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An overhead image of cinnamon star bread on a wood tray placed on a grey table next to a white linen.
5 from 6 votes

Cookie Butter Star Bread

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Cookie butter star bread is the perfect recipe for the holidays! Soft and fluffy bread is twisted with a cinnamon cookie butter filling and baked until golden brown. It's absolutely perfect with a cup of hot coffee!

Ingredients

Sweet Roll Dough

  • 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 110°F
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature, divided
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour + more for dusting
  • Powdered sugar, for serving

Cookie Butter Filling

  • 6 Tablespoons cookie butter
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions 

Sweet dough

  • Mix the warm milk, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes, until foamy. Add the butter, vanilla, 1 egg, and salt until well combined. Then, mix in three cups of the flour until the dough starts to come together.
  • Using a dough hook (or your hands), knead for 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky. It should be tacky but shouldn't leave any dough on your hands. If it's too sticky, add flour 2 Tablespoons at a time until it's the right consistency. You may need up to 3 1/2 cups of flour total.
  • Place the dough in an oiled bowl, and cover with a towel. Place the dough in a warm, draft-free spot and let it rise until doubled in size, about 45-60 minutes.

Cookie butter filling

  • In a small bowl, stir together the cookie butter and cinnamon until well combined. Microwave for about 20 seconds until it's very spreadable. (You may need to microwave it a few times throughout the spreading process).

Assemble & bake

  • Punch down the dough to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a 10-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Use a 10-inch plate or bowl to make an imprint in the surface of the dough. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut around the imprint until you have four perfect 10-inch circles.
  • Place one circle of dough on a piece of parchment paper. Spread 2 Tablespoons of the cookie butter filling on the dough, and top with another layer of dough. Repeat two more times, finishing with the fourth layer of dough. No filling goes on top of the fourth layer!
  • Place a 2-inch round cookie cutter or bowl in the center of the dough stacks. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut 16 even strips around the center of the dough, leaving the two inches in the center intact. I did this by cutting the dough into four equal sections in a cross shape and then cutting each quarter into four strips.
  • Grab two adjacent strips, placing one in each hand. Twist the strips two times in opposite directions (I twist them away from each other). Press the ends together to make a point. If they don't stick, use a very small amount of water or egg wash to press them together. Repeat with the remaining strips. You will have 8 points total.
  • Transfer the assembled bread on the parchment paper to a baking sheet. Cover with a towel, and let it rise in a warm spot for 20 minutes, or until puffy.

Bake the star bread...

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Whisk the remaining egg with 1 Tablespoon of water to make egg wash.
  • Brush the assembled star bread with egg wash. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until it's a beautiful golden brown. The internal temperature should register 190°F.
  • Let it cool on the counter for about 5 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar, and serve with lots of hot coffee!

Notes

Make sure the active dry yeast is alive by activating it with warm milk and a little sugar. It'll get puffy in about 5-10 minutes if it's alive. If not, the mixture will not foam up and you'll have to start again with new yeast.
Warm the milk to 105-110°F for the best results. I just warm mine in the microwave for about 30-60 seconds and check it with my instant thermometer!
Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free area. I like to heat the oven to the lowest setting, turn it off and let it cool for 5-10 minutes, and then let the dough rise in the warm oven.
To prevent the star bread from burning, bake it on a parchment-lined sheet pan on the middle rack. If it's still browning too quickly on the bottom, double up your sheet pans.
Cuisine: American
Course: Bread & Dough, Breakfast
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 365kcal, Carbohydrates: 54.4g, Protein: 8.2g, Fat: 12.4g, Saturated Fat: 5.2g, Cholesterol: 39mg, Sodium: 378mg, Potassium: 136mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 10.1g, Calcium: 51mg, Iron: 3mg
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