Love Nutella? Check out our simple Nutella crescent rolls and Nutella bread toast recipe.
About the recipe
Nutella star bread is one of the best bread that you can bake for holiday breakfast, brunch, and dessert. A total crowd-pleaser. But the bread is so tasty and easy to make that you don’t have to wait for the Christmas holidays to make this star bread. You should try this braided bread whenever you have a sweet craving or want to make something quick but still beautiful and appetizing for a family get-together. This braided bread is proof that fancy-looking bread is not always difficult to make at home. Bake one today in your kitchen! Check out our savory cranberry pull-part bread, Christmas tree pull-apart bread, and brown butter cinnamon rolls.
Ingredients
Yeast: I always use active dry yeast 7g sachet ( 2 ¼ tsp) while making bread recipes. Whole milk: Makes your bread rich and delicious. Butter: I prefer unsalted and melted butter. If using salted ones, reduce the amount of salt you add to the dough. Flour: I have used plain all-purpose flour in this recipe Nutella: Any hazelnut spread will work. You can also try this recipe with the trending Lotus biscoff spread. See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Step-by-step instructions
Making the dough for star bread
In a large mixing bowl, add warm milk and sprinkle the yeast. Leave this undisturbed for 10 minutes. Let the yeast activate. To this, add melted butter, sugar, egg, and mix. On top of this, add flour in increments along with salt and knead for 10 to 12 minutes to form a smooth and elastic dough. (I like to knead bread dough using my hands- good workout!! You can also use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment for this step) Transfer this to a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let it rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
How to shape or braid star bread with Nutella filling?
Punch down the risen dough to a floured surface and divide it into four equal portions. Meanwhile, melt the Nutella in the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds so that it is easier to spread. Roll out one portion of dough into a 10 -12 inch circle. Transfer this to parchment paper lined on a baking pan or to a silicon mat. Using a spoon or knife, spread a thin layer of Nutella leaving a ½-inch border. Roll the second portion of the dough into a circle again. Place it on the previous layer and spread the Nutella.
Repeat the procedure for the third portion of the dough. Roll the last portion of dough and place it on top. Trim the ends of the dough to create a clean circle (we can bake this excess dough separately) Place a small bowl or cookie cutter at the center of the dough as a reference. Leaving the center intact (portion covered by the bowl), use a sharp knife or pizza cutter and divide the layered dough into quarters. Divide each quarter into half and repeat until you have 16 equal parts.
Take two neighboring strips, one in each hand, twist them twice in opposite directions of each other(away from each other), and then pinch the ends together. Repeat this for all 16 parts. At the end, you will have eight beautiful flower petals or pointed stars. Remove the bowl, cover this braided bread with a kitchen towel, and let it rest for about 20- 25 minutes.
Bake the braided star-shaped Nutella bread
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. If the points of the star have separated while rising, pinch them again together. In a bowl, beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the risen star bread with egg wash all over. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. If the bread turns brown faster, then cover it with aluminum foil for 15 minutes and continue baking. Let the bread cool for 10 minutes Serve warm, and enjoy.
Tips
For the excess dough, I shaped it into concentric circles and sprinkled a mixture of sugar and cinnamon powder, and baked it along with the braided bread. While adding the milk, make sure it is warm, around 110 degrees F. If the milk is too hot, it will kill the yeast, and using cold milk will not let the yeast activate. The bread will become dense if you add too much flour. So start with 3 cups of flour and then add slowly in increments as needed to form smooth elastic dough. How to store the bread? This star bread tastes the best when served warm and fresh. If there are any leftovers, store them in an airtight conatiner in the refrigerator for three days. Reheat in the microwave for 15 seconds before serving. You can also freeze any leftovers for two months in a ziplock bag or airtight container.
Make ahead instructions
Once you finish kneading the bread dough, cover it in plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. The day you want to serve the bread, remove the dough from the fridge an hour before you want to bake it, and follow the remaining instructions. You can also knead and freeze the dough. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then follow the recipe.
Star bread filling ideas
Love nut butter over Nutella? Then add peanut, almond, or any nut butter between the layers. Are you trying this bread during the fall season? Use pumpkin butter or apple butter. Making this star bread for Christmas? Then in a bowl, mix cinnamon powder and sugar. Spread between layers with some butter. Finally, top it with confectioners sugar to get the snow effect. You can use your favorite jam, jelly, or even chai spice or pumpkin spice between layers. Love savory star bread? Try tomato sauce, herbs, cheese, pesto, or cream cheese.
More Nutella recipes
Did you like this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Recipe card
