Cardamom-Scented Star Bread

Star bread is a beautiful and delicious sweet bread that is perfect for celebrating Winter Solstice, Christmas or any festive occasion. It’s made with a simple yeast dough that is filled with spiced sugar, dried cranberries, sliced almonds and cardamom. The dough is shaped into a stunning star pattern that looks impressive but is actually easy to make. Follow this step-by-step guide to learn how to make star bread at home!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup warm water (110°F)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup warm milk (110°F)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup melted butter, for brushing
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, mixed with 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine the warm water and yeast. Let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
2. In a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the warm milk, sugar, melted butter, eggs and salt. Add 3 cups of flour and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms. Gradually add more flour as needed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about an hour.
4. Punch down the dough and divide it into four equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece into a 10-inch circle.
5. Place one circle on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush it with some melted butter and sprinkle with some of the sugar-cardamom mixture, cranberries and almonds. Repeat with the remaining circles, stacking them on top of each other and leaving the top circle plain.
6. Place a 2 1/2 to 3 inch round cookie cutter or bowl in the center of the stacked circles as a guide. Do not press down. Cut 16 equal strips from the edge of the circle to the cookie cutter, like a sunburst. Cut in quarters first, then eighths, then sixteenths.
7. Take two adjacent strips and twist them twice away from each other. Pinch the ends together to form one point of an eight-pointed star. Repeat with the remaining strips until you have eight points.
8. Cover the star bread loosely with plastic wrap and let it rise for another 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 375°F.
9. Bake the star bread for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. If it browns too quickly, cover it loosely with foil.
10. Remove from the oven and brush with more melted butter if desired. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!

Tips

• You can use any filling you like for this star bread. Try almond paste, jam, chocolate chips, cinnamon sugar or nuts and dried fruits of your choice.
• You can also use different spices for the sugar mixture, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger or cloves.
• You can make the dough ahead of time and refrigerate it overnight after the first rise. Let it come to room temperature before shaping and rising again.
• You can also freeze the baked star bread for up to a month. Thaw it at room temperature and reheat it in a low oven before serving.