Star bread is a beautiful and delicious sweet bread that is perfect for celebrating Winter Solstice, Christmas or any festive occasion. It’s made with a simple yeast dough that is filled with spiced sugar, dried cranberries, sliced almonds and cardamom. The dough is shaped into a stunning star pattern that looks impressive but is actually easy to make. Follow this step-by-step guide to learn how to make star bread at home!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup warm water (110°F)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3/4 cup warm milk (110°F)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup melted butter, for brushing
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, mixed with 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the warm water and yeast. Let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
- In a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the warm milk, sugar, melted butter, eggs and salt. Add 3 cups of flour and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms. Gradually add more flour as needed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about an hour.
- Punch down the dough and divide it into four equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece into a 10-inch circle.
- Place one circle on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush it with some melted butter and sprinkle with some of the sugar-cardamom mixture, cranberries and almonds. Repeat with the remaining circles, stacking them on top of each other and leaving the top circle plain.
- Place a 2 1/2 to 3 inch round cookie cutter or bowl in the center of the stacked circles as a guide. Do not press down. Cut 16 equal strips from the edge of the circle to the cookie cutter, like a sunburst. Cut in quarters first, then eighths, then sixteenths.
- Take two adjacent strips and twist them twice away from each other. Pinch the ends together to form one point of an eight-pointed star. Repeat with the remaining strips until you have eight points.
- Cover the star bread loosely with plastic wrap and let it rise for another 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Bake the star bread for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. If it browns too quickly, cover it loosely with foil.
- Remove from the oven and brush with more melted butter if desired. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Tips
- You can use any filling you like for this star bread. Try almond paste, jam, chocolate chips, cinnamon sugar or nuts and dried fruits of your choice.
- You can also use different spices for the sugar mixture, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger or cloves.
- You can make the dough ahead of time and refrigerate it overnight after the first rise. Let it come to room temperature before shaping and rising again.
- You can also freeze the baked star bread for up to a month. Thaw it at room temperature and reheat it in a low oven before serving.
