Sourdough Star Bread

The Sourdough Star Bread is a soft brioche dough filled with Nutella or cinnamon sugar layers, and it is so much easier to make than it looks. This recipe uses a sweet stiff starter and if you've never made/used one don't be intimidated. It's simply a lower hydration starer with sugar added. It'll feel a bit different than your normal starer (more playdoh like). I love dividing the dough and making two smaller stars, but one large star truly feels magical straight out of the oven. When you are working with enriched dough that uses butter, the secret is to mix until you have a strong windowpane before adding the butter. I've attached a short video to help with visuals. If you want to add a little extra brightness, citrus zest is beautiful in this dough. Orange zest is my personal favorite. It takes patience, but I promise it's worth it!

Sourdough Star

Sweet Stiff Starter - prepped the night before (fed separately from your normal starter):

• ½ cup (1 stick / 113g) unsalted butter, softened

• 120g bread flour

• 25g white sugar

• 66g filtered water

• 56g unfed starter

Dough:

• 130g warm filtered water

• 130g warm milk

• 125g sugar OR 120g honey

• 2 eggs - 1 additional egg for the optional eggwash before bake

• 600g bread flour

• 8g salt

• all of the sweet stiff starter

• 100g softened butter (to be added in after windowpane passes on dough)

Optional Fillings:

Nutella

Cinnamon Sugar ~ 2c brown sugar - 2 tbsp cinnamon - 1.2 softened butter

Instructions:

1. Into a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook add water, milk, honey OR sugar, 2 eggs, and sweet stiff starter. Mix briefly to combine.

2. In a separate bowl add bread flour and salt together. On low speed gradually add the bread flour and salt mixture into the wet ingredients.

3. Depending on your stand mixer it may be recommended to keep the mixer on a low speed when handling dough. You'll want to stop the mixer a couple of times to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to confirm that everything is mixing properly.

4. Once the dough has built enough strength to pass a window pane test (you're able to grab a section of the dough and stretch it very thinly without tearing easily) you'll want to add in the softened butter.

5. You'll notice that the butter doesn't mix into the dough right away. This process is going to take some time. Depending on the speed of your mixer is can take up to 20 min. Just keep checking on the dough and make sure to scrape down the sides once or twice.

6. Once the dough is throughly mixed and passes the window pane test again with the butter added you'll want you place the dough is an oiled bowl or container to proof. Making sure to cover the dough so it doesn't dry out.

7. The dough should take anywhere from 4-6 hours to proof. The warmer the dough is the quicker it'll rise.

8. Once your dough is done proofing turn it out onto a lightly floured counter.

9. Now we need to section the dough out. If you're wanting to do 2 mini stars you'll divide the dough into roughly 225g boules. This should give you six rounds of dough. Three layers for each star. If you're wanting to do one large star then you'll just dived the dough into 3 sections and shape them into boules.

10. Once all the dough is divided go ahead and place them in an oiled container or an oiled cookie sheet that can be covered and set in the fridge over night. The cold proof is optional but I prefer it because the dough is much easier to work with when cold vs room temp.

11. Once the dough is ready to shape pull it out of the fridge and lightly flour your surface. You roll each layer out into a 8" round. This should be pretty easy if the dough is cold.

12. Then you'l put the bottom layer onto a sheet of parchment paper. Top it with your filling of choice (Nutella or Cinnamon Sugar). If you're doing cinnamon sugar I like to use a mix of - 2c brown sugar - 2 tbsp cinnamon - 1.2 softened butter. When you spread your filling be sure to leave a 1/2 inch space around the outer edge.

13. Place the second layer on top and repeat the filling process.

14. Place the third and final layer on top and pinch all of the edges together.

15. Once all the layers are sealed together, take a small cookie cutter or any round object and gently press it into the center of your dough. This creates a guide so you know where your cuts should begin. You’ll be making 16 “leaves” in total. Every cut should start right at the edge of that center circle you marked. I like to begin by cutting the dough into four equal sections, like a cross. Then I continue cutting each section in half, and then in half again, until I have 16 evenly sized pieces.

16. Once all your pieces are cut, take two sections at a time. Gently twist them in opposite directions, about three full twists each. After twisting, bring the ends together and pinch them to seal so they form a beautiful petal shape.

17. Repeat until all sections are twisted.

18. Once your star is shaped place the star on a cookies sheet making sure to pick it up by the parchment paper.

19. Cover the star with plastic wrap and let it do a second proof. This takes anywhere from 2-3hrs depending on the temperature and how long it took you to shape. You essentially want to see the the star is visibly puffy and should be jiggly.

20. Once you're getting close to baking preheat your oven to 350F.

21. When you're ready to bake remove the plastic wrap and brush the top of your star with a simple egg wash (1 egg a splash of milk).

22. Bake for 25-30min. Making sure to start checking on it for doneness around 25 min.

23. Remove from the oven and let cool.

24. Enjoy!