Christmas
Cheese and Herb Star Bread
Popular on Food52
95 Reviews
Deb
December 25, 2021
Made it for Christmas breakfast for a change from sweet things (although I've also seen a recipe for a cinnamon & sugar star bread that looks great too). Anyway this came out great and it's so pretty. Wish a pic could be attached. Instead of the spices in filling, I used Everything Bagel seasoning which had garlic, onion, sesame, poppy seeds and salt. I added a little rosemary and thyme but not as much as the recipe. I think next time might add Italian seasoning mix with the Everything Bagel mix. I also sprinkled a little parsley on the top after the egg brush.
One reason I'm submitting the review was that I found the baking time to be too short. At 15 minutes it wasn't even close to looking golden and done. I kept adding 5 minutes and it ended up being closer to 1/2 hour. (I have a separate thermometer in my oven so I knew the oven temp was fine.) The top ended up being the glossy dark golden and it was finished inside but not dry.
I also recommend using a sheet pan with all 4 sides - I used a cookie sheet that was flat with just the one raised edge, and some of the melting butter filling dripped right off the pan. Next time will contain that. And there will be a next time!
One reason I'm submitting the review was that I found the baking time to be too short. At 15 minutes it wasn't even close to looking golden and done. I kept adding 5 minutes and it ended up being closer to 1/2 hour. (I have a separate thermometer in my oven so I knew the oven temp was fine.) The top ended up being the glossy dark golden and it was finished inside but not dry.
I also recommend using a sheet pan with all 4 sides - I used a cookie sheet that was flat with just the one raised edge, and some of the melting butter filling dripped right off the pan. Next time will contain that. And there will be a next time!
Deb
December 25, 2021
PS I also saw all the discussion in the comments about the milk ingredient confusion. I used the 3/4 cup and an extra 3 tablespoons of milk. It's one tablespoon shy of a full cup, or maybe one of the Food52 editor can add 15 tablespoons of milk in parentheses or something to clarify.
Kayla R.
November 23, 2020
I made this today with 1/2 c goat cheese and 1/2 c mango chutney mixed together for the filling. Topped it with flaky garlic sea salt before baking and it was pretty tasty!
Also noticed the new CSS bug on the milk amount! It looked better when I had the ingredient list emailed to me.
Also noticed the new CSS bug on the milk amount! It looked better when I had the ingredient list emailed to me.
Chere F.
August 5, 2020
Has someone hacked your recipe page? I see "3/4 cup" without an ingredient listed beside it and then 3 tablespoons lukewarm whole milk.
Is it 3/4 and 3 Tbs milk? Or is there an ingredient missing?
Puzzled!
---------------------Recipe notes
For the dough
3/4 cup
3 tablespoons lukewarm whole milk
--------------------Recipes continues
2 cups all-purpose flour (240 grams)
Is it 3/4 and 3 Tbs milk? Or is there an ingredient missing?
Puzzled!
---------------------Recipe notes
For the dough
3/4 cup
3 tablespoons lukewarm whole milk
--------------------Recipes continues
2 cups all-purpose flour (240 grams)
infoedge
December 15, 2020
And this is an excellent reason for using weights rather than volume measures!
DisgruntledBaker
April 12, 2020
Dear Posie,
I will have you know that I am rather unsatisfied by the quality of instructions provided. You failed to mention that it should be placed on parchment paper during the twisting, and due to this my bread went for looking like a star to looking like an octopus that had been hit by a car. Your seeming lack of foresight when writing the insturctions has left me very disappointed. You have just lost my business for the forseable futuee. I hope you regret your feeble attempt at sabotaging my bread.
Good day to you, and goodbye
I will have you know that I am rather unsatisfied by the quality of instructions provided. You failed to mention that it should be placed on parchment paper during the twisting, and due to this my bread went for looking like a star to looking like an octopus that had been hit by a car. Your seeming lack of foresight when writing the insturctions has left me very disappointed. You have just lost my business for the forseable futuee. I hope you regret your feeble attempt at sabotaging my bread.
Good day to you, and goodbye
W J.
April 12, 2020
Hilarious!
Disgruntled Baker you gave me a laugh for not only cannot you spell or maybe type ("insturctions," "futuee"), you don't read well either. Vide supra: "5 Place the first circle of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet."
