Cinnamon Sugar Star Bread
We decided to host a small get together for super bowl weekend, i knew there was going to be a lot of snacks and some good BBQ. With all that food around, i decided i was going to bake something that was going to be A) something pull apart and B) something light. I am using this blog to push myself out of comfort zone and tackle bakes that look and sound challenging, so when i saw this star bread i knew this would be a perfect candidate for my next bake.
At first glance the recipe looked complicating, with active yeast and letting dough sit so it can double in size but i had committed to tackling this bake and that i did. Star Bread looks hard. but if you follow the simple recipe, i promise you will have a great end product.
I got this recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction (She has an awesome video tutorial as well)
Star Bread
Prep Time: 2:30 Hours
Bake Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 3 Hours
Ingredients
2 tsp instant or active dry yeast
3 tbsp granulated sugar
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softend to room temperature
1 large egg
2 and 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
Egg Wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp of milk
2 tbsp confectioners sugar
Cinnamon Sugar Mix
1 tbsp of softened unsalted butter per circle
Mix 1/4 cup granulated Sugar with 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
Instructions
Making the dough: Add the yeast and sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer. Heat the milk on the stove or microwave until warm to the touch. Pour the warm milk on top of the yeast & sugar mix. Whisk gently to combine, cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel for 5 - 10 minutes. The mixture will be frothy after 5 - 10 minutes
Add the butter, egg, flour, and salt. Beat on low speed for 3 minutes. Dough will be soft. Using lightly floured hands, form it into a ball. If the dough is too sticky to handle, add 1-3 more Tablespoons of flour, but you want a very soft dough.
Place the dough in a greased bowl (nonstick spray works well) and cover it with plastic wrap. Put the bowl in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, around 90 minutes.
Punch down the dough to release the air. Place dough on a lightly floured work area. Divide into 4 equal piece, with a floured rolling pin, roll each out into a thin 10-inch circle. Place the bottom circle on a baking sheet, brush the circle with softened butter and top with cinnamon sugar filling. Layer the remaining circle with butter and cinnamon sugar topping, the top layer does not get the filling. Only three of the four circles will be topped with filling. Using a pizza cutter, cut any scraps around the edges so you have an even circle. Place a 3 inch round bowl in the center and make an indent, this is the center of your star. Using the pizza cutter, cut strips from the edge to the center of the circle, cut 16 even strips. Using both hands grab two strips and twist them away from each other twice, then press the two ends together to make a point. You bread will have 8 points.
Cover the shaped bread with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.
Preheat your over to 350°F
Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the star bread with egg wash, this will make the bread shiny golden brown. Bake for about 25 - 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes.
Cover with confectioners sugar on top and enjoy it warm.
