This sourdough star bread is one of those recipes that looks impressive but is very doable if you take it step by step. Made with 100% freshly milled flour, soft layers of cinnamon sugar, and a naturally fermented dough, it’s tender, flavorful, and perfect for sharing!
It’s a beautiful option for Christmas morning, Easter brunch, or any time you want something special without making individual rolls. Because it pulls apart easily, it’s ideal for sharing and feels festive without being fussy.
If you enjoy gently spiced, layered breads, you’ll also love my freshly milled sourdough cardamom buns for a Scandinavian-style dessert, or these fresh milled sourdough cinnamon rolls for a classic treat.
Quick Look
- Prep time: 30 minutes active (plus resting and shaping time)
- Bake time: 25–30 minutes
- Servings: About 8–10 servings
- Main ingredients: fresh-milled wheat flour, sourdough starter, milk, butter, sugar, cinnamon
- Cooking method: Mixed, fermented, shaped, baked
- Difficulty: Moderate, but very doable with clear steps
- Serving ideas: Serve warm, dusted with icing sugar. Great for breakfast, brunch, dessert, holidays, or sharing with guests.
Jump to:
- Quick Look
- Important Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Fresh Milled Sourdough Star Bread
- Baking Schedule
- 💭Crucial Success Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- How To Store Fresh Milled Sourdough Star Bread
- Other Delicious Recipes
- Sourdough Star Bread | 100% Whole Grain (Fresh-Milled Flour)
- Need Help Tweaking This Recipe?
- Other Fresh Milled Sourdough Recipes You'll Love
Important Ingredients
- Fresh-milled hard white wheat flour gives the bread better flavor, nutrition, and a soft but sturdy texture.
- Active sourdough starter helps the dough rise well and adds a deeper sourdough taste. It also makes the dough more tender compared to using yeast.
- Butter, sugar, and cinnamon filling creates the warm, sweet, and cozy flavor in every layer.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Different Filling: You can swap the cinnamon sugar with chocolate spread, Nutella, jam, or even a savory filling if you like experimenting.
- Spices: Add cardamom or nutmeg for extra warmth.
- Less Sweet: Reduce sugar slightly if you prefer a more mild taste.
How to Make Fresh Milled Sourdough Star Bread
Step 1: Add the milk, starter, egg, sugar, flour, butter, and salt to the bowl of your mixer. Using ingredients that aren’t ice-cold helps shorten fermentation slightly, but it isn’t required. You can use ingredients straight from the fridge, just make sure the butter is softened.
Knead until the dough is evenly mixed (Image 1), about 3–5 minutes. Then turn off the mixer.
Step 2: Move the dough into a clean bowl. Cover and rest for about 30 minutes, then give the dough a set of stretch-and-folds. Repeat once more after another 30 minutes.
Let the dough rise at room temperature (Image 2) until it feels airy and has increased by roughly half. Expect about 6–8 hours depending on your room temperature. If your starter is very active and your kitchen is warm, 5 hours may be enough. See notes for timing advice.
Step 3: Once bulk fermentation is done (Image 3), refrigerate the dough for anywhere from 4 hours to overnight. Cold dough is much easier to roll and cut, and the layers are easier to assemble. One chill period is ideal for brioche since it doesn’t need extra sourness, but it still gets the benefits of long fermentation.
Step 4: Stir together the sugar and cinnamon (and cardamom, if using) (Image 4). Keep the butter soft and easy to spread.
Step 5: Turn the chilled dough onto a lightly floured counter and divide it into four equal portions (Image 5). A helpful trick: weigh the dough and divide that number by four for the most accurate pieces.
Shape each portion into a loose ball and let them rest for a few minutes (Image 5).
Step 6: Roll the first ball into a circle about 25 cm (10 inches) across (Image 6).
Roll all four balls once, then start again from the first and roll each circle a second time. This short rest helps the gluten relax so the shapes stay even.
Step 7: Spread the first circle with a thin, even layer of soft butter, then sprinkle roughly one-third of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over it (Image 6).
Top with the second circle and repeat the butter and sugar.
Do the same with the third circle.
Finish with the fourth circle on top, leaving it plain (Image 7). Move everything onto a parchment-lined baking tray.
Optional: You can place the whole stack in the fridge for 10–15 minutes to make cleaner cuts.
Step 8: Press a small round cutter or glass (about 6 cm / 2 inches) into the center as a guide, but do not cut through.
Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 16 even strips, stopping at the center mark (Image 8). The easiest method is: cut into quarters → then eighths → then sixteenths.
To form the star:
Pick up two neighboring strips, twist them away from each other twice, then pinch the ends together (or tuck them under). Continue all around until you have a full star.
Step 9: Cover the shaped star and let it proof for 1–4 hours. It should look slightly puffy and softer to the touch (Image 9). The exact time depends a lot on temperature.
Step 10: Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.
Optional: Brush the dough lightly with egg wash for shine.
Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the star is richly golden. The center should reach about 93°C (200°F) (Image 10).
If the surface darkens too quickly, place a piece of foil over the top for the last few minutes.
Step 11: Let the star cool for about 15–20 minutes (Image 11).
Step 12: Then dust with icing sugar. It’s best enjoyed warm, when the layers pull apart soft and tender (Image 12).
Hint: If the dough keeps shrinking back while you roll it, stop and let it rest for 5–10 minutes. Fresh-milled flour has strong gluten, and short rests make shaping much easier.
Baking Schedule
This is a great recipe to spread across a day or even two if you want to keep things simple and flexible.