Nonetheless, I loved your picturesque description that your "bread went for [from] looking like a star to looking like an octopus that had been hit by a car." Gee, but I wish we had a picture!
If you baked it in the end, I hope that it tasted sweeter than your sour words. Stay safe and bake on!
Disgruntled Baker you gave me a laugh for not only cannot you spell or maybe type ("insturctions," "futuee"), you don't read well either. Vide supra: "5 Place the first circle of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet."
Nonetheless, I loved your picturesque description that your "bread went for [from] looking like a star to looking like an octopus that had been hit by a car." Gee, but I wish we had a picture!
If you baked it in the end, I hope that it tasted sweeter than your sour words. Stay safe and bake on!
Kellia B.
December 17, 2019
Yum! I used almond flour instead of potato since I didn't have any and used fresh herbs instead. Also, skipped the inside egg wash since so many folks had a difficult time with it and went with butter (used only 1/3 c)/herb/cheese combo with egg wash on top - it turned out great! I used a bit more flour since the dough seemed very wet when kneading by hand. Overall a great recipe :)
Änneken
December 25, 2017
This was awesome! Having read a lot of the comments below I decided to halve the rosemary. As I didn't want the cheese to overpower the herbs I think I only ended up using 1/3 cup of cheese (in the end though I should have added more rosemary as it was barely discernible). For the garlic I used smoked garlic powder and that added awesome flavor. With regards to the butter: I made sure it was very, very soft. After I brushed the dough with egg I put it outside (Minnesota in December) for a couple of minutes and that helped a lot. The final result: Totally delicious & beautiful!!
Jessica R.
December 24, 2017
Thanks Barbara. I decided to bake it and will warm it tomorrow for Christmas dinner. This bread was a huge hit a couple of years ago when I made it!
Barbara P.
December 23, 2017
I haven't tried storing the bread in the fridge before baking but I don't see why that shouldn't work. Just give it a final rise after taking it out of the fridge before it goes into the hot oven
Jessica R.
December 23, 2017
After I've assembled the the layers of dough with the egg and herb/butter mixture, can I store it in the refrigerator for 24 hours so I can cook it closer to serving? Or am I better off backing it and letting it cool and then covering it warming it before serving after 24 hours? Thanks!
W J.
December 22, 2017
Many have commented on the difficulty of spreading the herb-butter mix over an egg washed dough surface. When I made this, I had no difficulty at all. Here is what I did.
After the dough was made and had risen for more than an hour, I weighed my dough (528 g) and using a pastry scraper cut it into four equal pieces of 132 grams each. I rolled each portion out 10" circles on a silicone mat (no additional flour needed) using a silicone covered roller. I transferred a disk of dough to a parchment lined baking pan.
I added the herbs to the butter, which I first melted. I lightly egg washed a dough layer. Next I spooned on the liquefied butter-herb mixture, which was easily spread with the back of the spoon. I sprinkled on the cheese, and added the next dough layer, etc. This process for each layer is much like assembling a small pizza.
After allowing the assembled dough-cheese-herb layers to rise for about 20 minutes at room temperature, I put the pan into the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes. This re-solidified the butter layers. Otherwise it would have been messy, if not impossible, to cut and twist in the next step.
I then placed my 2 inch glass in the middle and made the cuts straight down with a pastry scraper then dragged the point edge of the scraper through the dough from the center to the edge of the dough disks in order to make sure each cut was clean through. I cut it first into 3rds, then each 3rd in two to form 6ths, and each 6th into 12ths. This gave me six arms for my star, when fully twisted and paired together. Easy peasy.
I gently pried up each arm from the parchment, twisted as per the recipe, formed the arms, egg washed the whole thing, and baked the still cool, but not cold, piece at 400°F for 18 minutes. In order to get the center to fully cook, I covered the top with foil to slow browning after about 12-14 minutes.
I took pictures of the cutting process and before and after baking, but I see no ready way to share those in this message by attaching them.
Wonderful. I used Pecorino Romano as per the recipe, but I believe the next time I make it I will cut back on the rosemary and thyme by half for a more balanced blend of flavors. A little rosemary goes a long way.
