Description

Star Bread is a visually stunning and delicious sweet bread featuring a soft, buttery dough layered with sweet filling and shaped into a beautiful star pattern. Perfect for breakfast or dessert, it combines fragrant yeast dough with a sweet filling, baked to a golden perfection and finished with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar.

Ingredients

Scale

Dough Ingredients

2 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk
1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 large egg
2 and 1/3 cups (291g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed
1 teaspoon salt

Filling

See recipe notes for filling options (common fillings include cinnamon sugar, nutella, almond paste, or fruit preserves)

Finishing

1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk (egg wash)
2 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar (for dusting)

Instructions

Activate the yeast: Place the yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or in a large mixing bowl. Warm the milk to about 110°F (43°C), then pour it over the yeast mixture. Whisk gently and cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy.
Mix the dough: Add softened butter, egg, flour, and salt to the yeast mixture. Beat on low speed for 3 minutes. The dough should be soft but manageable; if too sticky, add 1-3 tablespoons more flour. Form the dough into a ball with floured hands.
First rise: Grease a bowl, place the dough inside, and cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil. Put the bowl in a warm environment (such as an oven preheated to 150°F then turned off) and let rise for 60-90 minutes until doubled in size.
Prepare filling: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat and prepare your chosen filling as per recipe notes.
Shape the star bread: Punch down the risen dough, divide into 4 equal pieces, and roll each piece into a 10-inch circle on a floured surface. Place the first circle on the baking sheet, spread filling, then repeat layering with filling on the second and third circles. Place the fourth circle on top without filling. Trim edges for an even circle.
Create star pattern: Place a 3-inch round object in the center to make an indent. Cut the dough into 16 equal strips from the edge to the center circle. Twist pairs of strips away from each other twice, then pinch the ends together to form 8 star points.
Rest the shaped dough: Cover with plastic wrap or foil and let rest for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven: Set oven to 350°F (177°C).
Apply egg wash and bake: Brush the star bread lightly with egg wash for a shiny golden crust. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Tent with foil if browning too quickly.
Cool and serve: Let the bread cool for 5 minutes, dust with confectioners’ sugar, and enjoy warm. Store leftovers at room temperature for 1-2 days or refrigerate for 4-5 days.

Notes

Filling options include cinnamon sugar, nutella, almond paste, fruit preserves, or other sweet spreads.
If a stand mixer is unavailable, all mixing can be done by hand.
Ensure milk is warm but not hot to properly activate yeast.
Add flour sparingly during mixing to maintain a soft dough texture.
The warm rising environment can be easily created by using an oven preheated then turned off to 150°F.
Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to ensure clean, even cuts for the star’s strips.
If top browns too fast during baking, tent with aluminum foil to prevent burning.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Bread
Method: Baking
Cuisine: European

Keywords: Star Bread, sweet bread, yeast bread, holiday bread, filled bread, cinnamon bread, shaped bread