Public Recipe

Holiday Star Cinnamon Bread

Name: Holiday Star Cinnamon Bread
Prep time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 8–10 generous portions
Ingredients: For the Enriched Dough:; Whole milk, warmed — 250ml (1 cup); Fresh yeast — 21g (or 7g active dry/instant yeast); All-purpose flour — 500g (4 cups; 300g + 200g divided); White sugar — 50g (4 Tbsp); Salt — 2.5g (1/2 tsp); Unsalted butter, very soft — 50g (1/2 stick); Large egg, beaten — 1; For the Cinnamon Filling:; Unsalted butter, melted — 50g (1/2 stick); White sugar — 100g (8 Tbsp); Ground cinnamon — 15g (3 tsp); For the Egg Wash:; Large egg, beaten — 1; Whole milk — 30ml (2 Tbsp); To Serve: Powdered sugar for dusting; optional vanilla icing

Shared on 8/9/2025

Keep dough slightly sticky for tenderness; twist sections evenly for a clean star; use sharp cuts to avoid dragging.

Prep Time

20 min active, 1 hr 15 min rising

Bake Time

25–30 min

Difficulty

intermediate

Yield

8–10 generous portions

enriched

holiday bread

Ingredients

For the Enriched Dough:

Whole milk, warmed — 250ml (1 cup)

Fresh yeast — 21g (or 7g active dry/instant yeast)

All-purpose flour — 500g (4 cups; 300g + 200g divided)

White sugar — 50g (4 Tbsp)

Salt — 2.5g (1/2 tsp)

Unsalted butter, very soft — 50g (1/2 stick)

Large egg, beaten — 1

For the Cinnamon Filling:

Unsalted butter, melted — 50g (1/2 stick)

White sugar — 100g (8 Tbsp)

Ground cinnamon — 15g (3 tsp)

For the Egg Wash:

Large egg, beaten — 1

Whole milk — 30ml (2 Tbsp)

To Serve: Powdered sugar for dusting; optional vanilla icing

Instructions

Activate yeast: Warm milk to ~100°F/38°C. Dissolve yeast and let sit 5–10 minutes until frothy.

Mix base: Whisk 300g flour, sugar, and salt. Add yeast mixture, soft butter, and egg. Stir to shaggy dough.

Knead: Gradually add remaining 200g flour; knead 5–7 minutes until smooth and elastic (slightly sticky is OK).

First rise: Place in greased bowl, cover, rise ~1 hour until doubled.

Prepare filling: Mix melted butter, sugar, cinnamon; set aside.

Divide and roll: Deflate, divide into 4. Roll each to a 10-inch circle.

Layer: First circle on parchment; spread 1/3 filling. Repeat with second and third layers; top with fourth.

Mark center: Gently press a 3-inch guide circle in the center.

Cut: Slice into 16 equal sections from guide circle to edge, keeping center intact.

Twist: Take adjacent pairs; twist away from each other twice; pinch ends to form 8 points.

Second rise: Cover and rest 15–20 minutes while preheating oven to 350°F/180°C.

Egg wash: Whisk egg and milk; brush all over.

Bake: 25–30 minutes until golden and 190°F/88°C internal.

Finish: Cool 10 minutes; dust with powdered sugar. Optional drizzle vanilla icing.

Equipment

Large mixing bowl
Kitchen scale
Rolling pin
Parchment paper
3-inch round glass or cutter
Sharp knife or bench scraper
Pastry brush
Large baking sheet

Baker's Notes

Keep dough slightly sticky for tenderness; twist sections evenly for a clean star; use sharp cuts to avoid dragging.

Keep Your Dough Perfect

I use Sourhouse products in my kitchen. The DoughBed has proven invaluable when it comes to knowing exactly the right temperature to keep my dough for proofing, especially as the weather begins to change.

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