I used half and half instead of milk in my first attempt at this and ended up having to add 30 g or a wee bit more than an ounce of water to get the dough to form properly.
I will make this again soon with different cheeses and less rosemary and thyme. I also plan to make it again using cinnamon, cardamom, and sugar/sucralose instead of cheese and herbs as Ms. Pauly has suggested.
I recorded the weights of the ingredients as I assembled the dough and the filling. Weights are a lot easier, quicker, and more accurate than volume measurements:
Dough:
Milk 132 g (3/4 cup + 3 tbsp)
All purpose flour 240 g (2 cups)
butter 57 g (1/4 cup)
active dry yeast 5 g (2 1/4 tsp)
sugar <1 g (1/4 tsp)
salt 5 g (1 tsp)
potato flour 49 g (1/4 cup)
Filling:
dried rosemary 4 g (2 tbsp)
grated Pecorino Romano 81 g (~3/4 cup)
dried thyme 3 g (1 tbsp)
garlic powder <1 g (1/4 tsp)
butter 114 g (1/2 cup)
salt 1 g (1/4 tsp)
After the dough was made and had risen for more than an hour, I weighed my dough (528 g) and using a pastry scraper cut it into four equal pieces of 132 grams each. I rolled each portion out 10" circles on a silicone mat (no additional flour needed) using a silicone covered roller. I transferred a disk of dough to a parchment lined baking pan.
I added the herbs to the butter, which I first melted. I lightly egg washed a dough layer. Next I spooned on the liquefied butter-herb mixture, which was easily spread with the back of the spoon. I sprinkled on the cheese, and added the next dough layer, etc. This process for each layer is much like assembling a small pizza.
After allowing the assembled dough-cheese-herb layers to rise for about 20 minutes at room temperature, I put the pan into the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes. This re-solidified the butter layers. Otherwise it would have been messy, if not impossible, to cut and twist in the next step.
I then placed my 2 inch glass in the middle and made the cuts straight down with a pastry scraper then dragged the point edge of the scraper through the dough from the center to the edge of the dough disks in order to make sure each cut was clean through. I cut it first into 3rds, then each 3rd in two to form 6ths, and each 6th into 12ths. This gave me six arms for my star, when fully twisted and paired together. Easy peasy.
I gently pried up each arm from the parchment, twisted as per the recipe, formed the arms, egg washed the whole thing, and baked the still cool, but not cold, piece at 400°F for 18 minutes. In order to get the center to fully cook, I covered the top with foil to slow browning after about 12-14 minutes.
I took pictures of the cutting process and before and after baking, but I see no ready way to share those in this message by attaching them.
Wonderful. I used Pecorino Romano as per the recipe, but I believe the next time I make it I will cut back on the rosemary and thyme by half for a more balanced blend of flavors. A little rosemary goes a long way.
I used half and half instead of milk in my first attempt at this and ended up having to add 30 g or a wee bit more than an ounce of water to get the dough to form properly.
I will make this again soon with different cheeses and less rosemary and thyme. I also plan to make it again using cinnamon, cardamom, and sugar/sucralose instead of cheese and herbs as Ms. Pauly has suggested.
I recorded the weights of the ingredients as I assembled the dough and the filling. Weights are a lot easier, quicker, and more accurate than volume measurements:
Dough:
Milk 132 g (3/4 cup + 3 tbsp)
All purpose flour 240 g (2 cups)
butter 57 g (1/4 cup)
active dry yeast 5 g (2 1/4 tsp)
sugar <1 g (1/4 tsp)
salt 5 g (1 tsp)
potato flour 49 g (1/4 cup)
Filling:
dried rosemary 4 g (2 tbsp)
grated Pecorino Romano 81 g (~3/4 cup)
dried thyme 3 g (1 tbsp)
garlic powder <1 g (1/4 tsp)
butter 114 g (1/2 cup)
salt 1 g (1/4 tsp)
Barbara P.
December 22, 2017
I made this twice, once with green and red pesto instead of the filling suggested in this recipe and once with Nutella/chocolate spread and some chopped nuts as the sweet version. This was delicious too. One could also do a sugar-cinnamon filling so that it resembles cinnamon rolls. It looks hard to assemble, but it is actually super simple to make and is stunning for a party! There are also videos on youtube on how to make it (just look for nutella star bread). I highly recommend trying this recipe.
