Cranberry Orange Star Bread

Name: Cranberry Orange Star Bread
Ingredients: 3/4 cup warm milk; 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast; 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened; 1 large egg, room temperature; 1 large orange, zested; 1 teaspoon salt; 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 cups fresh cranberries, roughly chopped; 2 tablespoons orange juice; 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped; 1 egg yolk; 1 tablespoon milk; powdered sugar for dusting

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One of our favorite breads to make for the holidays is the Star Bread - it’s versatile, impressive, and always stunning.

Ingredients

For the dough:

3/4 cup warm milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg, room temperature
1 large orange, zested
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

For the cranberry filling:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups fresh cranberries, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

For brushing:

1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon milk
powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

In a large bowl, combine warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Stir and let rest for 5–10 minutes to activate the yeast. Add the butter, egg, orange zest, and salt. Mix until combined.
Add the flour gradually and mix until a soft dough forms.
Dump the dough out onto a clean flat surface and knead by hand until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low and add the cranberries. Cook until slightly softened, about 4 minutes.
Stir in the orange juice, sugar, and rosemary and cook until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Divide the risen dough into 4 equal parts and shape each into a ball.
Lay a piece of parchment paper down on a flat surface and trace a 10-inch circle as a guide. Flip the parchment paper ink side down, place one dough ball on top, then roll out to the 10-inch guide and about 1/4 inch thick.
Carefully transfer the dough to a parchment paper lined baking sheet then spread 2-3 tablespoons of the cranberry filling on top leaving a 1/2 inch border.
Place another dough ball on the parchment with a circle and roll out repeating step 10 two more times.
Roll out the last layer of dough and place on top of the other layers.
Place a 3-inch round cookie cutter in the center of the dough layers. Using a knife, cut 16 even strips around the dough circle from the cutter to the edge.
Using your hands, pick up two adjacent strips and twist them away from each other twice, then pinch the ends together neatly. Repeat for the remaining strips of dough and you will end up with 8 pairs of strips.
Remove the cutter, cover the star and let rise for 30 minutes, or until slightly puffy.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Brush the star dough with the egg wash and bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown.
When done baking, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes. When the star bread is cool to the touch, carefully transfer it to a serving platter and dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm.