Sourdough Discard Star Bread
A soft buttery sourdough discard star bread layered with cinnamon sugar and shaped into a stunning pull-apart star. This easy, no-yeast, no-proof recipe comes together in about an hour and bakes up golden, fluffy, and perfect for sharing at your holiday feast.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl - for mixing your dough.
- Stand mixer (optional) - for mixing dough.
- Hand-held mixer - for combining the glaze.
- Kitchen scale (optional) - for precise measurements.
- Measuring cups and spoons - for measuring ingredients.
- Whisk - to combine ingredients.
- Spatula - to mix and spread cinnamon sugar paste.
- Small bowls - to combine cinnamon sugar paste and glaze.
- Rolling Pin - to roll out dough.
- Sharp knife or pizza cutter - to cut dough into for star shape.
- Small star cookie cutter (optional) - to help guide your cuts for the star. You can also use a small measuring cup.
- Parchment paper - to line the baking sheet.
- Baking Sheet - to bake the star bread.
- Zester or Microplane (optional) - if adding orange zest, you'll need this tool. I love this zester linked here.
- Pastry brush - to brush star with egg wash.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- 1/4 (57g) cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 (50g) large egg room temperature
- 1/2 (120g) cup sourdough discard or starter (100% hydration)
- 3/4 (180g) cup whole milk or buttermilk
- 1/4 (50g) cup granulated white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp (12g) orange zest optional
Dry Ingredients:
- 3 1/4 (400g) cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Filling:
- 6 (85g) Tbsp unsalted butter fully softened
- 1/2 (120g) cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
Cream Cheese Glaze:
- 1 (28g) oz cream cheese softened
- 1 (14g) Tbsp salted butter softened
- 1/2 (60g) cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1-2 Tbsp milk or orange juice add to desired consistency
Egg Wash:
- 1 egg
- 1 Tablespoon water
Instructions
Step 1: Mix the Dough
- In your stand mixing bowl or a large mixing bowl, add the milk, sourdough discard, egg, unsalted butter, sugar, vanilla, and orange zest if using it. You don't have to add the orange zest, but it does add such a lovely flavor! Give everything a whisk, it's okay if its lumpy the goal here is to just break up the butter into bits and whisk in the egg and discard.1/4 (57g) cup unsalted butter, 1 (50g) large egg, 1/2 (120g) cup sourdough discard or starter (100% hydration), 3/4 (180g) cup whole milk, 1/4 (50g) cup granulated white sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 Tbsp (12g) orange zest
- After you combine the wet ingredients, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. You'll want to mix this dough by hand or with a stand mixer on low with a dough hook until a rough dough forms, this takes about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all of the ingredients are getting incorporated, and mix another 5-6 minutes by hand or with the stand mixer on low. Your dough should be smooth, tacky, and the butter worked in by the time you're done mixing.3 1/4 (400g) cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- Once your dough has come together, it's important to cover the bowl with plastic and let it rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator to let the gluten rest and bond. This is key to achieving a dough that you can shape, so don't skip this step!
- Optional Overnight Fermentation: If you would like to let this dough cold ferment longer, simply prepare the dough a day ahead and cover and refrigerate overnight. When you're ready to shape your star, remove dough from the fridge and continue with the steps listed below.
Step 2: Shape the Star Bread
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour and salt together with a spatula to form a paste. If the butter is too hard, microwave only 10 seconds (no longer) and mix the ingredients until you have a smooth spreadable paste for the filling of the star.6 (85g) Tbsp unsalted butter, 1/2 (120g) cup brown sugar, 1 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon, 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a cookie baking sheet with parchment. Lightly flour the parchment for later.
- A key to working with this dough is to make sure you flour your clean work surface WELL. If you don't flour your surface and rolling pin and the top and bottom of the dough when rolling it out, it is likely to stick and you'll have a hard time shaping your star.
- Transfer the dough to the floured work surface, and flour the top of the dough and the rolling pin, Divide the dough into 3 equals sections (you can weigh it if you'd like or you can eyeball this).
- Starting with your first dough ball, roll it out to slightly larger than a dinner plate (about a 10 inch circle). If you need, grab a dinner plate and measure to make sure that your dough has been rolled out to the right size. Make sure you keep lightly flouring your dough to avoid sticking. Fold the dough in half and then quarters, and transfer tot he parchment lined baking sheet. Unfold the dough to form the circle on the tray.
- Grab the cinnamon sugar paste you prepared earlier, and spread half of the cinnamon sugar paste on the top of the first circle of dough leaving a 1/2 inch border. For easy spreading, I dropped spoonful's of the paste all over the circle and spread it that way.
- Roll out the second dough ball the same way (don't forget the flour), to about ten inches or the size of your plate you're using as a guide. Transfer the second circle to the top of the first dough circle spread with cinnamon sugar paste. Spread the remaining cinnamon sugar paste on top of the second circle of dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border.
- Repeat the same step with the third dough ball, rolling it out to the same 10 inch circle and transfer the dough to cover the top of the second layer sealing in the cinnamon sugar layer. Using your plate, turn it upside down on your dough and use it as a guide to cut a clean circle using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter.
- Now the fun part, cutting and twisting the star! Place a small star cookie cutter in the center of the circle, or use a small cup or measuring cup (bout 2 inches wide) to make sure you don't cut too far and keep the center intact.
- Using your pizza wheel or a sharp knife, make 4 evenly spaced cuts from the edge of the dough to the center mark, dividing the dough in quarters but leaving the center intact. Cut each of those quarters in half, to create 8 equal wedges. Cut each of those wedges again, stopping at the center mark, to form 16 total strands radiating from the center.
- You should now have 16 evenly sized strips attached to the center circle. perfect for twisting to form your star.
- To twist the star points, take two neighboring strands and twist them away from each other- one to the left and one to the right- making 2 full twists. Pinch the ends together and tuck them under to form one star point. Repeat this step with the remaining strands until you've formed eight points to your star. Don't worry about perfection, the star will puff in the oven and create a beautiful design no matter what!
- Beat 1 egg with 1 Tablespoon of water, and using a pastry brush or a paper towel folded to make a brush apply the egg wash lightly all over the star for a golden finish.1 egg, 1 Tablespoon water
- Transfer the baking sheet with the shaped star to the preheated oven, and bake on the center rack for 30 minutes or until the star is golden brown and the center feels firm to touch. Internal temperature should read between 190-195 F in the center of the star.
- Allow to cool while you prepare the icing.
Step 3: Glaze the Star Bread
- While the star is cooling, we are going to mix up our cream cheese glaze. This really takes this star bread to the next level!
- Make sure your cream cheese and butter are softened, then add them to a medium sized mixing bowl and cream together on high with hand beaters.1 (28g) oz cream cheese, 1 (14g) Tbsp salted butter
- Add the vanilla and salt, and mix in on low. Add the powdered sugar to the icing, and combine on low to mix together. Once the sugar has dissolved, increase the speed to high and cream until the glaze is light and smooth.1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/8 tsp sea salt, 1/2 (60g) cup powdered sugar
- Slowly add milk (or orange juice for a more citrusy flavor) to the glaze one Tablespoon at a time until it runs off the spoon easily and can be drizzled on the star bread. Go slow adding the liquid to make sure you get the consistency you'd like!1-2 Tbsp milk or orange juice
- Drizzle the glaze on the star bread and serve warm!
- Yields 1 star bread
Notes
How to Store:
Room Temperature- Keep star bread in an airtight container at room temp up to 2 days. Gently reheat to enjoy! Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!