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Soft and fluffy Star Bread with a sweet and sticky brown sugar cinnamon roll center is the ultimate holiday showstopper! Shaped like a beautiful star, this golden pull-apart bread looks just as impressive on the table as it tastes. Whether you call it Christmas Star Bread or Cinnamon Star Bread, this treat is buttery, festive, and guaranteed to melt in your mouth. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert, this homemade star bread recipe will make your celebrations extra special.
What Makes This Star Bread Work
This Star Bread recipe is all about creating the perfect balance of beauty and flavor. The soft, enriched dough bakes up pillowy and golden, while the layers of buttery cinnamon sugar filling give every pull-apart piece a warm, spiced sweetness. It’s a bread that looks like it took hours of effort, but the shaping process is surprisingly simple once you get the hang of it.
Another reason this bread shines is its versatility. You can keep it classic as a cinnamon star bread, or change things up with Nutella, fruit preserves, or even a savory filling. And since it doubles as a stunning centerpiece, this Christmas star bread doesn’t just taste amazing; it also brings a festive touch to any table. It’s the kind of recipe that makes both the baker and the guests feel a little extra special.
What Goes Into Star Bread
This Star Bread recipe keeps things simple, using pantry staples to create a soft, pillowy dough with a rich buttery filling. Here are the key ingredients that make it work:
- Bread Flour: Provides strength and structure, giving the bread its light and fluffy texture while holding the star shape beautifully.
- Egg Yolks: Add richness and tenderness to the dough, helping it bake up soft and golden.
- Brown Sugar: Creates that sweet, sticky filling we love in a classic cinnamon star bread, melting into the layers as it bakes.
- Ground Cinnamon: The star of the filling, this warm spice adds festive flavor and makes this bread perfect as a Christmas star bread.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.
How To Make Star Bread
- Activate Yeast: Warm 200 ml milk with the butter to 110°F or 45°C (warm to the touch). Stir in the yeast and let stand 10 minutes until frothy.
- Make Dough: In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Create a well, add the yeast mixture, egg yolks, and vanilla, then mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead Smooth: Knead by hand 10–12 minutes until soft. If dough feels dry, warm the extra milk and add half at a time; stand mixer option: mix 5 minutes on medium.
- First Rise: Lightly oil a large bowl, add the dough, turn to coat, and cover. Let rise in a warm spot 2–3 hours until doubled (an indentation should slowly spring back).
- Prep Pan & Filling: Punch down the dough, cover, and rest 30 minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment; soften butter and mix brown sugar with cinnamon for the filling.
- Roll Base: Divide dough into 4 pieces; roll one to a 12 inch or 30 cm circle and trim using a plate. Transfer to the sheet and spread with one third of the butter and cinnamon sugar.
- Layer & Shape: Roll and stack the remaining circles, spreading filling between layers and leaving the top bare. Lightly mark a center ring with a small cup, cut into 16 strips, twist pairs away twice, and pinch tips to form a star.
- Final Proof & Bake: Cover loosely with a damp towel and rest 30 minutes. Brush with beaten egg whites, bake at 350°F or 175°C for about 20 minutes until golden, then dust with powdered sugar and a little cinnamon; serve warm.
When it comes to pairing, this Star Bread recipe deserves accompaniments that feel just as festive. Try it with Nutella Stuffed Salted Caramel Blondies, where the gooey center and caramel sweetness complement the spiced bread without overpowering it. For a playful twist, Nutella Stuffed Cinnamon Sugar Donut Pancakes bring fun, indulgent layers of flavor that echo the cinnamon filling in the bread. And if you want something classic yet decadent, an Apple Pie Deep Dish Skillet Cookie adds warm apple-cinnamon notes and a chewy bite that makes every pull-apart piece even more irresistible.
Recipe FAQ’s
A simple mix of softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon is classic. But you can also try Nutella, fruit preserves, or even a savory cheese-and-herb filling for something different.
Usually, it’s because the yeast wasn’t activated correctly or the resting environment was too cold. Make sure the milk is warm (not hot) and give the dough enough time in a cozy, draft-free spot.
Use a plate or cake pan as a guide when trimming your dough circles. Then, cut evenly into 16 strips and twist each pair away from each other twice before pinching the ends together.