JHunt
December 16, 2017
Just made this with my kiddos....super easy and delicious! We did a double batch and made 2 on a sheet pan...it needed 3 extra minutes in the oven because of that. We dipped in marinara, and it was superb! Also, did not egg wash the layers as suggested by other commenters, just the tops.
W J.
November 30, 2017
The instructions say to cut the bread into 16 pieces and twist in pairs to form an 8 pointed star. But the photo shows a loaf cut into 12 pieces, then twisted to form a 6 pointed star. What am I missing here?
Of course, either way would work, as it is just an appearance thing, though the 6 pointed star may take a wee bit longer to bake owing to thicker arms. The 8 pointed version as described in the recipe offers an advantage if one is serving this to a number of guests. It will probably last a few moments longer as people break or cut off the arms giving more people a chance to sample it.
Of course, either way would work, as it is just an appearance thing, though the 6 pointed star may take a wee bit longer to bake owing to thicker arms. The 8 pointed version as described in the recipe offers an advantage if one is serving this to a number of guests. It will probably last a few moments longer as people break or cut off the arms giving more people a chance to sample it.
Posie (.
November 30, 2017
Thanks for pointing that out! You can do either. I prefer more slices and thinner points to the star but you can also just do twelve cuts and 6 points. It won’t affect the method or baking time!
Pam K.
February 17, 2017
I'm just starting to bake with yeast and have a question about kneading dough in mixer. I mix ingredients together on low "2" but how high should I go when actually kneading the dough?
krikri
January 17, 2016
Lazy me's version: store-bought pastries (I only used 2). I smooshed garlic, butter, and herbs and smeared it over the egg (not easy, but ok once I resigned myself to it not spreading like it would on bread). Then sprinkled grated cheese (whatever was in the fridge). The fun part was the crafty part - cutting and twisting (note to self: cut in quarters, then cut each quarter in half, then each of those again... Don't ask). Egg wash on top, poppy seeds. Yum.
athena
January 6, 2016
I have now made this a a couple of times, the last time I used only feta and oregano for the filing, instead of pecorino cheese. Delicious!
Maureen M.
December 26, 2015
The egg wash made it difficult for me to spread the filling hard for me as well - but it was delicious and everyone liked it!
Zsuzsa
December 26, 2015
Allie,
I had the same issue with the egg wash - it made spreading the filling rather difficult. So after the first layer, I did not do the egg wash under the filling, and it was much easier. I only spread some of the egg wash on top, and that is how I will make it next time. It is a great recipe, thought, everyone loved it.
I had the same issue with the egg wash - it made spreading the filling rather difficult. So after the first layer, I did not do the egg wash under the filling, and it was much easier. I only spread some of the egg wash on top, and that is how I will make it next time. It is a great recipe, thought, everyone loved it.
allie.carr
December 23, 2015
I made this for a work party and it was snatched up so quickly! Everyone loved it! Has anyone tried it without the egg wash in the middle? I had a hard time spreading the herb butter on top of the egg so it wasn't evenly spread. Thankfully, it didn't affect the flavor at all. Thanks!
Violetsnake
December 29, 2015
I skipped the egg wash in the middle because it made spreading the butter mixture very difficult. Didn't notice the skip, and used the egg wash on top layer only.
Jacquie
December 21, 2015
Made it for a Christmas celebration yesterday. It's a lot easier than it sounds. A silicone mat for rolling makes it really easy.
Nicole L.
December 20, 2015
I made this bread for a Christmas gathering and it was so delicious! I was wondering if you knew how I should adjust the recipe or instructions at high altitude. I would love to make this again next week while I am up in the mountains with family.
kathi
December 19, 2015
Loved this bread. It was a huge hit at our dinner club Christmas Party. Used fresh herbs. Easier than I thought it would be. Will make for Christmas dinner also.
Jen W.
December 16, 2015
have you ever tried making a vegan version of this? I can have an idea of how to substitute the milk, cheese, and butter, What about the egg? Is it crucial for the layering? Thanks
Posie (.
December 16, 2015
It's not crucial -- you could brush with water. But I can't vouch for the texture or flavor of the bread if you skip the milk and butter!
