Vegan

Scallion Star Bread

by:
December 16, 2020
5
8 Ratings
Scallion Star Bread
Photo by WoonHeng Chia
  • Prep time 1 hour
  • Cook time 27 minutes
  • makes one 10-inch bread
Author Notes

Do you like scallions? Chances are, this year might have been the year where you even grew them on your windowsill or in your garden. Thanks to my husband’s green thumb, we have unlimited supplies of scallions in our yard. Although it’s often used as a garnish, you can definitely make this delightful allium the star of the dish. One of my favorite ways to do this is in scallion pancakes or buns.

Today, I’m using it to make a delicious and flavorful bread that’s crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. In just a few simple steps, your kitchen will be filled with the fragrant aromas of bread and savory scallions in no time. This recipe is so easy that you can even prepare the dough the night before and let it proof in the fridge. Then, you’ll assemble it the next day and bake it for a delicious breakfast meal.

This recipe is my family’s most requested dish; I’ve made it with my kids more than a dozen times already. Since it’s the holiday season, I’ve twisted it into a star (or snowflake!) shape, but you can get creative here.

I hope you give this dish a try and let me know how it goes. Happy Holidays!
—WoonHeng Chia

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the dough
  • 245 grams bread/all-purpose/spelt flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 2/3 cup warm water
  • 1/2 tablespoon vegan butter, softened
  • melted vegan butter for brushing
  • sesame seeds as toppings
  • For scallion mixture
  • 10 stalks of scallions, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons oil
Directions
  1. In a measuring cup, mix sugar and yeast in warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes or until the yeast is foamy.
  2. Place flour, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Add in the yeast mixture and knead into a shaggy dough or until there are no dry spots of flour in the bowl.
  3. Add in 1/2 tablespoon of butter and knead again until incorporated. Cover and let the dough rise until doubled its size.
  4. Prepare the scallion mixture: Meanwhile, place chopped scallions in a bowl along with the flour and salt. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a pot until bubbles form around the chopsticks (about 160°F). Quickly pour it into the scallion mixture, then mix to combine and divide it into 3 parts. Set aside until ready to use.
  5. Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a baking sheet pan.
  6. When the dough has risen, punch it down and transfer it onto a cleaned surface and divide it into 4 equal portions. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each one into a 10" circle and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Spread 1/3 of the scallion mixture on the circle, leaving a 1/2 inch border all around. Top it with the second circle and repeat the same step and end with the last layer of dough. [*Sequence: Dough/Scallion/Dough/Scallion/Dough/Scallion/Dough]
  7. To shape the dough, place a small round saucer (~3"diameter) in the middle as a guide. Using the clock mark as a reference, cut through the dough from the edge of the saucer to the end of the dough circle leaving the dough underneath the saucer uncut to make 16 equal wedges. Remove the saucer. Lift two wedges next to each other and twist away from each other 3 times then pinch the edges tightly to seal so you'll get a pointy end. Repeat until you get 8 combined petals.
  8. Brush the dough with melted vegan butter and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on the middle of the dough. Bake in the preheated oven for about 27 minutes until golden brown. Brush more melted butter once you take it out from the oven before serving.
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See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Jennifer Karp Adrian
    Jennifer Karp Adrian
  • Jennifer Giacoppo
    Jennifer Giacoppo
  • Gravity Goldberg
    Gravity Goldberg
  • WoonHeng Chia
    WoonHeng Chia
WoonHeng Chia

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29 Reviews

Claire
Claire May 11, 2024
Why are you adding baking soda and yeast together?
Isn’t it counterproductive?
 
Rebecca F.
Rebecca F. January 9, 2021
This was absolutely delicious! My bread didn't rise quite as much, but it might be that my apartment is always freezing and I don't know if it properly proofed. I served this with a sauce made of soy sauce, sambal chili paste, toasted sesame oil, and a touch of maple syrup. Wow!
 
WoonHeng C.
WoonHeng C. January 10, 2021
That's awesome, Rebecca. I'm really happy to hear you loved the recipe. If the dough has proofed to at least double its original size, it is good enough. Or you can let the dough have a second proof once you braid the sides. Hope that helps and thanks again for giving this recipe a try! :-)
 
Ana B.
Ana B. December 31, 2020
This is an exceptional recipe - as a newbie baker (though I cook a lot) it was easy to follow and it turned out great! It's a very forgiving recipe for people who don't bake a lot, that's for sure. The only trouble I had was with the center, which seemed undercooked at worst and soggy at best. Would that have been due to uneven distribution of the scallion mix? I sprinkled z'atar on the center instead of plain sesame seeds and it worked great. Will make many more times, that's for sure. What are other "fillings" that can be used?
 
WoonHeng C.
WoonHeng C. December 31, 2020
Hello again Ana, thanks so much for your wonderful feedback and I'm so happy to hear that it turned out well for you. To avoid the middle part being too thick, you can spread the scallion mixture away from the middle a little. Also, you can make the middle circle smaller. I used a small saucer as my guide and tried not to press it down when I made my 16 wedges. Za'atar is so delicious and you can use it as a filling as well. Other savory fillings options include; pesto, other herbs, and garlic. You can make it into cinnamon and sugar too. :-) Enjoy and thanks again!
 
Ana B.
Ana B. December 31, 2020
This is an exceptional recipe - as a newbie baker (though I cook a lot) it was easy to follow and it turned out great! It's a very forgiving recipe for people who don't bake a lot, that's for sure. The only trouble I had was with the center, which seemed undercooked at worst and soggy at best. Would that have been due to uneven distribution of the scallion mix? I sprinkled z'atar on the center instead of plain sesame seeds and it worked great. Will make many more times, that's for sure. What are other "fillings" that can be used?
 
