How to make Twisted Star Bread Recipe -

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Learn how to make the perfect star bread with our beautiful, festive recipe. Our sweet, slightly strawberry flavored star bread makes a gorgeous, indulgent breakfast or even a dessert bread you could serve with hot tea or coffee. It is perfect for sharing with friends and families and has a naturally festive design for all your holiday gatherings.

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What is Star Bread?

Star bread is a dense, sweet bread typically made with whole milk, all purpose flour, and salt. It is often dusted with coarse white sugar and often contains a filling, like strawberry jam. The recipe originates in the Philippines.

It is similar to panettone or panetón, which is a brioche type of bread filled with candied fruit. It is popular in Latin American countries.

Star bread is easy to cut and share. Its star shape makes it a great addition to just about any holiday gathering.

If you want a more savory bread, try our Olive Garden copycat breadsticks. Or for another great treat, try out churros bites !

Ingredients for star bread

When you make this star bread recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients on hand:

Warm whole milk
Unsalted butter - You want to avoid salted butter for this because it can add too much salt to the dough.
Instant yeast - You can use the yeast you have on hand.
Granulated sugar - Regular white sugar is all you need for this.
All-purpose flour - You could use bread flour, but it will add a bit of a different texture to the bread. You’ll need to reserve somme for rolling.
Strawberry Jam - You can use other fillings if you prefer, but we find strawberry jam gives it a good flavor and nice color.

How to make the Best Star Bread

Star bread takes a lot of steps, but it is worth it for this tasty dessert bread. Here’s what to do.

Step 1 - Make the Dough

First, combine the warm milk, yeast, and sugar and then stir. Allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. It should become foamy if the yeast is alive and active. If not, you will need to get a fresh batch of yeast.
Next, pour the yeast mixture into the bowl of an electric stand mixer or into a large bowl if you plan on kneading by hand.
Add the softened butter, salt, and flour to the bowl and then mx with the dough hook attachment on low-speed until the dough is smooth and elastic or for about 6 to 8 minutes.

The dough should be soft, slightly sticky when touched with a clean finger. It should pull away from the sides of the mixer.
Next, grease the Instant Pot’s inner pot and transfer the dough to the Instant Pot.
Cover it with a glass lid or the Instant pot lid and then turn the Instant Pot on by pressing the ‘Yogurt’ button. Set the timer to 1 hour.
After 1 hour, the dough will double in size.
Finally, gently punch the dough down.

*If you want to make this ahead of time, refrigerate the dough after mixing and let it slow proof in the refrigerator overnight – roll it up and bake the next morning.

Step 2 - Roll out the Star Bread

First, divide evenly into four portions.
With a rolling pin, roll out your first piece of dough to a circle about 10-inches in diameter, keeping the rest covered to prevent it from drying. Silicone rolling mats work so well for this process – they have circles with measurements to guide you as you roll out. They also help keep your dough from sticking to your work surface, allowing you to use less flour when rolling out the dough.
Next, take 1/4 cup of strawberry jam and spread it all around the circle leaving just an inch of gap at the end.
Roll the next portion into a 10-inch diameter circle and place it on top of the strawberry jam layer. Repeat the steps until you reach the bare top, and you will have 4 layers of circles with 3 layers of filling.

Transferring the rolled dough to a piece of parchment can be tricky. Flour the dough and fold it in half. Flour it again and fold it in half again – you’ll end up with a triangular shaped dough that has been folded into quarters. Now you can easily pick it up and transfer it to a piece of parchment. Unfold it and, if it has shrunk a bit, you can slide your parchment over the top of your rolling mat and roll the dough back out to about 10 inches.

Step 3 - Shape the Star Bread

First, place a 3-inch cookie cutter or small mason jar in the center of the circle. Using a pastry cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into quarters. Cut each of those in half and cut each of those in half again – creating 16 total equal strips of dough, connected at the center.
Next, remove the cookie cutter or jar from the center of the dough. Take two pieces of dough, side by side, and twist them 3 times in opposite directions from each other. Pinch the ends together, sealing the dough, and then repeat all the way around until you have an 8-pointed star.
Slide the parchment with the dough onto a rimmed baking sheet and then cover with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy or about 30 minutes.

Step 4 -Bake the star bread

Preheat the oven to 375°F while the dough is rising.
After the second proofing, if you find that the bread has lost some shape then again seal the edges first then brush the bread with some milk and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and baked through.
Brush some melted butter once baked and then dust with icing sugar.

Enjoy the yummiest Star Bread ever!

Pro tips and tricks

When you make this star bread recipe, you’ll want to follow these simple tips and tricks:

Use the Instant Pot yogurt mode to help proof the dough instead of letting it proof on the counter.
Make sure the milk is not too hot as it will kill the yeast. You can use a thermometer to check the temp of the milk. The ideal temp for active dry yeast is about 100 to 110 degrees F. For instant yeast or RapidRise yeast, it can be between 120°–130°F.
If you do not have a mixer, you can use your hand to knead the dough, however, it will add around 20 minutes to the recipe time

FAQs

How to serve star bread

Star bread tastes best served warm from the oven. For even sweeter flavor, you can serve with whipped cream or ice cream. It also goes well with flavored butters. We love to serve it with holiday meals as a side or more dessert oriented bread.

