Star Bread

Heat half of the sugar with the milk just until lukewarm, then remove from the heat and sprinkle the yeast on top. Leave it for 10 minutes and the yeast should foam.

Place the yeast mixture into your Stand mixer with the kneading hook on, then mix it with the eggs.

Mix in the dry ingredients: bread flour, the rest of the sugar, and a pinch of salt, and keep the mixer running to knead the dough until it comes together. This will take about 3 minutes.

Slowly add in the softened butter piece by piece while the mixer is on, and once all the butter is in, knead for around another 10 minutes on medium-high speed. The dough will become elastic and shiny. Once you have achieved the 'gluten window' (see photos above), stop kneading.

Move the dough into a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size. Then punch it out, re-shape it into a bowl, and put it in the fridge to rise again for a minimum of 8 hours.

The next day, divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll the first one out into a 30cm / 12 inches thin circle. Use a silicone baking mat to help shape the dough without needing dusting flour.

Mix the granulated sugar with the cinnamon.

Place a piece of parchment paper onto a tray and move the dough circle onto the parchment paper. Hint with 1/3 of the cinnamon sugar mixture leaving about 1 cm / 0.5 inch border.

Continue with the 2nd ball, roll it out, place it on top of the first one, hint with cinnamon sugar, then continue with the rest. When finished with the 4th dough circle, gently press the border of the dough circles all around.

Then, move on to cutting and shaping your Christmas cinnamon star bread. Place a round cookie cutter in the center of the dough. Using a pizza cutter or very sharp knife, cut the circle into quarters, then cut each quarter in half, and then each of those in half again. You will end up with 16 little triangles connected at the center. To create the star shape, grab two strips next to each other and twist them 3 times away from each other then pinch their end together. Repeat all around the circle until you get 8 of these.

Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rise again for 1-2 hours, or until about doubles in size.

Preheat your oven to 180C / 356F towards the end of the proofing time.

Apply a light egg wash, then place the star bread into the oven and bake for about 45 minutes until golden brown.

Remove it from the oven and brush a small amount of melted butter over the top.