Jen W.
January 2, 2016
I make a vegan version substituting cashew milk and coconut oil for the milk and butter. I brushed a lemon olive oil on top instead of the egg. I made my own filling, one a tart cranberry sauce and one with vegan pesto. The first time I made both vegan and non-vegan dough and actually liked the vegan version better, so I have been making the vegan dough even when I don't make a vegan filling. Hope this helps others who want to adapt the recipe.
Terri R.
December 15, 2015
Thank you Posie. I agree fresh is best but I would love to serve this for out Christmas dinner but there's no time for baking those last couple days. Would have to make ahead, freeze and then warm before dinner.
Dana S.
December 15, 2015
Posie, is this the same dough recipe you would use for your moms cinnamon rolls? If so could you please post the amounts of the filling? Thank you
Posie (.
December 15, 2015
It's not actually! She uses a more classic cinnamon roll recipe -- I'll have to ask her for it and I'll post it on my website when I do (600acres.com) because it is very, very good! But I'd suggest trying this recipe to start if you want to make cinnamon rolls: https://food52.com/recipes/35301-cinnamon-rolls
Dana S.
December 15, 2015
Yes, I will, it sounds delicious. I love cinnamon rolls and would like to make them like this for Christmas morning. Thank you
Terri R.
December 14, 2015
I asked before but didn't get a response. Can you make and bake this ahead of time and freeze it? Will it be as good?
Posie (.
December 15, 2015
Sorry Terri! You could absolutely make it ahead and freeze it. Personally, I think nothing in the world beats freshly made bread, but I think it'll still be pretty darn good. Enjoy!
Robin R.
December 14, 2015
I have never made bread before so I was a little nervous, but I made it this weekend and it turned out beautifully! Everyone loved it and I will be making it again for the holidays.
Tommy L.
December 13, 2015
ok, it cut it off. Here's the link: https://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=mcafee&type=C111US714D20131128&p=herb+star+bread+folding+instructions
Tommy L.
December 13, 2015
I agree, process photos would be good, but then again, we do have the internet. Since I'm a visual learner, I decided there might be something onine to illustrate preparation and the folding of the bread. Alas, youtube never fails to providehttps://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=mcafee&type=C111US714D20131128&p=herb+star+bread+folding+instructions
Sam I.
December 13, 2015
Has any "Rookie", like me, made this? Is it doable? How about the savory taste?
atriviale
December 14, 2015
I have never baked any kind of bread before and I made it twice this weekend. It was relatively easy and very worth the effort. I like the seasoning but the second time I made it using half the amount of butter for the filling and only a tablespoon of rosemary (there was a lot of butter left on the baking sheet the first time I made it and the original quantity of rosemary seemed to have a numbing effect on my tongue which admittedly probably wouldn't happen to everyone). I will definitely make it again!
Violetsnake
December 29, 2015
I found that the butter ran all over my pan, so the next time I added one to two tablespoons of flour to the butter mixture and it worked wonderfully. I also made a fifth layer with the scrap dough, and used a quarter of the filling on each layer topped with the the extra dough layer. Wonderful. Hit of all three parties I took it to.
Terri R.
December 13, 2015
Any chance you could bake this- then freeze for later consumption? Would love to serve this with my Christmas Lasagna.
elaine
December 12, 2015
How much mashed potato or potato flakes should I put in place of the potato flour?
Sam1148
December 10, 2015
Can corn starch be subbed for Potato Flour?
Violetsnake
December 29, 2015
I just used regular flour for that 1/4 cup. It works just fine. We are in a small city without those close at hand specialty flours.
Melissa M.
December 10, 2015
Are we supposed to brush egg over the dough on each layer before herb/cheese filling or just on the first layer?
RaquelG
December 10, 2015
If I subbed fresh herbs for dried, would I need to reduce the amounts? Also, what do you think about parbaking for 10 minutes, then transporting and finishing baking later (within 24 hours)? Going to Mom's for Christmas dinner, and I think this would be a stunner, but I know all her ovens will be occupied :)
Posie (.
December 10, 2015
You'll want to increase the amounts if you use fresh, as they are less potent than dried. I'm not sure about par-baking since the baking time is so short as is (only 15 minutes). I'd recommend just fully baking it and popping it in the oven briefly to reheat.
