Which yeast should I use?

You can use either active dry or instant yeast (also known as quick-rise yeast) to make this star bread. If you’re using instant yeast, it should get activated almost instantly once you add it in. However, if you’re using active dry yeast, you need to let it rest for 15-20 minutes before the yeast is activated.

How to know if your yeast has been activated?

Once your yeast is activated it will become foamy and you will notice some bubbles forming on the surface of your mixture. This process might take 15-20 minutes if you’re using active-dry yeast. You should observe it almost immediately in the case of instant or quick-rise yeast.

The two rising steps to make this Christmas star bread:

The first rise is known as bulk fermentation and the second one is known as proofing. Bulk fermenting is the process of allowing the dough to double in size in a large bowl while proofing is allowing the shaped dough to become puffy just before baking. At a minimum, both steps require an hour to two in a warm place.

How can I make this bread overnight?

You can do any one of the rising steps overnight by letting the dough chill in the refrigerator for 8-16 hours. Keeping your dough in the refrigerator slows down the rise, however exceeding 16 hours of proofing time will cause it to be over proofed. There is no time limit to bulk ferment your dough however I don’t recommend exceeding 24 hours. I don’t recommend proofing for more than 16 hours in the refrigerator. The next morning, remove the bread from the refrigerator and allow it to rise on the counter for 1-2 hours before baking. If bulk fermenting or proofing for longer durations or overnight, I recommend doing it in the refrigerator and make sure to cover it with a plastic wrap so the dough doesn’t dry out.

How to knead dough by hand?

If you don’t have a stand mixer or a hand mixer fitted with dough attachments, you can knead the dough by hand. Firstly start with stirring your mixture with a spatula until it is crumbly in texture and has started to come together. At this point, flour your work surface and hands. Transfer the dough on the surface. Start by bringing all the bits of the dough together until they stick and you form a ball. If it’s too sticky, now is the time to add in 1-2 tablespoons of flour more. Once your dough has come together, set a timer of 10 minutes and start kneading. To knead, lift a part of the dough and bring it to the center. Then press your palm on the center and push it outwards. Start slow till you gain some momentum. Continue this for around 10 minutes.

How to know if your dough is kneaded properly?

To check if your dough is kneaded properly, poke a finger in your dough. If the dent formed springs right out then your dough is done and you can proceed with bulk fermentation.

How to freeze Christmas star bread?

To freeze before baking: the dough should be frozen after the first rise (once it is shaped up with the filling). Place into a pan and cover well, then place in freezer. When you are ready to bake, let the dough thaw in the fridge — preferably overnight, then put in a warm spot for 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking to activate the second rise. Bake star bread as directed. To freeze after baking: allow the star bread to come to room temperature after baking, then you can choose to either freeze the entire pan, making sure it is well wrapped or covered in an airtight container or you can choose to freeze individual slices. When ready to eat, either defrost the entire bread at room temperature, then warm in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or just warm up a slice of in the microwave for 20-30 seconds (once defrosted). Pro tip: If freezing this star bread, be sure to add a date so you don’t forget! You can freeze it upto 3 months.

Recipe Substitutions:

There are a few things you can substitute in this blueberry bread recipe: Milk: If you’re in a pinch, you can replace this with equal quantities of buttermilk. All-purpose flour: Swap this out with equal quantities of bread flour to give your roll a more crisp exterior. Rolling Pin: You can use a wine bottle alternatively to roll out the dough for this recipe.

Blueberry cream cheese star bread

Description

This blueberry cream cheese star bread is so much easier to make than it looks and is always a showstopper. It is also famously known as the Christmas bread and is so soft and fluffy.

Ingredients

Scale

DOUGH

180ml (¾ cup) warm whole milk, between 110ºF-115ºF
2¼ (¼ oz packet) teaspoons active dry or instant yeast
50g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
56g (¼ cup) unsalted butter, melted
375g (3 cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
¾ teaspoon kosher salt

Filling

1½ tablespoons block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
85g (4½ tablespoons) blueberry jam
powdered sugar for dusting, optional
egg wash, for brushing (1 large egg + 1 tablespoon water)

Instructions

In a medium bowl, heat the milk to around 110ºF-115ºF. To this, add in the yeast and granulated sugar. If using active dry yeast, let the mixture rest for around 10-15 minutes until the mixture is foamy & bubbly. If using instant yeast, continue to the next step.
Add in the egg and egg yolk into the mixture and beat until completely incorporated.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. If using a stand mixer, do this in the bowl of the mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add in the melted butter and knead the dough until it comes together and is crumbly in texture.
Place dough hook on stand mixer and knead dough on medium speed for 8 minutes. The dough should form into a nice ball and be slightly sticky. If it’s too sticky add in 1-2 tablespoons more flour. If you don’t want to use an electric mixer, you can use your hands to knead the dough for 8-10 minutes on a lightly floured surface.
Once the dough is ready, transfer it to a lightly greased bowl. Cover the dough with a plastic wrap and then a warm towel. Allow to bulk ferment in a warm environment for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size. Alternatively, you can bulk ferment the dough overnight.
Once the dough has doubled in size, take it out on a lightly floured surface. Using a bench scraper cut the dough into 4 equal portions as shown in the image above.
Using a rolling pin roll the one fourth of the dough out by applying pressure evenly into a circle about 10″(25cm) in diameter. It does not have to be perfect. Do this on a parchment paper so it is easier to move the bread later.
Apply 1.5 tablespoons of blueberry jam onto the rolled out circle. Roll out the second portion into another 10″ circle and transfer it carefully on top of the blueberry jam circle.
Spread cream cheese onto the second part of the dough. Spread 1.5 tablespoons on blueberry jam on top of the cream cheese. Roll out the third portion into another 10″ circle and transfer it carefully on top of the blueberry jam circle.
Apply 1.5 tablespoons of blueberry jam onto the third part of the dough. Roll out the fourth portion into another 10″ circle and transfer it carefully on top of the blueberry jam circle.
It your circles are not even, trim off the edges using a pre-cut 10″ parchment paper circle as reference. Remember, almost even is also okay!
Chill the layers as it is in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to allow the jam to set. This makes it easier to shape the star bread.
Place a 2″ bowl in the center of the bread and cut the edges into 16 equal portions. Start with 4, then divide into 8 and finally into 16. See images above for reference.
Take two adjacent strips at a time and rotate them outward twice. Join the ends of those strips together to form the shape you see above. Repeat until all strips have been competed.
Cover the bread loosely with a plastic wrap. Allow to proof in a warm environment for 30-45 minutes or until puffy.
While the bread is proofing, preheat your oven to 350ºF (177ºC).
Once proofed, brush the star bread evenly with egg wash. This helps to evenly brown the bread.
Bake the star bread for 20-23 minutes or until evenly browned. If the bread starts to brown more towards the end, cover loosely with aluminium foil and continue baking.
Allow the bread to cool completely. Dust generously with powdered sugar if desired.
Store star bread at room temperature in an airtight container for upto 5 days.

Prep Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Star bread, Christmas
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: blueberry cream cheese bread, cream cheese blueberry bread, blueberry jam star bread, christmas star bread, jam star bread, cream cheese star bread