Cinnamon star bread is a buttery pull-apart cinnamon bread shaped into a star and baked until soft and golden. A stunning centerpiece for brunch, celebrations, and special-occasion baking.
Cinnamon star bread is a beautiful pull-apart holiday bread filled with sweet cinnamon sugar and twisted into a stunning star shape. It’s easier than it looks, and perfect for brunch celebrations and holiday gatherings.
Cinnamon star bread is a festive, pull-apart yeast bread made by layering soft dough with cinnamon sugar, then cutting and twisting it into a pretty star before baking. The soft dough is meant to be pulled apart, not sliced. Think of it as the showstopper cousin of cinnamon rolls ~ same flavors, much prettier.
Dramatic presentation withno special pan, just a baking sheet!
Feels special and celebratory but is actually easy to pull off!
Perfect for holiday breakfasts, Mother’s Day or Easter brunch.
cinnamon star bread is surprisingly do-able!
I know this isn’t my usual easy baking situation ~ it’s a bit more of a project, but sometimes that’s exactly what you want for a special occasion. I walk you through it step by step, and once you see how it comes together, you’ll realize it’s completely do-able. This is one of those recipes you can master and really be proud to serve.
I’ve added process photos in the recipe card so you can see what you’re doing every step of the way.
Sue’s tips and troubleshooting for cinnamon star bread
What’s my time commitment here?
Prepping the dough only takes about 10 minutes, then it rises for 2 hours. At that point you can stash it in the fridge overnight, so day-one is just over 2 hours. Next day allow an hour to form the bread (about 20-30 minutes,) then it rises for 1-2 hours and bakes for just 35 minutes. So active time is well under an hour, the rest is hands off!
Can I make cinnamon star bread ahead of time?
You can refrigerate the dough overnight after the first rise in step 5. This actually improves flavor and you can form and bake the bread the next day.
My dough never seems to rise, what am I doing wrong?
You need to find a warm spot, many kitchens just aren’t warm enough to encourage dough to rise. A warm spot just means a draft-free place that’s gently warm, not hot. The easiest option is an oven that’s turned off with the light on ~ the light creates perfect proofing warmth. Other reliable spots are on top of the fridge, near (not on) a warm stove, or in a microwave with a mug of hot water to trap warmth. My favorite hack is to wrap the bowl of dough with a heating pad on low, or an electric blanket on low.
How much skill do I need to make this happen?
If you can roll dough and braid hair, this should be easy for you. Just follow directions and use the photos in the recipe for guidance.
Can I freeze cinnamon star bread?
Yes ~ freeze it after baking and cooling completely for best results. Wrap in plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, then warm briefly in a low oven (300°F) to refresh. (Freezing before baking isn’t ideal because the shaping can distort as the dough thaws and rises.)
Cinnamon star bread is a buttery pull-apart cinnamon bread shaped into a star and baked until soft and golden. A stunning centerpiece for brunch, celebrations, and special-occasion baking.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Set aside.
In a smaller mixing bowl, add the water and the yeast. Mix to dissolve the yeast.
Add the milk, oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla to the water mixture and whisk well to combine.
Add the wet ingredients to the flour and salt, and mix well with a spoon or with your hands until everything is well incorporated and there is no dry flour remaining. (Note: you do not need to "knead" this dough, but it is important to mix it well and make sure that everything is well combined, so take your time.)
Cover the bowl tightly and let rise at normal room temperature for 2 hours.
Transfer to the fridge and chill for at least 3-4 hours, or overnight.
Shortly before you are ready to form the bread, make the cinnamon filling by combining all of the filling ingredients in a small bowl and mixing until well combined. You should have a moist, sandy mixture. Set aside.
Remove the dough from the fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for a bit just to take the chill off the dough.
Divide the dough into 4 equal parts, and roll each section into a ball, and place on a lightly floured surface. Keep some extra flour nearby for dusting the dough as you go to keep it from sticking.
Set out a piece of parchment next to your workspace for assembling the star.
Now take one of the balls of dough, and roll it into a circle about 10 inches wide.
Transfer the circle of dough to your parchment paper and top it with about 1/3 of the cinnamon sugar filling. Spread it out as evenly as you can, leaving a small edge around the outside of the circle with no filling.
Repeat for the second ball of dough, rolling it out and stacking it on top of the first one, and topping it with another 1/3 of the cinnamon filling.
Repeat with the 3rd ball of dough, using up the remaining cinnamon filling. With the fourth ball, simply roll it out into a circle and place it on top of the stack.
Nudge the layers of dough to get them as even and round as possible. Next, set a small biscuit cutter or circular cookie cutter (2-3" wide) in the center of the circle – this will act as a guide for cutting the dough. NOTE: you're just setting it lightly there, not cutting through the dough.
Using a knife or a bench scraper, cut through all the layers of the stack to divide it into 4 equal sections. Subdivide each section into 4 equal sections, for a total of 16 equal wedges of dough.
Working with one pair of wedges at a time, twist each one two full times in an outward direction (in opposite directions from one another).
Repeat this for each pair of wedges around the whole circle.
Next, take each pair, and gently pinch the ends together to make a gentle point. Don't worry about doing this very precisely, just make sure the dough is secure and won't come apart. Remove your biscuit cutter guide.
Use the parchment paper to gently slide the cinnamon star onto a large baking sheet. (The parchment paper will remain under the bread for baking)
Lightly cover the shaped dough and allow it to rise in a warm spot for 1-2 hours until it has puffed up somewhat. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350F.
When ready to bake, make an egg wash by beating 1 egg in a small bowl. Brush a thin layer of the beaten egg over the top of the dough.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes until golden brown and puffy.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool before topping with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.
Leftover bread can be stored at room temperature and will remain nice and soft for a couple of days.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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Excellent Recipe! I LOVED making this, it was so easy and beautiful. I will be making more to give out as holiday gifts. Do yourself a favor and make it, you will be extremely pleased with the results!
Hey there ~ I'm Sue. I love to make delicious food, photograph it, and write about it, but mostly, I just love to EAT. Isn't that what it's all about? My recipes are creative, vibrant, and totally approachable no matter what your skill level. Let's grab a bite together!
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Excellent Recipe! I LOVED making this, it was so easy and beautiful. I will be making more to give out as holiday gifts. Do yourself a favor and make it, you will be extremely pleased with the results!
Thank you Jennie! Have a wonderful holiday season 🙂
Making this today, wish me luck!
Wow, that is spectacular! I can’t wait to try it and am sure it will come out great, since your instructions are perfectly clear!!
Enjoy Lisa, and I’m always here if you have questions!