Star Bread with Cheese and Herbs

4.70 from 13 votes

This savory herb and cheese star bread is both festive and delicious. It combines stretchy mozzarella, savory feta cheese, herbs and spices. Serve it at your next holiday party, brunch or enjoy it as a snack.

Prep Time25

Cook Time25

Total Time50

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: pieces

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $10

Ingredients

½ cup Water
½ cup Whole milk - 2% works well too
1 tbsp Sugar
2 ¼ tsp Active dry yeast - Equivalent of 1 packet
3 cups All-purpose flour
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 Egg

Filling

1 cup Mozzarella - Shredded
½ cup Feta - Crumbled
1 tbsp Dried oregano
1 tbsp Dried mint - Substitute dried basil, Italian herb mix, or just use more oregano
1 tbsp Sesame seeds - Toasted
1 tsp Chili flake - Optional, I use a mild Aleppo Chili flake

Finishing touch

Honey

Instructions

Bloom yeast. Heat the milk and water slightly in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add the sugar and yeast. Mix well and wait 5-10 minutes for the yeast to activate. Note: Be careful, if the liquid is too hot, it could kill the yeast. 110°F is the maximum temperature that yeast can withstand.
Make dough. In a stand mixer bowl add the flour and salt. Once the yeast is foamy, add to the stand mixer bowl and knead for 8 minutes. You may need to adjust liquid/flour as necessary. Note: If you don't have a stand mixer, you can mix the dough in a bowl and then knead it on your counter for 10 minutes.
Rise. Once the dough is supple, let it rise in an oiled bowl (or in the stand mixer bowl) covered with a towel for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Mix. While the dough rises, make your herby cheese mixture by combining all the filling ingredients in a small bowl.
Divide. When the dough is ready, divide it into 4 equal parts and form into balls. Use a kitchen scale if you have one.
Roll. Roll the balls out into flat disks about 12 inches wide. You may have to let the disks rest as you roll to let the gluten relax. Otherwise, disks may not stretch to 12”. If you're feeling fancy, use a large dinner plate to cut out perfect circles.
Assemble. On a lined baking sheet, place a dough disk, then spread ⅓ of the filling mix evenly. Top with another dough disk, add ⅓ of the filling and repeat until finished.
Form the star shape. Place a small bowl or cookie cutter on the center of the dough stack as a guide. Cut dough stack into quarters, without cutting under the bowl/cookie cutter. Cut each quarter in half, and then cut each 8th in half again. You should end up with 16 wedges.
Twist. Grab 2 adjacent wedges and twist them in opposite directions 3 times and then pinch the ends to form a neat point. Repeat 7 times.
Rise. Cover with a towel and let rise for 30 minutes while your oven preheats to 375°F.
Egg wash. Brush bread with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until browned on top and bottom and cooked through. Drizzle with optional honey while still warm.

Notes

I highly recommend that you refer to the blog post above for more detailed photo instructions.

Important ingredient notes:

Flour. This recipe has been tested with all-purpose flour but you can certainly make it with bread flour as well. For a healthier option, replace ¼ of the flour mixture with whole wheat flour.
Yeast. I like to use rapid-rising yeast. If you don't bake often, you might have some inactive or expired yeast. Always check the expiry date and use the freshest possible yeast. Store your yeast in the fridge for optimal freshness.
Milk. If for whatever reason you prefer not to use milk, you can substitute water. However, note that milk adds natural sweetness to the dough and helps it become tender and supple.
Cheese. I like the combination of stretchy mozzarella with tangy feta, but you can definitely switch it up. Ricotta salata can be used instead of feta. An aged cheddar can be used instead of mozzarella. Just be careful not to choose a cheese that is too wet, or you might end up with a soggy bake.
Herbs. The combination of oregano and mint is classic. The flavor profile brings me back to my childhood. But feel free to change it up. The possibilities are endless. Make sure the herbs and spices you use are the freshest they can be.

Nutrition