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+ servings

Star Bread

This Star Bread is a sweet bread filled with a cinnamon sugar and butter mixture. With a slightly toasted crust, this dessert bread is sure to be a hit.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time2 hours 15 minutes
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 373kcal

Ingredients

Dough

  • 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour plus more as needed
  • 2 ¼ teaspoon 1 package instant yeast
  • 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup whole milk

Filling

  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

Topping

  • 1 large egg beaten
  • Powdered sugar optional

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the dough with a rubber spatula until it forms a shaggy dough. If you are using a stand mixer, mix the dough on low using a dough hook until a shaggy dough forms.
  • Knead the dough until it forms a smooth, elastic dough. If you are doing this by hand, it will take about 15 minutes. If you are using a stand mixer, continue mixing on low with a dough hook for about 5-8 minutes. If the dough is too sticky to handle, you can add a tablespoon at a time of flour, but only add the minimum required because too much flour will make the dough very tough.
  • Place the dough in a greased large bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm area for about an hour or until doubled in size.
  • While the dough is rising, make the topping. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and set it aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
  • Remove the risen dough from the bowl and divide it into 4 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, shape each piece into a ball. Cover the dough you are not working with because it will dry out quickly.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll one of the balls into a 11-inch circle and transfer it to the lined baking sheet.
  • Brush the circle with 1/3 of the melted butter and sprinkle with 1/3 of the cinnamon sugar mixture, leaving a 1/4 inch border around the circle.
  • Roll out the second ball into an 11-inch circle and stack it on top of the first. Spread the butter and cinnamon sugar mixture in the same way on top of this circle. Repeat this process with the third ball, layering it on top of the second dough circle. Roll out the fourth ball and place it on top of the third dough disc, but do not top it with butter or the cinnamon sugar mixture.
  • Place a 2 1/2- inch round cookie cutter in the center of the dough. A glass or any other round object will work here as well. Using a knife, cut the dough into 16 equal strips that radiate from the center. It is easiest to first cut the dough into 4 equal sections and then to divide each section into 4 smaller strips.
  • Pick up two adjacent strips, one in each hand, and twist them away from each other twice. Lay them flat on the parchment. Repeat this process until all strips have been twisted.
  • Press together the tips of each pair of strips to form a point. At this point, it should resemble a star.
  • Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place for about 25 minutes. The dough will become puffy and when lightly pressed, it will not spring back right away. While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 375 F.
  • Right before baking, brush the top of the star with the beaten egg. Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes or until it is golden brown on top, including in the center. If the bread is browning before it has cooked through, loosely cover it with tinfoil and continue baking.
  • Let the bread cool on the pan for about 5 minutes. Dust the bread with powdered sugar, if using, while it is still warm. Serve the bread warm or at room temperature. Store leftover bread tightly wrapped at room temperature for several days.

Notes

  1. Feel free to try other fillings, see my suggestions above. 
  2. You can freeze leftover Start Bread for later, see above on how to do that.
  3. You can double this to make another Star Bread creation if desired. 
  4. Making this ahead of time is totally doable, we suggest about a day before is the best timeline. 
  5. This sweet bread can have other toppings, more powdered sugar, drizzle with a glaze, sprinkle cinnamon sugar, or just leave the toppings off and enjoy the bread itself. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 177mg | Potassium: 155mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 374IU | Vitamin C: 0.05mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 3mg