Chocolate Spread Star Bread Recipe (Step by Step)

Chocolate Spread Star Bread looks beautiful and is deliciously indulgent. Although it might look complicated, it’s actually very easy to make the dough and shape it into a star. And you get to dig into this chocolatey heaven after! It’s perfect for Christmas or any other occasion.

Customise your star bread

I used Pan di Stelle spread but you can use Nutella or any chocolate spread that you like. You can switch it up and make it more festive by using a cranberry or raspberry jam and fresh fruit, or give it a warm spice kick with a cinnamon + sugar + butter mixture.As for the dough, it is the same sweet yeast dough that I use to make cinnamon rolls. If you prefer you can shape them into rolls, buns, or knots instead of a star.

How to make star bread – Step by step instructions

Roll 1 layer of the dough into a circle on parchment paper.
Spread a thick layer of chocolate spread. Repeat 3 times.
Make a dent with the edges of a plate and trim edges. Mark circle with a glass.
Slice into 4 triangles (leaving the circle whole), then 8 triangles, then 16 strips.
Grab 2 adjacent strips and twist in opposite directions (away from each other) twice.
Pinch edges together. Repeat all around until you have 8 points.
Let rest for 30 minutes covered in plastic wrap. Lightly brush the dough with egg whites.

The result is really pretty and super yummy. Chocolate star bread is the perfect treat to share with friends or family. Have some fun pulling at the edges and then the best part…the delicious ultra chocolatey centre is so good, it’s worth fighting over.

Ingredients

Sweet Yeast Dough

2 3/4 cups 00' flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp dry instant yeast
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 medium egg

Other

3/4 cup chocolate spread (Pan di Stelle, Nutella, or other)
1 egg white
Powdered sugar

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a separate bowl, gently melt together the butter and milk. Once it's warm (not hot), pour into the dry ingredients and stir everything together. Add the vanilla and egg and use your hands to form into a dough. On a floured surface, knead and stretch gently for around 6 minutes. To test if the dough is ready, gently press with your fingertip. The dough should spring back.
Lightly oil a large glass bowl, place the dough inside and cover in plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let dough rise for around 1 1/2 hours. Once the dough has risen (around double its original size), punch it back down. Divide into 4 equal balls of dough (weigh to ensure they are equal) for 4 layers.
(Step by step photos below). Roll out one of the doughs thinly into a 25cm circle on parchment paper. Warm chocolate spread to an easily spreadable consistency and evenly spread a thick layer onto the dough. Roll out another 25cm circle of dough and repeat process until you have 4 layers of dough and 3 layers of spread in between.
Gently go over the dough with a rolling pin to combine layers together. Make a circular dent with the edges of a large plate and trim off the excess to create a neat circle. Make a smaller circle dent in the centre with an upside down glass.
Slice the dough into 4 equal triangles (as you would a pizza) but leaving the circle in the middle whole. Again slice each triangle in half and repeat until you have 16 strips all around the circle. Grab 2 adjacent strips and twist in opposite directions (away from each other) twice then pinch edges together. Repeat all around until you have 8 points.
Let rest for 30 minutes covered in plastic wrap or parchment. Pre-heat oven to 180°c. Lightly brush the dough with egg whites. Bake for around 12-15 minutes or until golden. Let cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!

Notes

Storage: Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to a week.
Yeast: To check if your yeast is still ok, simply mix 1 tsp of yeast, 1/2 tsp of sugar and 2 tbsp of warm water and set aside for 10 minutes. If it bubbles, it means it is still active.
Filling: Instead of chocolate spread, you can also fill the bread with jam and fruit or a cinnamon roll spread (butter, sugar, and cinnamon). For added crunch, you can also add crushed cookies.
Dough: This recipe is for a sweet yeast dough, which is the same one I use to make cinnamon rolls. If you prefer you can shape into rolls instead of a star.
Shaping: You can find step by step photos below. Scroll to the top of the blog post to find simplified instructions to go along with the photos on how to shape the star bread.

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