Tommy L.
December 13, 2015
good rule of thumb for using fresh vs. dried herbs is 1 teaspoon of dried is about 1 tablespoon of fresh. It's dehydration (water content of the fresh) that makes the difference.
ruthy
December 10, 2015
Can I bake this on my pizza stone?
Posie (.
December 10, 2015
Yes, for sure! I used a parchment-lined baking sheet but a pizza stone should be good. I'd dust it with a little semolina beforehand to make sure it doesn't stick at all.
Nicole B.
December 24, 2015
Just a word of warning...if you cook this on a pizza stone, make sure to put something underneath it to catch any drippings. I cooked this today on a pizza stone and much of the butter in the filling melted, dripped off the pizza stone and burned on the bottom of the oven, filling the house with smoke! Luckily the bread was just about done at this point so it was still edible and delicious (though, as my brother put it, had a bit of a grilled taste).
Michael W.
December 10, 2015
Any thoughts on using Whole Wheat flour in place of AP?
Posie (.
December 10, 2015
I wouldn't recommend swapping the entire amount of AP for whole wheat. You could try white whole wheat if you wanted to do that, or I'd try a mix of AP and whole wheat -- when I fiddle with a recipe that way, I usually start by replacing 25% of the AP with whole wheat, seeing how I like it, and then trying again with a little more until I reach the right place. All whole wheat will likely make it too dense.
geetavora
December 10, 2015
I don't get potato flour here , what else can I add. It looks amazing and I really want to make , Thanks..:)
Posie (.
December 10, 2015
You can try either potato flakes, if you can get your hands on them, or leftover mashed potato. You can also just leave out the potato starch altogether and add a bit more AP flour (I've tried this and it worked just fine, the bread will just be slightly less tender). Good luck!
Beth
December 9, 2015
This looks amazing! Do you have any suggestions for making and shaping the dough ahead of time?
Posie (.
December 10, 2015
Here's the thing: I haven't tried doing it ahead of time. I definitely think you could but I would be cautious about shaping it ahead of time because the filling is soft and I think it might affect the texture of the dough right around the filling in a negative way (make it too squishy?). If you want to make it ahead, I'd make the dough until step 2, and let it rise in the refrigerator instead of at room temperature until you're ready to use it. Then continue on with the recipe. You could also try fully shaping it, and freezing it, then baking it straight from the freezer (again, haven't tried this but I think it would work! Just add a few minutes to the baking time.).
Sam1148
December 8, 2015
If any recipe needs a full "how to" photo layout this one does.
Posie (.
December 8, 2015
I'm on it! Will add in some process photos and there's an article coming this week that shows more detail. Stay tuned!
LobsterBrieAvocadoBreath
December 9, 2015
Very keen to try this - looking forward to the "play-by-play"!
Sam1148
December 9, 2015
I see it now. The little pairs of 'wings' are twisted in opposite directions. Very nice.
Shannon
December 8, 2015
This looks amazing - can't wait to make it!
Any thoughts on substitutes for potato flour? More AP flour? Potato starch??
Any thoughts on substitutes for potato flour? More AP flour? Potato starch??
Posie (.
December 8, 2015
Potato starch definitely works and I haven't tried AP flour but i think it would be okay -- just pay attention to the moisture and make sure the dough doesn't get too dry.
Shannon
December 14, 2015
Had a great start, though I think there are some tweaks I'll need to try. Potato starch worked just fine, I think, though I did find that the dough was unworkably wet to begin with - I wound up adding about an extra 1/2 cup of flour to bring it to a more dough-like consistency. Also, I think I'll cut back on the butter next time - a lot of it melted all over the baking sheet (though the bread was delicious!) Finally, I had some complaints about the twig-like quality of the dried rosemary, so I'll try it out with finely chopped fresh herbs next time.
Overall, a fantastic recipe, though, and I'm excited to try it again!
Overall, a fantastic recipe, though, and I'm excited to try it again!
horseradish
December 8, 2015
This is lovely - but some process photos would be super duper helpful...!
tamater S.
December 27, 2015
I was thinking the same thing. Or better yet, a video clip would be grrrreat!
See what other Food52ers are saying.