Category:
Category:
Bread and Muffins
Basic Star Bread
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
5 Cups Bread flour
1 ½ cups warm water (about 100 105 °F)
2 Tbsp. Sugar
½ tsp salt
¼ Cup canola oil
½ Cup warm milk
1 packet active dry yeast
Egg Wash
1 egg
1 tsp water
Directions:
Directions:
In a small bowl combine sugar and water. Then whisk in the yeast and let sit for about 5 10 minutes. It should begin to bloom.
In a warmed stand mixer bowl add 3 cups of the flour, oil, and salt and knead with the dough hook at speed 2 until the dough begins to combine. Slowly add remaining flour and allow it to combine with the dough. If the dough begins to become too dry, add the milk a little at a time to keep the consistency right. Keep this process going until all of the flour is combined. Remove from the stand mixer to a large bowl and let rest covered for 20 minutes. Knead the dough by hand for at least one minute more until the surface of the dough becomes smooth. Form the dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl turning once to coat the dough. Let rise in the covered bowl in a warm place for 1 ½ - 2 hours.
Punch down dough and separate in half. Set one half of the dough aside for another star bread (this recipe makes 2 breads. Cut the remaining half into 4 equal sized pieces. Roll each piece into a dough ball. Turn each dough ball onto a lightly floured surface and using a rolling pin, flatten into a circle a little larger than your hand 9-10 inches.
Layer the dough rounds one at a time on parchment paper with your chosen filling between the layers. Using a cookie cutter, doughnut cutter or glass that is about 2 ¾ inches in diameter, make an impression in the top layer of the dough to give you a guide. Do not cut through the dough. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough from the edge to the circle you made with the cutter to form eight even petals. Beginning with one petal, bisect this petal a little bit longer than the cuts you made to form the petals. Lift up on each side of the petal so it slightly clears the rest of the dough. Then one movement twist each side outboard one and a half turns. Pinch the ends of the petal halves together and flatten the end to seal. Repeat for the rest of the petals. You may then transfer the star bread into a cookie sheet or large cast iron pan. Cover and allow to rise an additional 30-45 minutes. Brush the tops with egg wash and bake in a 350°F oven for 25-28 minutes until the surface is golden brown.
Apple Cinnamon Star Bread filling
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
Basic Star Bread recipe (substitute water and milk with warm apple juice)
1-2 Granny smith apples peeled and diced
1 Cup raisins
¼ Cup dark rum
½ Cup butter softened but not melted
½ Cup Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp. Cinnamon
Directions:
Directions:
Make the basic star bread recipe above substituting the milk and water for warm apple juice. Mix Butter, Brown Sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and cream mixture with a fork until it forms a smooth paste When layering the star bread, add cinnamon paste, then apples and raisins between each layer. After brushing star bread with egg wash, garnish with brown sugar, cinnamon, and apple pie spice
in a small bowl add raisins and rum. Heat mixture in microwave for about 30 seconds to allow the raisins to soak in the rum better. Let soak at least an hour. Then drain and set aside.
Garlic and Onion Star Bread Filling
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
2-3 cloves garlic crushed (or equivalent amount of granulated garlic)
1 green onion
1-3 tsp. salt (or to taste)
½ Cup butter softened but not melted
Parsley (to taste)
Dried oregano (to taste)
Parmesan or Asiago Cheese (optional)
Directions:
Directions:
Using the only the white and light green portion of the green onion. Slice in quarters lengthwise and then slice thinly so that it forms a very fine mince. When layering the star bread, spread a thick layer of the garlic butter and then Sprinkle Parsley, oregano and cheese between each layer. Form the star bread and after brushing on the egg wash, garnish with granulated garlic parsley, oregano, and cheese. After cooking brush the star bread with butter and sprinkle with granulated garlic, and more parsley
Add garlic, onion salt to the butter and mix into a paste.
Number OfServings:
Number OfServings:
2 star breads
PreparationTime:
PreparationTime:
30 minutes prep time, 2 1/2 hours to rise, 30 minutes to cook
Personal Notes:
Personal Notes:
The technique to form this bread is very difficult to explain. I have made a video that demonstrates the technique. Follow this link: https://youtu.be/OI6IV4IlCbY This recipe has four layers of bread and three layers of filling. It is very easy to lose your filling flavors in all that bread. As such, your filling flavors must be bold. This is not the time to be shy with flavor. Like most recipes, filling strength is a matter of choice and you may have to try several times before you get flavors that work for you. This recipe makes 2 star breads which is about the perfect amount of dough if you are using a stand mixer. To make only 1 star bread, just cut the recipe in half an knead by hand. It will not be enough dough for the stand mixer to be effective.
