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Soft and fluffy star shaped bread with a cinnamon sugar filling

Cinnamon Sugar Star Bread (Eggless)

Soft and fluffy star shaped bread with a cinnamon sugar filling
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Makes: 10 servings
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Ingredients
  

For the dough

  • 1 cup warm milk (250 ml; you should be able to dip a finger in comfortably)
  • 2 tsps active dry yeast
  • 3 tbsps caster sugar
  • 55 gms unsalted butter, at room temp (1/4 cup)
  • Zest of 1 orange, optional but recommended
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (280 gms), plus extra as needed

For the filling

  • 3 tbsps unsalted butter, at room temp
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tbsps caster sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1 tbsp melted butter

Instructions

  • Combine the warm milk, yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in a small bowl. Stir, then cover the bowl with clingfilm and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture is frothy.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the remaining sugar, butter, orange zest and salt. Mix briefly, then pour in the yeast mixture and stir.
  • Add the flour and let the mixer run on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes until the dough starts to come together and leave the sides of the bowl. It will remain soft and sticky and will not form a ball, but if it's too sticky to handle, add 2 to 3 extra tablespoons of flour.
  • Once the dough is a little more cohesive, scrape it out onto a lightly floured surface and give it a few quick kneads. Shape into a ball and place in the a lightly oiled bowl (I just use the mixing bowl itself). Cover with clingfilm and set aside for 1 to 2 hours until doubled. This rise is important because unlike other bread recipes, this dough does not get a long second rise since the star will lose its shape. So the first rise is where the dough needs to become nice and puffy.
  • For the filling, keep the butter ready and stir the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside 2 tsps of the cinnamon sugar for after the bread is baked.
  • Once the dough has doubled, punch it down to release air bubbles, then take it out of the bowl and shape it into a disc. Cut into four equal parts and place one part on a silicone baking mat (or a large piece of non stick baking paper).
  • Roll this piece of dough out into a thin circle, 8 to 9 inches in diameter (we will stretch it further towards the end). Spread 1 tablespoon butter over it and sprinkle a third of the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly all over the butter.
  • Now roll out the second piece of dough (either on a silicone mat or a lightly floured kitchen counter) to an 8 to 9 inch circle. Gently lift it and place it over the first circle of dough. It will lose its shape a little bit (see photos below), so stretch it out as needed to bring it back to a circle.
  • Spread one more tablespoon of butter and more cinnamon sugar over the top of this second circle of dough. Repeat the process with the third piece of dough and the remaining filling, and cover with the fourth and final piece, which does not have any topping.
  • Once all four pieces of dough are layered together, press down lightly on them and stretch and pull them to even out the edges and shape the whole thing into a perfect circle using your fingertips, about 10 inches in diameter.
  • Now place a 3 inch bowl or glass onto the center of the dough, making a circular indent.
  • Using a sharp knife, start at the outer edge of this indent and cut 16 equal strips up to the edge of the dough. The easiest way to do this is to first make 4 equally spaced cuts of the dough on the top, bottom, right and left, then cut each of those parts into 4 more parts.
  • Now you'll work with two of these strips at a time to make the 'points' of the star. See photos below. Lift one of the strips up slightly, and twist it a few times to reveal the cinnamon sugar layered dough. Lift the strip immediately next to and twist it the same way, but in the opposite direction. Now pinch the tops of both strips tightly together. First point done! Repeat with the remaining strips of dough.
  • Since the assembly of the bread was done on a silicone mat, it's easy to slide it onto a baking tray. Cover the dough with clingfilm and let it rest for about 15 to 20 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 200 C.
  • Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown on top and puffy. A toothpick poked into the bread should come out clean, with no sticky dough.
  • Brush the hot bread with the melted butter and the reserved 2 teaspoons of cinnamon sugar from step 5. Let it cool for 15 minutes, then dig in while still warm! Best eaten fresh, but can be stored at room temperature for 2 days in an airtight tin or in the fridge for 4 to 5 days, reheating pieces as needed. Happy star breading!

Notes

*You can also use fillings like Nutella or melted chocolate but personally, I feel those tend to get messy while shaping the dough. Delicious though!
*This dough can be made by hand in a mixing bowl as well. It will be a little stickier to handle than if you were using a mixer, but a silicone spatula will really help to combine and stir the dough.
*Prep time does not include dough rise time.
*Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction