Sourdough Discard Star Bread

The most beautiful and festive bread you will ever make (and possibly the most delicious, too!). This Sourdough Discard Star Bread aka snowflake bread takes all the sugar, spice, and nostalgia I love about the holiday season and wraps it up into one show-stopping package. In this fun recipe, my tried-and-true sourdough discard cinnamon roll dough is transformed into a delightful holiday treat that can be prepped the night before to bake fresh on Christmas morning. I'll give you all the details below!

I also have a no-yeast, long-fermented Sourdough Star Bread if you want to use your active, bubbly starter for this recipe!

Recipe Background and Details

This stunning bread really screams Christmas to me. And I know it is commonly referred to as star bread but my husband and I think snowflake bread is more fitting especially once it is dusted with powdered sugar. It can be filled with just about anything, but the cinnamon sugar filling is my favorite. I've been making monkey bread on Christmas morning for years - since my first born was just a tiny thing - so the smell of warm cinnamon is just such a Christmas morning smell to me and it floods me with so much nostalgia. No matter which December holiday you celebrate, this bread will make a lovely addition to your holiday table or it's just a really fun thing to bake with kids on a snowy day!

Although this star bread might look complicated, I promise it is no more difficult than making monkey bread or cinnamon rolls. And because it's so beautiful, it makes a great gift, too!

Ingredients

As I wrote above, this recipe uses my exact sourdough discard cinnamon roll dough and filling. So if you are a fan of that recipe you will definitely love this one!

• milk: I usually use whole milk but you can use reconstituted dried buttermilk, regular buttermilk, an alternative milk, goat or sheep milk, or half and half or cream thinned with a little water.
• sugar: I most commonly use granulated sugar but have also used sucanat and brown sugar to make this dough. You can use honey or maple syrup but you'll need to add a bit more flour to make up for the added moisture.
• yeast: active dry or instant are both fine here. Since we are not using an active sourdough starter, we need the yeast to help these rise If you are looking for a long-fermented version, head to my sourdough star bread recipe post.
• egg: to add richness and softness to the dough.
• sourdough discard: unfed sourdough starter. I use mine straight from the fridge and very sour but you can use it at any stage whether you are just starting a sourdough starter or you have one that is well-established. I also have a no-yeast, long-fermented Sourdough Star Bread if you want to use your active, bubbly starter for this recipe!
• butter: soft, room temperature - unsalted or salted work fine in this recipe. You can also use oil (coconut, avocado, etc.) or your preferred cooking fat.
• flour: I use unbleached, all-purpose flour.
• salt: I test all of my recipes with Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt.

for the filling:

• butter: soft room temperature
• dark brown sugar: I really love the dark brown sugar as it makes a more dramatic contrast against the dough.
• cinnamon: I go pretty heavy on the cinnamon. Feel free to dial it back if you don't like a super strong cinnamon flavor.
• flour or cornstarch: optional, but it helps the filling stay put and not leak out during rising and/or baking. This can be especially useful if you are resting this in the fridge overnight.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

How to Make Star Bread Dough

The dough process is exactly the same as my Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Roll recipe. After the second rise is when we will transform this dough into a star bread.

How to Assemble the Star Bread

Dump dough onto floured surface and divide into three equal balls.

Roll the first dough ball to about a 10 inch circle on a piece of parchment and spread with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture or an even layer of your filling of choice.

Roll second ball of dough to the same size and place on top of first piece. Cover this second layer with the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture or an even layer of your preferred filling. Roll last dough ball and place on top. You will now have three layers of dough with two layers of filling inside.

• Place a small jar or ramekin in the center of the dough and make 4 evenly spaced cuts from outer edge of the jar to the outer edge of the dough circles.
• Next, cut those sections in half so you will now have 8 equal sections of dough.

• Finally, cut each of those 8 sections in half so you have 16 equal sections of dough.
• Take two pieces of dough and twist them away from each other.

• Repeat the twisting motion a total of 4-5 times and pinch the edges together to form the point of the star.

• Repeat this with two pieces of dough at a time until you have created a beautiful star/snowflake. Cover and let rise for about an hour until puffy.
• Once the dough has risen, brush with egg wash and bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.

TOP TIP

Make sure when you start building your star bread that you have it on a piece of oven safe parchment paper and ideally you'll build it on top of your baking tray. You do not want to try to move this from the countertop to a baking tray without parchment once it is built - trust me I made that mistake once while testing this recipe and it was such a hassle!

Variations and Filling Ideas

The sky's the limit when it comes to flavoring and filling this beautiful star bread. Here are some ides:

Flavoring the dough

• I love to add a bit of orange zest to the dough and/or filling as it is such a Christmas flavor to me. Add any citrus zest you enjoy or a touch of your favorite extract.

Filling ideas

• I love the cinnamon sugar filling but feel free to spice it up with other holiday spices such as cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, etc.
• Chocolate Hazelnut Spread such as Nutella is a classic in star bread.
• Cookie Butter, pistachio butter, etc.
• Jam or Jelly
• Add some finely chopped nuts to whichever filling you choose for a bit of texture.

For a savory version

• Reduce the sugar in the dough a bit and fill the bread with pesto and mozzarella for a delicious savory twist.

