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Star bread, Snowflake bread

Star Bread

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Star bread is a beautiful pull-apart bread shaped like a star and filled with sweet or savoury flavours like cinnamon or chocolate. With its soft, fluffy texture and striking design, it’s perfect for sharing during holidays or special gatherings.
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Proofing time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings 16
Author sumisculinarynotes

Ingredients

For the Dough:

  • 3 ¾ cups or 450 gms of All-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup or 50 gms of Granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp Instant yeast
  • 130-160 ml of Luke Warm milk
  • 30 g Butter melted
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 Eggs

For the Filling:

  • 3 tbsp of melted Butter
  • 1 tbsp Cinnamon powder
  • ½ cup or 75 gms of sugar or more to taste

For the topping:

  • Egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water
  • Powdered sugar optional, for dusting

Instructions

Prepare the Dough:

  • In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, instant yeast, sugar, salt, melted butter and eggs. Mix well.
  • Gradually add lukewarm milk, mixing until a dough forms. Knead for about 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic (you can use a stand mixer or knead by hand).
  • Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.

Prepare the Filling:

  • Mix the sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl to create the filling.

Shape the Bread:

  • Once the dough has risen, divide it into 4 equal portions.
  • Shape each portion into a ball. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.
  • Roll each portion into a circle (about 12 inches in diameter).
  • Place one circle on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lightly brush with melted butter, leaving about ½-inch border.
  • Spread 1/3 of the cinnamon sugar filling evenly on top, leaving about 1/2 inch around the edge.
  • Place the second dough circle on top and repeat with the melted butter and filling. Do the same with the third circle. Place the final dough circle on top, but don't add filling on the last layer.

Create the Star Shape:

  • Place a small cup or round object in the centre of the layered dough to mark the middle.
  • Starting from the edge of the centre mark, make 16 evenly spaced cuts around the dough, like cutting a pizza, leaving the centre intact.
  • Take two adjacent strips and twist them away from each other thrice, then pinch the ends together to form a point. Repeat for all pairs of strips to form an 8-point star.

Second Rise:

  • Cover the shaped star bread and let it rise for 30 minutes.

Bake the Bread:

  • Preheat the oven to 190°C.
  • Brush the bread with the egg wash.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Place a foil on the top after 10 minutes if the bread is browning too quickly.
  • Let the bread cool slightly before dusting it with powdered sugar if desired.

Serve:

  • Slice and enjoy the beautiful layers of cinnamon-flavoured bread! It’s perfect with coffee, tea, or as a festive treat.

Notes

  • Knead the dough until it’s smooth and elastic, which usually takes about 8-10 minutes. Well-kneaded dough makes for a light, fluffy bread.
  • When rolling out each layer, try to keep the thickness and diameter consistent to create uniform layers. This will help the star shape look symmetrical and bake evenly.
  • Avoid overfilling to prevent leaks during baking. Spread a thin, even layer of filling to ensure a clean star shape and keep the layers intact.
  • Press the edges of each dough layer together firmly before cutting and twisting. This helps prevent the filling from oozing out and keeps the star’s shape intact.
  • If your star bread is browning too quickly in the oven, cover it with aluminium foil to prevent it from burning while allowing the inside to bake properly.