After bringing home the most beautiful bunch of hearty, winter spinach from the farmers market, I knew that it had to become the filling for this star bread. Artichokes aren’t quite in season yet, however I had some preserved in the pantry that were the perfect flavor combination with the spinach. I added a little garlic, parmesan and cream cheese to make this delicious and vivid filling. While it may look complex to make, a few simple steps of stacking, slicing and twisting result in a bread that’s sure to be a star of the show.
While I decided to evoke the flavors of spring with the spinach and artichokes, the filling possibilities for star bread are endless. Other savory options include garlic butter, pesto or tomato sauce. You can even chop up your favorite pizza toppings and add them to the mix. If you’d prefer something sweet, try making it with cinnamon sugar, apple butter or jam. This is a great recipe to get creative with and put your own spin on it.
The star bread is prepared in 4 steps:
- Make the dough – This dough is made with active dry yeast, so it’s quick to rise and easy to handle. The addition of eggs and butter make the dough extra tender for perfect pull-apart pieces.
- Make the filling – Follow the recipe below for the vivid and delicious spinach artichoke filling, or get creative and come up with your own filling. Savory or sweet.
- Assemble – It might seem intimidating at first, but I promise you can do it. Once you make this star bread for the first time (with a little help from the instructions and tutorials below), I don’t doubt that you will make it again and again.
- Bake – After shaping, the bread needs a quick final rise, a brush of egg wash and it’s ready to bake. It only takes 30 minutes in the oven and then it’s ready to enjoy!
About The Farm
Urbavore Farm – Kansas City, Missouri
When Dan and Brooke of Urbavore Farm state that they are committed to energy independent systems, they really, really mean it! Along with their children, they operate a 13.5 acre, biologically diverse urban farmstead using no-till and no-irrigation practices. That’s right, each eco-conscious choice that they make allows them to grow some of the most beautiful, delicious produce with minimal disturbance to the land. They are truly setting the precedent for what sustainable agriculture can be, and needs to be, in order to maintain healthy food systems for the future.
Spinach Feta Star Bread
Course: Side, Appetizers, BreadDifficulty: Easy16
servings30
minutes30
minutesStar bread filled with a delicious and vivid mixture of spinach, artichoke and cheese.
Ingredients
- Bread Dough
3/4 cup (180 g) whole milk
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons (45 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 and 1/3 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- Spinach Artichoke Filling
1/2 pound (226 g) fresh spinach (roughly 7 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup (113 g) artichoke hearts, steamed or canned, patted dry
3 oz (85 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
2 oz (57 g) parmesan cheese, shaved or freshly grated
Salt and pepper to taste
- Egg Wash
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk or water
Optional Garnish: grated parmesan cheese
Directions
- Bread Dough
- To make the dough, warm the milk to 95°F (do not exceed 110°F or the heat will damage the yeast). Combine the milk, yeast and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit for 5 minutes or until the yeast is frothy. Add the butter, eggs, flour and salt. Using a dough hook, mix until a smooth dough forms. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in volume. Once the dough has doubled, press down to remove any air pockets and place in the fridge while preparing the filling and egg wash.
- Spinach Artichoke Filling
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet until hot and add the spinach. Cook the spinach until wilted, remove from heat and let cool. Transfer the spinach to a cloth and ring out any excess moisture.
- If using fresh artichokes, steam until tender. If using canned artichokes, remove from water or oil and pat dry. Set aside.
- Place garlic in a food processor and pulse until minced. Add spinach, artichoke hearts, cream cheese, parmesan, salt and pepper. Blend until the mixture is smooth and vibrant green.
- Egg Wash
- Whisk together egg and water or milk until blended. Set aside.
- Star Bread Assembly
- Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll the dough into balls. On a counter dusted with flour, use a rolling pin to roll each ball into 12 inch circles. You will have 4 circles of dough.
- Divide the filling into 3 equal portions. Place the first circle of dough onto a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Spread 1/3 of the filling over the circle. Stack the next circle on top and cover with filling again. Repeat one more time, until there are three layers of dough coated with filling. Place the last circle of dough on top. If needed, trim the edges of the dough so that the circumference of all of the layers is the same.
- Mark the center of the circle with a 3 inch cookie cutter (be careful not to cut through the dough). Using a sharp knife, cut from the edge of the center circle, creating 16 equal strands of dough. I like to start by cutting quarters, and then dividing in half, and then half again.
- Once all 16 segments are cut, take two of the strands and twist twice, towards each other. Once twisted, pinch the ends together. See video below. Repeat until all of the strands are twisted. There should be 8 points and a star in the center. Cover the star bread with a large bowl and let rise 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Once the final rise is complete, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190°F.
- Let cool for 15 minutes before serving. This star bread can be stored in the refrigerator for up 5 days and reheated in the oven.