Toppings

• Powdered sugar is classic and it doesn't get easier. Plus it really makes it look like a snowflake which I just love!
• a combination of powdered sugar and cocoa powder would be nice if you used a chocolate filling.
• Make a simple powdered sugar glaze (like a glazed doughnut!) and cover the star bread after it has cooled for a few minutes.
• Use the frosting or glaze from any of my other cinnamon roll recipes.

Make Ahead

Just like my sourdough discard cinnamon rolls, this star bread can be assembled and refrigerated overnight to bake the next morning. I like to let it rise for about 30-40 minutes before covering and placing in the refrigerator. It may rise a bit more in the refrigerator. The next morning, allow the dough to sit at room temperature while you preheat the oven. Egg wash if desired and bake in preheated oven.

Storage

This star bread is best eaten fresh but if you have leftovers, place them in an airtight bag or container to prevent them from drying out. Give them a few seconds in the microwave or a few minutes in a hot oven to refresh them.

Related

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Sourdough Discard Star Bread

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

The most beautiful and festive bread you will ever make (and possibly the most delicious, too!). This Sourdough Discard Star Bread aka snowflake bread takes all the sugar, spice, and nostalgia of the holiday season and wraps it up into one show-stopping package. My tried-and-true discard cinnamon roll dough is transformed into a delightful holiday treat that can be prepped the night before to bake fresh on Christmas morning. 

• Total Time: about 3 hours
• Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

for the dough:

1 cup whole milk (240 grams) warmed to 100-110 degrees F

¼ cup sugar (50 grams)

2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (7 grams)

1 egg

½ cup sourdough discard (140 grams)

3 ½ cups all purpose flour (420 grams)

1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (3 grams)

4 tablespoons butter (56 grams)

for the filling:

4 tablespoons butter (56 grams) soft room temperature

½ cup dark brown sugar (104 grams)

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (16.6 grams)

2 tablespoons flour or cornstarch (optional - see notes)

for the egg wash:

1 egg

2 tablespoons water or milk/cream

for topping:

¼ cup powdered sugar

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Pour milk into bowl of stand mixer, along with ¼ cup sugar and yeast. Whisk and let sit for about 5 minutes until you see some foaming (this means your yeast is alive).
2. After 5 minutes, whisk in sourdough discard and egg.
3. Next, add flour, 4 tablespoons butter, and salt to mixer. Using your dough hook, mix dough on low to medium speed until it begins to come together. Increase speed to medium-high and mix until you have a soft, but not overly sticky dough. It will stick to the bottom of the bowl a bit but it should pull away from the sides and not be overly sticky. Add a tablespoon or two of flour if it is very sticky.
4. Remove dough hook. Cover mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and allow to rise for an hour in a warm place until doubled in size.
5. Prepare filling by mixing together soft butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour/cornstarch if using. You want a nice, creamy mixture. If your butter is not soft enough you can warm it for a few seconds in the microwave to loosen it up for spreading. Set the filling aside while you roll out the dough.
6. Once risen, dump dough into floured surface and divide into three equal balls.
7. Roll the first dough ball to about 9-10 inches on a piece of parchment and spread with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture or an even layer of your filling of choice.
8. Roll second ball of dough to the same size and place on top of first piece. Cover this second layer with the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture or an even layer of your preferred filling.
9. Roll last dough ball and place on top. You will now have three layers of dough with two layers of filling inside.
10. Place a small jar or ramekin (about 3 inches) in the center of the dough and make 4 evenly spaced cuts from the outer edge of the jar to the outer edge of the dough.
11. Next, cut those sections in half so you will now have 8 equal sections of dough.
12. Finally, cut each of those 8 sections in half so you have 16 equal sections of dough.
13. Take two pieces of dough and twist them away from each other.
14. Repeat the twisting motion a total of 4-5 times and pinch the edges together to form the point of the star.
15. Repeat this with two pieces of dough at a time until you have created a beautiful star/snowflake.
16. Cover and let rise for about an hour until puffy. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F during last 30 minutes of rising.
17. Whisk one egg with a splash of water or cream and set aside.
18. Once the dough has risen, brush with egg wash and bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.
19. Let cool slightly before dusting with powdered sugar and enjoying!

 

Notes

This sourdough discard star bread can be assembled and refrigerated overnight to bake the next morning. I like to let it rise for about 30-40 minutes (2nd rise) before covering and placing in the refrigerator. The next morning, allow the dough to sit at room temperature while you preheat the oven. Egg wash if desired and bake in preheated oven.

The dough can be divided into 6 dough balls if you want to make smaller star breads. Roll them to 5-6 inches rather than 10 inches.

Sometimes a bit of moisture from the cinnamon sugar filling will leak out during rising, especially if you do an overnight fridge rise. This does not impact the finished product and it really is not a big deal. It is just some of the moisture from the sugar leaking out. Don't worry if this happens! It will bake up beautifully and will still have plenty of filling inside. If you add a bit of thickener to the filling it can help prevent/lessen this leakage but even still it is possible to have a bit of leaking. 

I also have a no-yeast, long-fermented Sourdough Star Bread if you want to use your active, bubbly starter for this recipe!

• Author: anita | wild thistle kitchen
• Prep Time: about 2 hours
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: sourdough, breakfast, Christmas
• Method: baking, sourdough
• Cuisine: American