An easy star bread recipe that makes a show-stopping sweet bread for your holiday table. Based on our master dough, this recipe is easier, sustainable and delivers flavor and beauty in one.
This is an updated recipe for star bread that is easy and foolproof and uses all the best ingredients to create the best tasting version of this classic bread recipe. We researched the science and techniques behind making enriched bread and used tips from exceptional chefs. Then we used the best ingredients we could find to create this recipe. With a background in both food photography and sustainable agriculture, I combine an eye for detail with a love for quality ingredients in every recipe I create. This recipe proves that great food doesn’t have to be complicated — just the best ingredients, smart chef tips, and a feel-good, sustainable twist.
Updated:
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Table of contents
What is Star Bread
Star bread is a traditional sweet bread shaped to look like a star and is especially popular for holidays.
Ingredients
This recipe is made from a basic enriched bread dough, and for this version we used fig jam and fresh figs.
I name the brands I use in the recipe, so there is no guessing. There is a detailed explanation for why I use each brand on the “quality brands” page. Brands like King Arthur flour and Wholesome Sweet sugar make a big difference in how this bread comes out. We are not paid to promote a brand – we are just passing on what we know.
- All-Purpose Flour – King Arthur Organic All-Purpose flour King Arthur responsibly sources the wheat for their flours, and it pays off in the taste and quality. They have a “never bleached” guarantee, which means their flours don’t have an off taste or unpredictable results that can be caused by bleaching. They also carefully calibrate the protein content, so the flour gives you the same results everytime.
- Sugar – Wholesome regenerative organic sugar produced from organic sugar cane fields that are green cut and are not burned or treated with herbicides or synthetic fertilizers. Burning sugar cane fields contributes to air pollution, climate change, and is also a major cause of the destruction of the rain forest.
- Milk, Cream, Butter – Horizon Organics – Milk, Cream and Butter that are produced organically, sustainably, and responsibly. You can taste the difference.
- Yeast – SAF-Instant Red – for Hearth Bread and SAF-Instant Gold for Enriched Bread – Instant yeast is easier to use and more reliable so the results are better.
- Salt – Diamond Kosher tastes cleaner and measures differently.
Sustainability
Choosing sustainable products makes baking a small but meaningful act of sustainability. Sustainability is at the heart of this recipe: choosing high-quality pantry staples, supporting responsible growers and brands. High quality products don’t just taste better, they are usually produced sustainably as well.
Method
This recipe uses an easy, foolproof method that requires only a few minutes of active time. Check out Master Bread Method for a more detailed explanation on how this works.
- Measure the ingredients by weight and mix together
- Chill the dough overnight
- Shape the dough and let it rise
- Bake
This recipe uses our Master Bread Method. An easy, foolproof, updated way of making bread.
Traveling in Italy
Visiting Rome, we were and staying next to the charming Campo de’ Fiori market. Waking up early in the morning, we ventured out to witness the market coming to life. As we strolled through the cobbled streets, the scent of freshly baked bread and vibrant flowers filled the air. Colorful stalls began to take shape, adorned with an array of tantalizing produce and local artisanal products. The market vendors, with their cheerful disposition, skillfully arranged their offerings, creating a visual feast for the eyes. Exploring the market while it was setting up was a truly immersive experience, allowing us to witness the authentic essence of Roman life and the bustling atmosphere that epitomizes the Eternal City. In a nearby bakery, we had coffee and fig bread that was shaped like a star. We loved the look of this bread and recreated it when we got back home.
RECIPE
CHOOSING BRANDS:
For certain products, the choice of brand will make a big difference in the outcome of the recipe and in your carbon footprint. So, for those products, we have listed the brand. We are not paid to mention a brand and have no affiliates.
Ingredients
SWEET DOUGH
- 800 grams Gold Medal unbleached all-purpose flour
- 85 grams Wholesome regenerative organic sugar
- 14 grams Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 482 grams Horizon milk
- 15 grams Red SAF instant yeast
- 100 grams Horizon butter browned and melted
- 10 grams zest of one organic lemon
FILLING
- 250 grams fig jam
TOPPING
- 1 egg
- 100 grams Wholesome regenerative organic sugar or large crystal sugar, like turbinado
- 4 figs
Instructions
DOUGH
- Heat the milk to lukewarm (about 95 degrees F). Check the temperature with a thermometer. Whisk the yeast into the milk. Allow to stand for two minutes.
- Pour the milk into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer on a scale. Measure in the flour, sugar, salt, lemon zest and butter by zeroing the scale after every ingredient.
- With the stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix on low speed for 1 minute.
- Switch to the dough hook. Increase speed to medium low and mix for 4 minutes.
- Increase speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
ON BAKING DAY
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Divide into four equal pieces and form them into balls. Cover them with plastic and let them rest for 20 minutes.
- On a floured surface, roll out each ball into a flat circle about 10 inches across. If it resists, let it rest for a minute and then continue rolling.
- Place one of the circles on a sheet of parchment paper. Spread about a third of the jam on top. Place another circle on top of the first and spread with jam. Then the third circle and spread with jam. Then top with the fourth circle.
- Place a glass, that is about 2 1/2 inces across, in the center of the circle. Cut all the way through the dough from the edge of the glass to the edge of the circle, dividing the dough into 16 equal sections with an uncut area in the center.
- Remove the glass and select two sections that are side by side. Twist the two sections away from each other, twisting them two full rotations and then pinching them together at the tip. Continue around the rest of the circle until all of the sections are pinched together in this way.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm place for about an hour and a half.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Wisk the egg with a Tablespoon of water, and brush it over the dough. Sprinkle the dough with the sugar. Cut the figs in half, removing the stems, and place them on each point of the star. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes to 30 minutes.
- Remove the bread and parchment to a rack to cool.
Nutrition
WHY THIS RECIPE IS A GAME CHANGER:
This recipe is a total game-changer — crafted with the finest [brand name] ingredients, simplified using a master recipe with pro-tested techniques from top chefs and bakers, and designed for deliciously sustainable cooking made easy.”
| Ingredient | Percent by Weight |
Flour Sugar Salt | 100 50 |
Baker’s Percentages is a formula-based system where total flour weight is always !00 percent and all other ingredients are expressed as a percentage of that flour weight. It allows you to quickly and accurately compare recipes.
More Recipes Made with Our Master Bread Method
These recipes use our Master Bread Method. An easy, foolproof, updated way of making bread.
True to The Master Pantry philosophy, this recipe combines the best seasonal ingredients and quality brands with homemade methods to maximize both flavor and sustainability. It was inspired by our travels and works well as a holiday recipe.
Photos by Tony Fitzgerald Photography
Recipes created by Lisa LeCoump — Food Photographer, Agricultural Expert, and Home Baker. Sharing master recipes, chef secrets, and sustainable baking for every kitchen.