Sourdough Star Bread

If you have been searching for a no-yeast, long-fermented Sourdough Star Bread aka snowflake bread then this recipe is for you! My popular Sourdough Cinnamon Roll dough is transformed into a holiday or snow day treat that is sure to delight your family and friends. This festive bread can be prepped ahead and baked fresh on Christmas morning after a cold fridge ferment. I'll give you all the details below!

I also created a Sourdough Discard Star Bread if you are looking for a quicker recipe that uses up unfed starter.

Recipe Background and Details

This recipe transforms my popular no-yeast Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls into a fun and festive treat. It is perfect for the holidays and is a great make-ahead that can be popped into the oven straight from the fridge on Christmas morning. I have been making monkey bread on Christmas morning for years so that warm cinnamon smell is a must for us on the big day.

When I first started on my sourdough journey, I never imagined all of the amazing recipes I would create with my sourdough starter. I think a lot of people think (my past self included) you can just make rustic, chewy loaves with sourdough starter, but sourdough really shines in softer, sweeter recipes too. This beautiful Sourdough Star Bread is just one example of that. After a long bulk ferment at room temperature and a cold overnight ferment in the fridge you have the most beautiful sweet and tangy pastry dough - just look at those little fermentation blisters! They make my heart sing.

Ingredients

As I wrote above, this dough recipe is an exact replica of my Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls so if you love that recipe you will love this one!

for the dough:

• milk: I usually use whole milk but have also made these with buttermilk powder (¼ cup mixed with 1 cup water). You could also make these with regular buttermilk, an alternative milk, goat or sheep milk, or half and half or cream thinned with a little water.
• sourdough starter: active and bubbly for this recipe - if you want to use discard or speed up the process use my Sourdough Discard Star Bread recipe.
• sugar: I have used granulated sugar, sucanat, and brown sugar to make these. You can use honey or maple syrup but you'll need to add a bit more flour to make up for the added moisture.
• egg plus egg yolk: to add richness and softness to the dough.
• butter: soft, room temperature - unsalted or salted work fine in this recipe or use a neutral oil or fat that you prefer.
• flour: I use unbleached, all-purpose flour.
• salt: I test all of my recipes with Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt.

for the cinnamon sugar filling:

You can use whatever filling you like, this is just a classic and my favorite - see variations heading below for some other ideas.

• 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

Making the Sourdough Star Bread Dough

The dough is made in exactly the same way as my sourdough cinnamon rolls. After the bulk ferment we will transform it into a beautiful star bread.

• Place warmed milk, active sourdough starter, egg plus egg yolk, vanilla, and sugar in bowl of mixer and stir to combine.
• Add flour, salt, and butter and mix with dough hook until a shaggy dough forms. Scrape sides and continue on speed two for about 5 minutes. Give it another scrape and mix for 5 more minutes on speed 2. Scrape sides one final time, cover, and allow to bulk ferment at room temp until doubled in size.

How to assemble sourdough star bread

• Dump dough onto floured surface and divide into three equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball.
• On a piece of parchment paper, roll one ball of dough to a 10 inch disk. Top with half of cinnamon sugar mixture or a thin layer of your chosen filling.
• 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.

Cutting the dough and creating the star shape

• Place a small jar or ramekin 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 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 ends together tightly 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 until puffy. This takes about 4 hours in my 70ish degree kitchen. The time will depend on the strength and activity of your starter as well as the temperature of your kitchen. Don't rush it - let it get nice and soft and puffy.
• Once the dough has risen, you can cover and place in the refrigerator to bake the next morning or brush with egg wash and bake right away in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and you reach an internal temperature of between 190-205 degrees F.

Variations

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 and very delicious.
• 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 cinnamon roll or scone recipes.

Make Ahead

Just like my sourdough cinnamon rolls, after the second rise this star bread can be covered and refrigerated overnight to bake the next morning. 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 and warm 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 Star Bread

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If you have been searching for a no-yeast, long-fermented Sourdough Star Bread aka snowflake bread then this recipe is for you! My popular Sourdough Cinnamon Roll dough is transformed into a holiday or snow day treat that is sure to delight your family and friends. This festive bread can be prepped ahead and baked fresh on Christmas morning after a cold fridge ferment.

• Total Time: 24 hours
• Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

dough:

150 grams (roughly ¾ cup) active sourdough starter

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

1 egg plus 1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup (50 grams) granulated cane sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

450 grams (3 and ¾ cups) flour

4 tablespoons (56 grams) butter, soft room temperature

filling:

4 tablespoons butter (56 grams) soft room temperature

½ cup brown sugar (104 grams)

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (16.6 grams)

optional: a tablespoon or two of flour or cornstarch to thicken the filling and prevent it from leaking out

egg wash:

one egg mixed with two tablespoons of water or milk/cream

for topping:

¼ cup powdered sugar

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Instructions

1. Place warmed milk, active sourdough starter, egg, vanilla, and sugar in bowl of mixer and stir to combine.
2. Add flour, salt, and butter and mix with dough hook until a shaggy dough forms. Scrape sides and continue on speed two for about 5 minutes. Give it another scrape and mix for 5 more minutes on speed 2.
3. Scrape sides one final time, cover, and allow to bulk ferment at room temperature until doubled in size. If desired the dough can be covered and refrigerated at this point for up to 24 hours before proceeding with recipe.
4. When dough is ready to shape, mix filling ingredients together in small bowl and set aside. If your butter is not soft enough to make a smooth mixture, pop it in the microwave for a few seconds. Set this mixture aside while you roll out the dough.
5. Dump dough onto floured surface and divide into three equal balls. Roll the first dough ball to about 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.
6. 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.
7. Roll last dough ball and place on top. You will now have three layers of dough with two layers of filling inside.
8. Place a small jar or ramekin in the center of the dough and make 4 evenly spaced cuts from the jar to the outer edge.
9. Next, cut those sections in half so you will now have 8 equal sections of dough.
10. Finally, cut each of those 8 sections in half so you have 16 equal sections of dough.
11. 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.
12. Repeat this with two pieces of dough at a time until you have created a beautiful star/snowflake. Cover and let rise until puffy. This takes about 4 hours in my 70 degree kitchen. The time will depend on the strength and activity of your starter as well as the temperature of your kitchen.
13. Once the dough has risen, you have two options: You can brush with egg wash and bake right away in preheated 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and you reach an internal temperature of between 190-205 degrees F. Or, if you don't want to bake it right away it can be covered and refrigerated overnight to bake the next morning. Make sure it is covered well to prevent it from drying out in the refrigerator. Bake the next morning according to the directions above.

Notes

Just like my sourdough cinnamon rolls, after the second rise this star bread can be covered and refrigerated overnight to bake the next morning. The next morning, allow the dough to sit at room temperature while you preheat the oven. Egg wash just before baking and bake in preheated oven.

The dough can be divided into 6 dough balls if you want to make two 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 and because sourdough has such a long rising time, it is just part of the process sometimes. Don't worry if this happens! It will bake up beautifully and will still have plenty of filling inside.

I also created a Sourdough Discard Star Bread if you are looking for a quicker recipe that uses up unfed starter.

• Author: anita | wild thistle kitchen
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• bulk ferment: 8 hours
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Category: sourdough, bread
• Method: baking, sourdough
• Cuisine: American