How to store

You can store cooled bread in an airtight container on the counter. You could also wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. To keep it for longer, you can place the bread in the fridge or freeze it for up to 6 months.

Can I freeze this?

Yes, you can freeze the bread for about 6 months. To do so, make sure to wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe container. You can reheat in the oven.

How to reheat

When you want to serve the bread warmed up, you can place it in a warm oven for a few minutes until warmed through. You could also place a single slice, covered in a paper towel, in the microwave and reheat for a few seconds. Allow frozen bread to thaw overnight on the counter or in the fridge.

Star Bread Fillings – What other fillings can I use in this Star Bread

You can add different types of filling to make the star bread work for you, including Nutella, cinnamon sugar, other jams, chai spice, apple butter, pumpkin butter, or use savory options like pesto or other sauces.

Is Christmas Star bread and this star bread the same?

Christmas star bread and this star bread are basically the same. You can find several variations, including what the bread is stuffed with, but you could make each interchangeably with the other.

Why is my star bread dense?

Star bread is naturally dense. This is due to the heaviness of the milk used to make it. It creates a naturally thicker bread that is not as light and airy as Italian bread or other types of bread.

Other bread recipes

If you love bread and want more ideas, you should definitely check out some of these other popular bread recipes:

Let us know what you think

If you make this delicious recipe, let us know how it went! When you make this, be sure to take a pic and tag us on Instagram @dbellyrulesdmind or Facebook @thebellyrulesthemind!

How to Make the Perfect Star Bread

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

Dough

1 cup warm whole milk
1/3 cup unsalted butter /Soft
2 teaspoon instant yeast
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon
3 cups all-purpose flour
Extra flour for rolling

Filling

3/4 cups Strawberry Jam

Instructions

Make the Dough

First, combine the warm milk, yeast, and sugar and then stir. Allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. It should become foamy if the yeast is alive and active. If not, you will need to get a fresh batch of yeast.
Next, pour the yeast mixture into the bowl of an electric stand mixer or into a large bowl if you plan on kneading by hand.
Add the softened butter, salt, and flour to the bowl and then mx with the dough hook attachment on low-speed until the dough is smooth and elastic or for about 6 to 8 minutes.
The dough should be soft, slightly sticky when touched with a clean finger. It should pull away from the sides of the mixer.
Next, grease the Instant Pot’s inner pot and transfer the dough to the Instant Pot.

Cover it with a glass lid or the Instant pot lid and then turn the Instant Pot on by pressing the ‘Yogurt’ button. Set the timer to 1 hour.
After 1 hour, the dough will double in size.
Finally, gently punch the dough down.

*If you want to make this ahead of time, refrigerate the dough after mixing and let it slow proof in the refrigerator overnight – roll it up and bake the next morning.

Roll out the Star Bread

First, divide evenly into four portions.
With a rolling pin, roll out your first piece of dough to a circle about 10-inches in diameter, keeping the rest covered to prevent it from drying. Silicone rolling mats work so well for this process – they have circles with measurements to guide you as you roll out. They also help keep your dough from sticking to your work surface, allowing you to use less flour when rolling out the dough.
Next, take 1/4 cup of strawberry jam and spread it all around the circle leaving just an inch of gap at the end.
Roll the next portion into a 10-inch diameter circle and place it on top of the strawberry jam layer. Repeat the steps until you reach the bare top, and you will have 4 layers of circles with 3 layers of filling.
Transferring the rolled dough to a piece of parchment can be tricky. Flour the dough and fold it in half.
Flour it again and fold it in half again – you’ll end up with a triangular shaped dough that has been folded into quarters.
Now you can easily pick it up and transfer it to a piece of parchment.
Unfold it and, if it has shrunk a bit, you can slide your parchment over the top of your rolling mat and roll the dough back out to about 10 inches.

Shape the Star Bread

First, place a 3-inch cookie cutter or small mason jar in the center of the circle. Using a pastry cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into quarters. Cut each of those in half and cut each of those in half again – creating 16 total equal strips of dough, connected at the center.
Next, remove the cookie cutter or jar from the center of the dough. Take two pieces of dough, side by side, and twist them 3 times in opposite directions from each other. Pinch the ends together, sealing the dough, and then repeat all the way around until you have an 8-pointed star.
Slide the parchment with the dough onto a rimmed baking sheet and then cover with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy or about 30 minutes.

Bake the star bread

Preheat the oven to 375°F while the dough is rising.
After the second proofing, if you find that the bread has lost some shape then again seal the edges first then brush the bread with some milk and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and baked through.
Brush some melted butter once baked and then dust with icing sugar

About Soniya

Hello, I am Soniya, the cofounder of The Belly Rules The Mind. Originally from Mumbai, India, I am settled in Virginia US with my husband.

I am a mother of 2 energetic boys, referred to as R2 (15-year-old) and R3 (10-year-old) on the blog. In case you are wondering who is R1, well that is my husband.

My hubby and I were born in Mumbai, India, where we were spoiled by the wealth of food choices available to us. We could enjoy everything from yummy street food to multi-cuisine restaurants and we became very picky about what we like and what we don't. Come join us on our journey to have "The Belly Rule The Mind"

What is Star Bread?

Ingredients for star bread