Sourdough Star Bread

This Sourdough Star Bread makes such a beautiful and yummy treat during the holidays! Filled with raspberry spiced jam, this sweet sourdough bread will bring lots of smiles to your breakfast table.

Ok, before you start thinking, “That looks way too complicated,” hear me out! Can you roll out a circle of dough? Can you cut straight lines? Then you can absolutely make this bread! While it seems challenging, this recipe is totally doable. You don’t even have to knead the dough yourself if you use a stand mixer!

In addition to looking beautiful, this star bread tastes delicious. Soft and fluffy sourdough filled with spiced raspberry jam makes such a delightful breakfast anytime of year, but especially during Christmas!

Is Star Bread a Dessert?

It can be for sure, especially if you serve it with ice cream. 🙂 However, it also makes a lovely addition to breakfast or brunch. Afternoon tea is also a perfect excuse to enjoy a slice with a cozy beverage. So while you can think of it as a dessert, you really can make it work for breakfast or a snack too.

Tips for making Sourdough Star Bread:

• Because this is sourdough, the bread dough might not completely double in size during the first proof. This is ok! It should look noticeably puffier though.
• Shape your bread on a sheet of parchment paper on a baking tray so you don’t have to worry about moving it later!
• Make sure to use jam with seeds so that it doesn’t leak out of the bread while you’re letting it rise.
• This bread is best stored in an air-tight container or covered with plastic wrap at room temperature. It will taste freshest if you enjoy it within 5 days!

Tools you will need:

You’ll need a stand mixer with paddle and hook attachments, a rolling pin, undimmed baking tray, and a sharp knife for shaping the bread.

Ingredients you will need:

Dough:

• 4 cups flour – All purpose works best!
• 1/2 cup sourdough starter – Active and bubbly
• 1/2 cup water (plus more if needed)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp honey – Maple syrup works too in a pinch.
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Filling:

• 3/4 cup raspberry or strawberry jam – Make sure it has seeds or else it will leak out of the bread!
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Egg wash:

• 1 egg
• 1-2 tbsp water

Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

How to make Sourdough Star Bread:

Prepare the dough:

Crack the eggs into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add in the sourdough starter, vanilla, honey, and coconut oil.

Use a paddle attachment to mix the wet ingredients together on medium speed. This should take about a minute.

Add in the flour and cinnamon and mix on medium speeed to combine. The dough will be quite crumbly at this point.

Pour in the 1/2 cup water and continue to mix so that the dough comes together and forms a ball. If the dough is still crumbly, add in a little more water, 1 tbsp at a time until the dough forms a ball.

Switch out the paddle attachment for a hook attachment and mix the dough on medium speed for 8-10 minutes. A smooth ball of dough will form around the mixing hook.

After this, cover the dough and let rise until puffy. It will not quite double in size because this is an enriched dough, but it should still rise noticeably.

Shaping the dough:

After the dough has risen, prepare the jam filling.

Combine the raspberry jam with cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside until ready to use.

Divide the bread dough into four sections. Roll out one of the sections into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Place this on a sheet of parchment paper on the baking tray you’re going to use.

Spread 1 /3 of the jam on top of this layer of dough, leaving about 1/2 inch around the outside of the circle without jam.

Roll out the next piece of dough into another 12 inch circle and place on top of the first piece that is now covered with jam. Spread 1/3 of the jam on top of this layer, leaving 1/2 inch margins around the edges again.

Repeat this process for the third piece of dough, topping it with the last 1/3 of jam.

Roll out the final piece of dough and place on top of the last layer of jam.

Place a drinking glass or cookie cutter in the middle of the circle and use a knife to gently score around this, but do not actually cut the dough!

Make 16 evenly spaced marks around the edges of the dough.

Using a sharp knife, cut a straight line from each mark on the outside of the circle to the inside scored circle. Do not cut past the scored line!

Take 2 strips that are next to each other, and twist them away from each other twice. Then pinch the ends together to form a point. Repeat with the remaining strips, until you have 8 points total.

Cover the bread and let it rise for 2-4 hours until puffy and nearly doubled in size.

Baking:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

While the oven is heating, crack and beat one egg. Mix with a little bit of water (1-2 tbsp), and brush over the bread.

Bake the bread for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

Once the bread is cooled, dust with confectioners’ sugar and enjoy!

Did you enjoy this sourdough recipe?

If so, make sure to check out other fun sourdough treats at the Kitchen Counter! Here are a few ideas you might also enjoy:

• Sourdough Raspberry Bread
• Sourdough Chocolate Babka
• Chocolate Sourdough Bread
• Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls with Sourdough

If you make these this recipe and enjoy it, let me know in the comments section below! You can also tag me on instagram @oldfashionedinspiration with a picture of your creation.