As Christmas draws nearer, even the most reluctant bakers pull out their baking sheets and mixing bowls. What better way to take part in the season than with homemade bread, fresh from the oven, shaped into a beautiful star? Not only does star bread look and taste amazing, but it is also far easier than it looks. Even those who have never worked with yeast before will find star bread beginner-friendly. Best of all, a variety of fillings may be used to fill the bread, including sweet and savory choices such as cinnamon-sugar, or your favorite spreads including jam, Nutella, apple butter, and much more, making this the perfect bread for any occasion this Christmas.
Begin by gathering the following ingredients:
2 1/4 tablespoons active dry yeast
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup of butter
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Egg wash: 1 egg + 1 tablespoon milk
Place the yeast and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. If you do not have an electric mixer, use a mixing bowl. Heat the milk in the microwave until it is between 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit or 43-46 degrees Celsius. Pour the heated milk into the yeast and sugar mixture. Whisk it all together gently to combine before covering it with a clean kitchen towel. Allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes until it is frothy.
Next, add the butter, egg, egg yolk, salt, vanilla extract, and half of the flour to the yeast. Beat this mixture on low speed for a few seconds using a dough hook attachment, or by hand using a wooden spoon, before adding the remaining flour. Once all of the flour is incorporated, continue to beat the dough with the dough hook for three minutes, or turn it onto a lightly floured work surface once it comes together and knead it by hand. If the dough is too sticky, add up to a quarter cup more flour. Then, form the dough into a ball using lightly floured hands and place it in a greased bowl before covering it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Allow the dough to rise for one to two hours until it is doubled in size.
When the dough is ready, line a large baking sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Divide the dough into four equal pieces, and roll each piece out into an eleven-inch circle using a rolling pin. Do not worry about making the circle perfect, just do your best to keep it round, and reshape it as needed.
Then spread one-third of the filling onto the dough before placing the next layer on top of it. The easiest way to do so is to roll a layer onto the rolling pin and then unroll it onto the previous layer. Repeat until all four layers of dough are stacked on top of each other, with a layer of filling in the middle of each layer of dough.
Place a 2 inch to 2 ½ inch cookie cutter, bowl, or glass in the center of the bread to make an indentation, but without cutting a hole in the bread. Then trim the edges of the circle if necessary to make it as circular as possible using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors.
Next, use a sharp knife to make sixteen evenly spaced cuts from the circle indent in the center to the edge of the dough, making sure not to cross the line of the indent in the center.
Take two strips beside one another and twist them away from one another twice, then firmly pinch the edges together. Repeat this step until all of the strips have been twisted.
Cover the shaped bread and let it rest for twenty minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius). Brush the bread with the egg wash before baking it for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the bread to cool for five minutes before dusting it with one or two tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar.
Not only is star bread a delicious treat to share, but it will also impress your friends and family this holiday season. If you choose to fill your star bread with cinnamon-sugar, spread a total of six tablespoons of butter (85 grams) on the layers before adding half a cup of light brown sugar, one tablespoon of ground cinnamon, and an eighth teaspoon of salt. Three-quarters cup of jam also works well, with a quarter cup in between each layer. You might also enjoy using savory fillings such as tomato sauce, pesto sauce, or cheese. When using a savory filling, use only a quarter cup of sugar. Serve the bread pull-apart style. Enjoy!
Works Cited:
Carrel, Karina. “Cinnamon Star Bread.” Cafe Delites, 2018, https://cafedelites.com/star-christmas-bread/.
“Star Bread.” Sugar Spun Run, 21 Dec. 2020, https://sugarspunrun.com/star-bread/.
“Christmas Star Twisted Bread.” Taste of Home, https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/christmas-star-twisted-bread/.
Sally McKenney. “How to Make Star Bread.” Sally’s Baking Addiction, 6 Nov. 2018, https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/star-bread/.
Photo Credits: Isabel and Lydia Rogers