Star Christmas Bread
Ingredients
BREAD:
- 200 ml milk plus 50ml extra only if needed
- 1 oz butter 1 1/2 tablespoons
- 1/4 oz instant yeast 1 envelope or 2 1/4 teaspoon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 16 oz bread flour plain or all-purpose flour are fine to use
- 2.5 oz white granulated sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 large egg yolks refrigerate the whites for brushing
FILLING:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
BREAD:
- Heat 200ml of milk and butter together in a microwave or saucepan until temperature reaches 110°F or 45°C (warm to the touch). Add the yeast and let stand for 10 minutes, until frothy on top.
- While yeast is activating, combine flour, sugar and salt in a separate bowl.
- Create a well in the centre of the flour. Add the yeast mixture, egg yolks and vanilla into the well. Mix into the flour until combined.
- Knead by hand for 10-12 minutes until dough is soft and elastic. If the dough is too dry: warm up the extra milk, create a well in the dough and add in half of the milk. Knead and if you still feel it’s still too dry, add in the remaining amount of milk.FOR A STAND MIXER: Mix for 5 minutes on medium speed until dough is soft and elastic.
RISE:
- Lightly oil a large bowl with a pastry brush or your fingertips. Place dough into bowl, turning once to coat in the oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm place for about 2-3 hours, or until doubled in size.(To check if dough is ready, gently press two fingers into dough. If an indentation remains, dough has not risen enough.)
- Punch dough down, cover and let rest for an additional 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
- While dough is rising, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
PREPARE FILLING:
- Get your butter ready, make sure it is softened and spreadable. Then, in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
DIVIDE INTO STRANDS:
- When dough is ready, divide the dough into 4 pieces. Lightly flour a clean work surface and use a rolling pin to roll one ball out into a 12 inch/30 cm disc.
- Place a plate on top and cut away any excess dough around the plate with a sharp knife. Remove the plate. Place dough disc onto prepared baking sheet.
LAYER:
- Spread dough with 1/3 of the softened butter and 1/3 of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture. This is your bottom layer (the base).
- Roll out the second ball of dough, like above, and place on top of the bottom layer. Spread with 1/3 of the butter and brown sugar/cinnamon mixture.Repeat with the rest of the dough, layering each with butter/sugar/cinnamon. (The top dough will not have any butter or brown sugar/cinnamon on it.)
SHAPE INTO A FLOWER/STAR:
- Place a small cup in the middle of the layered dough and very lightly mark a ring in the centre to use as a guide.
- Cut the dough first with four lines: 3 o’clock, 6o’clock, 9o’clock and 12 o’clock. Cut each quarter into 2 pieces, then cut each of those into 2 pieces so you end up with 16 strands connected to the middle circle.
- Take 2 strands that are side-by-side and twist them away from each other two times. Connect the two strands at the end, pinching the ends together to form a point. Do this with all of the strands and create a star flower!
- Cover star bread loosely with a damp cloth or towel and let rest one more time for 30 minutes.
BAKE:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Beat egg whites leftover from the yolk and brush whites evenly over the surface of the bread.
- Bake bread for 20 minutes or until lightly browned and golden.
- Decorate with powdered sugar (confectioners sugar or icing sugar), and a little ground cinnamon.Serve warm!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Excellent directions and photos. After making it myself, I’ve made this a few times with the grandkids and they were thrilled with the appearance and taste.
I have made this star three times now. Every time it gets easier and turns out better.
Thanks for the great inspiration to do this!
Ted
Hi Karina,
This recipe looks amazing! I’m allergic to eggs so what can I use instead?
This is the first time I made star-bread and it came out really good. Fallowed the directions given in the recipe and I had no issue. Reading other comments I saw someone suggesting adding some nuts, I used pecans and I loved it.
I made this last year. I split the recipe and made 2 stars from 1 mix. They came out beautiful and perfect size for what I needed. Making again this year. Thanks and Merry Christmas all.
Hi Karina,
This looks amazing! I’m a little confused by some of the comments about making before hand. Can you prepare and assemble the star and refrigerate for up to two days before baking it? Thank you in advance!
Can you substitute Bob’s Gluten Free 1 to 1 flour?
I’m having a hard time with the yeast. Do i stir it or leave it one top of milk and butter?
Give it a quick stir through, then leave it to froth/activate. If it doesn’t, it may be old or passed due? Or may have been stored in warm temperature instead of the refrigerator (if already opened). Yeast can be quite tricky. Try to use fresh if you can.
I tried this yesterday a nd it worked great. I had never tried this kind of bread before. Thanks . It looked so pretty too.
Just baked this on a whim today and it came out perfectly. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes. This is such a showstopper and beautiful alone without the powdered sugar or icing! Absolutely delicious too. Not too sweet. Cannot wait to have another piece for breakfast with my coffee!