread Recipes To Try!
- Tangzhong Dinner Rolls
- Potato Sandwich Bread
- 100% Biga Potato Pizza Dough
- Same Day Focaccia
- Overnight Potato Focaccia
- Everything Bagels – New York Style
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Baked Camembert Dough Ball Wreath
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Digital Food Probe
- Large Baking Tray
- Pastry Brush
Ingredients
Tangzhong
- 30 g Strong White Bread Flour (See Notes)
- 60 g Whole Milk
- 60 g Water
Dough Balls
- 130 g Whole Milk
- 90 g Water
- 8 g Dried Active Yeast
- 550 g Strong White Bread Flour (See Notes)
- 30 g Caster Sugar
- 11 g Fine Sea Salt
- 1½ tsp Skimmed Milk Powder
- 1 Large Egg
- 60 g Unsalted Butter (At Room Temperature)
To Assemble
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 tsp Cold Water
- 250 g Camembert
- 8 Fresh Rosemary Sprigs
- Olive Oil
Garlic Butter
- 100 g Unsalted Butter
- 2 Garlic Cloves (Grated)
- 2 tsp Finely Chopped Parsley
- 1 tsp Finely Chopped Rosemary
Instructions
Tangzhong
- Place the flour, milk & water into a small saucepan & whisk to combine. Cook over a low heat until you have a thick paste, stirring constantly with a spatula. Transfer to a bowl & leave to cool to room temperature.
Dough Balls
- Add the milk & water into a jug then warm in a microwave to 38°c/100°f. Whisk in the yeast then leave for 5-10 minutes, to go frothy.
- In the meantime, add the flour, sugar, salt, milk powder, egg & tangzhong into the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Next, give the activated yeast another whisk then add into the flour.
- Using the dough hook, knead the dough on a medium speed until it's smooth & starting to come away from the sides of the bowl. This will take around 5 minutes.
- With the mixer still going, add in the butter a small amount at a time, incorporating each piece fully before adding more. Once all the butter has been incorporated, keep mixing until the dough passes the window pane test. This will take another 5-10 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm or a tea towel & leave to double in size at room temperature. This will take 45 minutes – 1 hour.
Assembly
- Take the camembert out of its' packaging then place the bottom half of the wooden box into the middle of a large baking tray that's lined with baking parchment. Pop the cheese back in the fridge.If your camembert doesn't have an ovenproof box, use a heatproof dish instead.
- Knock the dough back, transfer to a lightly floured work surface then divide into 26 pieces, each weighing around 40 grams.
- To shape, take a piece of dough & bring the edges into the middle. Flip the dough over & use a cupped hand to shape into a tight ball.Dragging the seam on the work surface helps increase surface tension.
- Next, place 10 of the dough balls around the wooden box then the remaining 16 around the outside. Make sure to leave a small amount of space between each piece.
- Cover the dough with lightly oiled clingfilm (or an upside down tin) then leave to prove at room temperature for 30-45 minutes, until risen by roughly 50%.The dough balls will be touching once risen.
Baking
- Whilst your dough is proving, preheat an oven to 180°c/160°c fan (356°f/320°f).
- Add the egg & cold water into a small bowl then whisk together. Brush the dough balls with the egg wash.
- Next, take the camembert out of the fridge then use a sharp knife to score the top in a criss cross pattern. Poke the sprigs of rosemary into the cuts then place the camembert into the box in the middle of the wreath.
- Drizzle the camembert with olive oil then bake the wreath for 25-30 minutes, until the bread is golden brown & the cheese is melty.
Garlic Butter
- Make your garlic butter whilst your wreath is baking. To do this, add the butter & garlic into a saucepan, melt over a medium heat then stir in the herbs & a pinch of salt. Set this aside until needed.
To Finish
- Once baked, brush the dough balls with a generous amount of the garlic butter then serve! The remaining garlic butter can be served on the side.