I like to mix the dough in the morning, let it bulk ferment during the day, then chill it in the evening. The next day, shaping and baking are quick.
If you’re baking same-day, just plan for a longer afternoon with fermentation and proofing, and you’ll still end up with a soft, beautifully layered star bread.
💭Crucial Success Tips
Don’t rush fermentation. This dough benefits from a full bulk rise so the finished bread stays soft and fluffy, not dense. Also, chilling the dough before shaping is worth it, because you'll have a much easier time.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. You can fully shape the star and refrigerate it overnight. Let it sit at room temperature until slightly puffy before baking or even bake straight from the fridge if you're in a pinch.
Most often, brioche dough of any kind, even fresh milled, needs more fermentation time. Don't rush the bulk ferment, I promise this dough is difficult to overproof!
Absolutely. Chocolate spread, jam, or even a lightly sweetened cream cheese filling all work well. Just keep the layer thin so the bread bakes evenly.
How To Store Fresh Milled Sourdough Star Bread
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 1–2 days, or in the fridge for about 3 days. Warm it slightly before serving so it stays soft and enjoyable. You can also freeze it for a few weeks; just wrap it well and reheat gently when ready to eat.
Other Delicious Recipes
- What Is Fresh-Milled Flour and Why It Makes Better Bread
- Apple Strudel with Fresh-Milled Flour
- Soft Sourdough Dinner Rolls with Fresh-Milled Flour (Easy & Fluffy)
- Sourdough Star Bread | 100% Whole Grain (Fresh-Milled Flour)
If you tried this Sourdough Star Bread | 100% Whole Grain (Fresh-Milled Flour) or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below! Happy Baking!
Sourdough Star Bread | 100% Whole Grain (Fresh-Milled Flour)
Ingredients
- 400 g fresh-milled hard white wheat flour
- 80 g active sourdough starter
- 240 g milk room temperature is ideal
- 64 g sugar
- 56 g butter softened
- 1 egg
- 6 g fine sea salt
- 60 g butter softened and spreadable
- 90 g sugar half white + half light brown is lovely, but all white works
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon ground
- cardamom Optional: a pinch of cardamom
- 1 tablespoon egg beaten, for brushing
- Icing sugar for dusting
Method
- Add the milk, starter, egg, sugar, flour, butter, and salt to the bowl of your mixer. Using ingredients that aren’t ice-cold helps shorten fermentation slightly, but it isn’t required. You can use ingredients straight from the fridge, just make sure the butter is softened. Knead until the dough is evenly mixed, about 3–5 minutes. Then turn off the mixer.
- Move the dough into a clean bowl. Cover and rest for about 30 minutes, then give the dough a set of stretch-and-folds. Repeat once more after another 30 minutes. Let the dough rise at room temperature until it feels airy and has increased by roughly half. Expect about 6–8 hours depending on your room temperature. If your starter is very active and your kitchen is warm, 5 hours may be enough. See notes for timing advice.
- Once bulk fermentation is done, refrigerate the dough for anywhere from 4 hours to overnight. Cold dough is much easier to roll and cut, and the layers are easier to assemble. One chill period is ideal for brioche since it doesn’t need extra sourness, but it still gets the benefits of long fermentation.
- Stir together the sugar and cinnamon (and cardamom, if using). Keep the butter soft and easy to spread.
- Turn the chilled dough onto a lightly floured counter and divide it into four equal portions. A helpful trick: weigh the dough and divide that number by four for the most accurate pieces. Shape each portion into a loose ball and let them rest for a few minutes.
- Roll the first ball into a circle about 25 cm (10 inches) across. Roll all four balls once, then start again from the first and roll each circle a second time. This short rest helps the gluten relax so the shapes stay even.
- Spread the first circle with a thin, even layer of soft butter, then sprinkle roughly one-third of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over it. Top with the second circle and repeat the butter and sugar. Do the same with the third circle. Finish with the fourth circle on top, leaving it plain. Move everything onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Optional: You can place the whole stack in the fridge for 10–15 minutes to make cleaner cuts.
- Press a small round cutter or glass (about 6 cm / 2 inches) into the center as a guide, but do not cut through. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 16 even strips, stopping at the center mark. The easiest method is: cut into quarters → then eighths → then sixteenths. To form the star: Pick up two neighboring strips, twist them away from each other twice, then pinch the ends together (or tuck them under). Continue all around until you have a full star.
- Cover the shaped star and let it proof for 1–4 hours. It should look slightly puffy and softer to the touch. The exact time depends a lot on temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F. Optional: Brush the dough lightly with egg wash for shine. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the star is richly golden. The center should reach about 93°C (200°F). If the surface darkens too quickly, place a piece of foil over the top for the last few minutes.
- Let the star cool for about 15–20 minutes.
- Then dust with icing sugar. It’s best enjoyed warm, when the layers pull apart soft and tender.
Notes
- You can also make this in a stand mixer without stretch and folds: after the initial mix, turn the mixer off for at least 30 minutes (60 minutes is even better) to let the dough hydrate. Then turn it back on and mix for about 15 minutes to develop gluten.
- You can make this star bread with different fillings, such as chocolate or cranberry-orange. Just be careful not to overfill, as too much filling can ruin the shape.
- *The timing of the first rise starts when you add the starter, so in this recipe, it begins when you first mix the ingredients. It doesn’t matter how long you let it hydrate after mixing or when you did the stretch and folds; the bulk fermentation “clock” starts with the addition of the starter.
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