Jennifer K.
Jennifer K. December 20, 2020
My son and I were so excited to make this recipe yesterday. But had some trouble with knowing how much flour to add. We converted grams to cups by using the google and got several different measurements. Our dough came out very sticky. We had to add flour as we went to quarter dough and roll out. In the end it all worked out! I should have read the comments before we started. To see the 2 cup suggestion. This is probably what we ended up adding :) Ours was gone soon after it came out of the oven!
 
WoonHeng C.
WoonHeng C. December 20, 2020
Many thanks for sharing your feedback. I'm so glad it worked out in the end. Each brand of flour weighs a little bit different when converting to cups and some do provide their own conversion online. I'm so glad it worked for you and many thanks for giving this recipe a try. All the best, WoonHeng
 
Jennifer G.
Jennifer G. December 19, 2020
This bread was absolutely wonderful. Simple to prepare, flavorful, and a feast for the eyes with this pretty pattern! It bakes up crispy and crunchy on the outside, but soft and layered on the inside. Definitely a must-bake for anytime you feel like something special! Next time I try it, I think I will put sesame seeds on the twists as well, just because their toast flavor is such a nice pairing. Thank you WoonHeng!
 
Dbajmf
Dbajmf December 20, 2020
Agree with the sesame!
 
WoonHeng C.
WoonHeng C. December 20, 2020
Yay! Many many thanks for taking your time to write this wonderful review. I'm really happy you loved it and how amazing yours turned out to be. It's a great idea to put sesame seeds inside too, sounds yum. If you feel like the sesame seeds are sliding off after you bake it, you can dab some water on the top before adding the sesame seeds, it will help them stay. Then, bake it as usual :-) Many thanks Jennifer and happy holidays to you. Best, WoonHeng
 
Gravity G.
Gravity G. December 18, 2020
Made this today and used up all the windowsill scallions. :) Incredible. So delish. Hubs and I ate it with a big salad and only felt nominally guilty about wolfing all that bread.
 
WoonHeng C.
WoonHeng C. December 18, 2020
Many thanks for your wonderful feedback. It's definitely a good recipe to use all the herbs. :-) Have a wonderful one. Best, WoonHeng
 
WoonHeng C.
WoonHeng C. December 18, 2020
Thanks sooo much for your wonderful feedback. So glad you liked the recipe and it's indeed a great one to use all the herbs. :-) Many thanks and have a beautiful day!
 
Dbajmf
Dbajmf December 18, 2020
I’m going to try this in the morning! What do you make to go with it? Do you dip it or eat it alone?

Thanks so much!!
 
WoonHeng C.
WoonHeng C. December 18, 2020
Awesome, thanks very much! It's quite savory as-is but I did serve mine with chili sauce. Hope that helps and Happy cooking!
 
christine
christine December 18, 2020
Just made this. Mine is not as pretty as the picture but it is oh so good! I used regular butter and seems to be just fine. I see a lot of options for both savory and sweet creations. Thank you for posting!
 
WoonHeng C.
WoonHeng C. December 18, 2020
Yay!! I'm sure it looks amazing. Thank you so much for sharing your feedback and comment. Wish I could see it too. Yes, lots of amazing options online too, sweet, and different savory flavors. :-) Many thanks again. Happy holidays!
 
Jennifer G.
Jennifer G. December 18, 2020
Hi there! Just wanted to confirm — the bread is only three layers? (Dough/scallions/dough/scallions/dough?) The Instagram video appears to be only three and I wasn’t sure based on the recipe :) Can’t wait to make this!!
 
WoonHeng C.
WoonHeng C. December 18, 2020
Hello there, thanks so much for reaching out. It will have three layers of scallions, (dough/scallion/dough/scallion/dough/scallion/dough). I can only show part of it due to the time limit. :-) I can't wait to see your creation too and thank you for giving it a try. Happy holidays! :-)
 
WoonHeng C.
WoonHeng C. December 18, 2020
I've also updated the sequence, thanks for the feedback again. Best, WoonHeng
 
Jennifer G.
Jennifer G. December 19, 2020
Thank you so much for your explanation and thoughtfulness! It’s so beautiful and can’t wait to try it, will report back!!
 
WoonHeng C.
WoonHeng C. December 19, 2020
No problem at all. Hope you like it and can't wait to hear it. Have a beautiful weekend. :-)
 
Jennifer G.
Jennifer G. December 19, 2020
This. Bread. Was. Awesome!!! Will post a separate review, thank you so much!!!
 
WoonHeng C.
WoonHeng C. December 20, 2020
Thanks sooo much!! You are the best! Happy holidays. Best, WoonHeng
 
Michelle
Michelle December 17, 2020
Hi- could you give me a cup measurement for flour? I do not have a scale (yet)! Thx!
 
WoonHeng C.
WoonHeng C. December 17, 2020
Hello Michelle, thanks for reaching out. It's equivalent to 2 cups, please air or 'fluff' the flour when measuring it. The best method is to spoon and level the cup or use a pyrex measuring cup. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions at all. Happy cooking! Best, WoonHeng
 
some1105
some1105 December 17, 2020
I’d love to give this a try, but don’t have vegan butter. Does anyone know whether regular butter or another oil would work?
 
WoonHeng C.
WoonHeng C. December 17, 2020
Hello there, that's a great question. It should work. :-)