Nutella Star Bread

This showstopping Nutella Star Bread will literally be the star of your table this holiday season! Soft and fluffy layers of gooey Nutella in every bite and finished with powdered sugar.

This star bread is a beautiful and irresistible treat with mesmerizing swirls that looks intimidating, but is surprisingly so easy to make!

Nutella Star Bread Ingredients

• Whole Milk - Make sure your milk is warm, which is 105 to 110ºF (40 to 43ºC).
• White Sugar - The sugar will feed the yeast.
• Yeast - You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast. Follow the recipe as written regardless of which kind you use.
• Egg - For best results, make sure your egg is at room temperature. Yeast likes a warm environment.
• Unsalted Butter - We'll be using melted butter.
• Bread Flour - I like to use a high quality bread flour, such as King Arthur.
• Salt - Just a bit to round out the flavors.
• Nutella - We are keeping this recipe simple by using store-bought Nutella, but you can also use a homemade hazelnut spread or other fillings.

Nutella Star Bread Instructions

Detailed instructions are in the recipe card below!

Step 1 - In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine warm milk, white sugar and yeast and allow yeast to bloom for 5 to 7 minutes. The mix should be foamy and bubbly.

Step 2 - Add melted butter, egg, bread flour and salt into the yeast mixture and mix with the hook attachment for about 8 minutes on medium speed.

Step 3 - The dough should pull clean from the sides of the bowl, but may stick a bit to the bottom of the bowl.

Remove the dough from the bowl and form into a ball. Oil the same bowl and place the dough back in and allow to rise for 1 hour. It may take a bit longer to double in size if your kitchen is colder.

Shaping & Assembly

Step 1 - Gently punch the dough down to release the gas and divide into 4 equal pieces. You can use a kitchen scale to weigh each piece to ensure that it's divided evenly.

Step 2 - On a floured work surface, roll each piece of dough out to a 10-inch (25 cm) circle. Transfer the first circle of dough onto a parchment lined baking tray and spread ¼ cup of Nutella on top. Repeat layering the dough until you have 4 layers of dough with 3 layers of filling. The last layer of dough placed on top will not have any filling on top.

This should be the order of your layers - Dough, ¼ cup Nutella, dough, ¼ cup Nutella, dough, ¼ cup Nutella and end with dough!

Step 3 - For a cleaner look, trim the edge of the dough with a sharp paring knife. I used a 9-inch (22 cm) plate as a guide.

Step 4 - Place a 3-inch (7.6 cm) ramekin or biscuit cutter in the center to use as a guide. Cut the dough into 16 equal strips with a sharp knife. When you cut the dough, you will not be cutting into the center circle. Start by cutting the dough into quarters, then cut each quarter into 4 equal strips, leaving you with a total of 16 strips.

Step 5 - Take 2 strips at a time and twist twice in the opposite direction and then pinch the ends together. Your star bread will have 8 points.

Step 6 - Allow the bread to proof for 30 minutes. About 20 minutes in, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF (176ºC).

When you are ready to bake, pinch the ends of the star points one last time and lightly brush your star bread with an egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of milk or water) and bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown.

Step 9 - Allow to cool on a wire rack and dust with powdered sugar before serving. Enjoy!

Expert Tips

• Use a kitchen scale to weigh all your ingredients. It’s the best and most accurate way to bake. You can read more about this below.
• If you are not using a kitchen scale, measure your flour correctly. Fluff and aerate your flour first, then spoon into your measuring cup and finally level off with the back of a butter knife. Do not pack it in as it will add too much flour.
• Make sure your yeast is fresh.
• Try not to add too much flour as it can make your bread tough. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl, but it’s okay if it sticks to the bottom of the bowl.
• Place your dough in a warm area to rise and proof. I like to heat my oven to the lowest setting for about 5 minutes, just enough to warm up.
• Before popping the bread in the oven, I like to pinch the ends one last time so they don't unravel during the bake. If you for forget, no worries, it will taste amazing anyway.
• Not a fan of Nutella? You can try cinnamon sugar, cookie butter, pesto and so much more!

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