Apple Cinnamon Star Bread
Are you looking for a total show-stopping dessert for the fall? Look no further than this Apple Cinnamon Star Bread!
Have you seen my Cranberry Cinnamon Star Bread with Pistachios and Brie? It’s a total show stopper and perfect for the holidays! It’s also a really fun baking project when you have a little bit of time on your hands. It’s been so popular with both my family and my readers that I had an idea to create another one. But this time with apples! The flavors of cinnamon and apples are such a classic combination that you just can’t go wrong with.
As a baker, I love the changing of seasons because that means a whole new list of ingredients for me to experiment with. It also means that my kitchen is filled with the beautiful aroma of spices that you would typically only be able to get from an overpriced candle. I’m talking about clove, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and your favorite seasonal fruit. This Apple Cinnamon Star Bread recipe is a fall favorite that is about to make every gathering you have this fall a hit!
This Apple Cinnamon Star Bread is a spiced bread with a balanced sweet and tart filling. This recipe begins with a dense bread made with potato flour or instant potatoes for that comfort food vibe. Then, wrap that around your spicy and sugary filling of apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and browned butter.
The ingredients used to make it such a versatile dish can be served as an appetizer when enjoying a glass of wine with your girlfriends, a side dish for a party, or even a dessert.
How to Make Apple Cinnamon Star Bread
This gorgeous bread is definitely a process, but I promise it’s totally worth it!
Here’s a step-by-step on how to make this apple cinnamon star bread. If you don’t wish to read the step-by-step instructions, then you can just scroll to the bottom for the recipe.
Let’s start by creating the dough. Combine your dry ingredients with water and knead the dough until it becomes soft and smooth. Cover and let the dough rise for approximately an hour, where it will double in size.
Divide dough into four equal balls and let them stand for another 15-20 minutes.
Next, you can whip up your filling by cooking all the ingredients down until the apples become tender and start to caramelize.
Take one of your dough balls and roll it out into a 10-inch circle ( it does not have to be exact), brush with melted butter, and spread a third of the apple filling over the dough. Make sure to leave about ½ inch empty around the edge of the circle.
Roll out your second piece into the same size and cover the filling on the first piece of dough. Repeat with remaining dough balls, butter, and filling. Make sure to leave the top dough layer bare.
Now comes the fun part!
Place a 3 inch round cutter in the center of the dough. Cut into 16 equal strips. Make sure to cut from the cutter to the edge and cut all the way through.
Twist two adjacent strips away from each other and finish with the top side facing upright. Repeat till you have 8 strips.
Pinch together to form a star shape with 8 points.
Transfer to a baking sheet and let it rise one more time.
Brush with a thin layer of egg wash and bake.
Remove from the oven and once it has cooled just top with confectioner sugar and your masterpiece is completed.
You don’t have to be a professional to bake show-stopping recipes, just a little time and patience. I always try to serve this apple cinnamon start bread while it is still warm because the dough is nice and soft and the aroma will draw a crowd.
If you plan on baking this bread please leave a comment below letting me know how it went. If you share across social media make sure to tag #aclassictwist so I can see your beautiful finished product.
Happy baking 🙂
If you liked this Apple Cinnamon Star Bread, check out these other recipes:
- Cranberry Apple Pie
- Apple Almond Tart (Gluten-Free)
- Cinnamon Angel Food Cake with Caramelized Apples
Apple Cinnamon Star Bread
Are you looking for a total show-stopping dessert for the fall? Look no further than this Apple Cinnamon Star Bread!
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup potato flour or 1/2 cup instant mashed potato flakes
- 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
- 3/4 cup + 2 to 4 tablespoons lukewarm water, as needed
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, diced
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the filling:
- 2 medium apples, cored and finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- dash of cloves
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and browned
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, potato flour, and nonfat dry milk. Add in the ¾ cup water and the rest of the dough ingredients. Stir and knead with the dough attachment (or by hand) until a soft, smooth dough forms. You may need to add in 1-2 tablespoons of water.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover. Let rise until dough is nearly doubled, about 60 minutes.
- On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into four equal parts. Shape each into a ball and cover for 15-20 minutes to rest.
- Meanwhile, make the filling. In a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, combine the apples, brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and a dash of cloves. Cook until the apples are softened and start to caramelize. Remove from heat and let it cool.
- Roll out the first piece of dough onto a lightly floured surfaced into a 10-inch circle. It doesn’t have to be exact. Transfer to a piece of parchment and brush a thin coat of melted butter on the surface. Spread a third of the apple filling over the dough, leaving a 1/2 -inch around the edges.
- Roll out the second dough into a circle that’s the exact size as the first and place it on top of the filling of the first circle. Repeat the process- brush the butter, apple filling, and next dough circle- leaving the top circle bare.
- Place a 3-inch round cutter in the center of the dough as a guide. Using a sharp knife or a bench knife, cut the circle into 16 equal strips, from the cutter to the edge and through all the layers. It’s easier to cut into 4 equal strips and cut each of those into 4.
- Using both hands, twist two adjacent strips away from each other ending with the top side facing up again. Repeat with the remaining strips of dough so you end up with eight pairs of strips.
- Pinch each pair together to create a star-like shape with eight points. Remove the center cutter.
- Transfer the shaped bread onto a baking sheet. Cover and let rise until puffy, about 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Before baking, brush a thin coat of the beaten egg over the star bread. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the bread.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until it’s golden brown and the apple filling starts to ooze out.
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly for 10 minutes before serving. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and enjoy warm!
How well does this store?
I have been able to store it up to 3 days refrigerated.
This looks delicious! Can you prepare it up until the bread is shaped and let it proof overnight in the fridge, then bake in the morning? If yes, would you leave it out of the fridge for about an hour before baking? Thank you for the recipe.
Hello Deb, I haven’t tried this recipe but your plan should work. I always keep it at room temperature for at least an hour.
What a beautiful presentation!
thank you!