Star Bread (Nutella Christmas Bread)
This vegan star bread is a soft, sweet yeasted dough layered with warm chocolate hazelnut spread, then twisted into a golden star that looks like it took far more skill than it actually does. It is a showpiece centerpiece for a Christmas table, yet the method is simple enough that a first-time bread baker can pull it off. Make it when you want something festive and impressive without a long list of complicated steps.
Part of why this bread feels so right at Christmas is the smell it fills the kitchen with. It is the childhood memory of your grandma, baking Christmas pastries and cookies late into the night, while you silently doze off in a house that smelled of cinnamon and applesauce. That warm, yeasty, chocolatey scent is exactly what this star bread brings back.
What you need to make it
The ingredient list is short, and every item does a specific job. Here is what to know before you start.
- All-purpose flour (3 cups) gives the soft, tender crumb you want in a sweet bread. Weigh or spoon-and-level your flour so you do not accidentally pack in too much, which makes the dough dry and stiff.
- Instant yeast (1 packet) is what lifts the dough. Instant yeast can be mixed straight in, but here you activate it in warm milk first so you can see it is alive before you commit the whole batch.
- Warm milk (1 cup, plus 2 Tbsp for the wash) hydrates the dough and feeds the yeast. Use a plant-based milk for the vegan version. Warm, not hot: aim for bath-water temperature so you wake the yeast up instead of killing it.
- Melted butter (3 Tbsp) enriches the dough and keeps it soft. Use a vegan butter for the vegan version.
- Sugar (1 Tbsp) and salt (¼ tsp) season the dough. The sugar also gives the yeast a little extra food; the salt keeps the flavor from tasting flat.
- Chocolate hazelnut spread (1 ½ cups, warmed) is the filling. Warming it makes it spreadable so it glides across the dough without tearing it. Choose a vegan chocolate hazelnut spread to keep the whole bread plant-based.
How to make vegan star bread, step by step
The full measurements and timings are in the recipe card below, but here is the shape of the process so you know what you are getting into. First you combine warm milk and melted butter, sprinkle the yeast over the top, and let it activate for about 10 minutes. Then you stir in the sugar and salt, add the flour half a cup at a time, and knead briefly into a smooth ball. The dough rests in an oiled, covered bowl for about an hour, until doubled in size.
Once risen, divide the dough into three equal pieces and roll each into a circle. Spread half the warmed chocolate hazelnut spread over the first circle, top with the second, spread the rest, and cover with the third. Use a large plate to trim the stack into a neat circle, then place a cup upside-down in the center and cut the dough into 16 wedges from the cup out to the edge. Twist pairs of wedges together to form the star points, brush with a little milk, and bake at 200C for about 30 minutes.
The secret to a clean star shape
The twist is the part that looks intimidating and is actually the easiest to get right once you understand it. Leave the cup in the center while you cut and twist: it protects the middle so the whole thing stays connected and does not unravel. Cut all 16 wedges before you twist anything, so the spacing stays even all the way around.
To twist, take two neighboring wedges and turn them away from each other, two full rotations each, then pinch the outer tips of that pair together so they hold. Work your way around, pair by pair, and the points naturally form. A pizza cutter gives you clean, quick cuts through all three layers; a regular knife tends to drag the dough and smear the filling. If the dough feels sticky and hard to handle, a light dusting of flour on your fingertips makes twisting much easier.
Why this method works
Activating the yeast in warm milk before adding the flour is a quick insurance check: if it foams, you know the bread will rise, and you have not wasted three cups of flour on dead yeast. Adding the flour half a cup at a time lets you feel when the dough has had enough, since flour absorbs liquid differently depending on humidity and how it was measured. The milk wash brushed on before baking is what gives the finished star its glossy, golden top, because the sugars in the milk brown in the oven’s heat.
How to tell when it is done
After about 30 minutes at 200C, the star should be deeply golden on top and on the raised edges of the points. If the surface is browning fast but you are not sure the center is baked, tap the middle: it should sound hollow and feel set, not doughy. A little chocolate hazelnut spread bubbling at the seams is normal and part of the charm.
Let it cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes before you tear into it. The filling comes out molten straight from the oven, and a short rest lets it set just enough to pull apart cleanly without burning your fingers.
Make-ahead, storing and serving
Star bread is at its absolute best warm on the day it is baked, when the dough is soft and the filling is still a little gooey. To store leftovers, cover them well or keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days; a quick 10-second warm-up in the microwave brings back that fresh-from-the-oven softness. You can also prepare the dough through the first rise, then shape and bake it when your guests arrive so it comes out hot.
This is a natural addition to a bigger festive baking session. If you are building a whole spread of holiday sweets, pair it with a batch of vegan Christmas cookies or some spiced vegan gingerbread cookies. For a slower weekend-morning bake in the same cozy spirit, my vegan cinnamon bread and vegan chocolate banana bread are both good companions to this one.
If you make this star bread for your Christmas table, I would love to know how the twist turned out for you and whether you kept it classic with chocolate hazelnut or tried your own filling. Rate the recipe below and leave a comment with how it went, so other bakers can see it worked.
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Star Bread
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp vegan butter melted; or regular butter for a non-vegan version
- 1 packet instant yeast
- 1 cup plant milk warmed, plus 2 Tbsp for the milk wash; or regular milk for a non-vegan version
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups vegan chocolate hazelnut spread warmed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the warm milk and the melted butter.
- Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it activate for 10 minutes.
- Add the sugar and the salt, then stir to combine.
- Stir in the flour, ½ cup at a time.
- When the dough is too thick to stir, transfer it to a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute or so, until it forms a ball.
- Grease a medium bowl with a little oil and place the dough inside.
- Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour, until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
- Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece out into a circle.
- Using a spatula, spread ½ of the warmed hazelnut spread over the bottom circle, cover with the second circle and repeat with the remaining spread.
- Cover with the last circle.
- Using a large plate as a guide, trim the edges to create a perfect circle.
- Transfer the dough to a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- To twist the dough, place a large cup upside down in the centre of the circle.
- Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough from the cup out to the edge into 16 wedges.
- Twist the wedges together in pairs to form the star points, pinching the ends to seal.
- Brush the top with the reserved 2 Tbsp of milk.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
No. It looks impressive but the technique is beginner-friendly. You make a simple yeasted dough, stack three circles with chocolate hazelnut spread between them, cut the stack into 16 wedges around a center cup, and twist pairs of wedges into points. Keeping the cup in the center while you cut and twist is the trick that keeps it from unraveling.
Place a cup upside-down in the center of your circle and cut the dough from the cup out to the edge into 16 wedges. Then take two neighboring wedges, turn them away from each other about two full rotations, and pinch the outer tips together. Work around the circle pair by pair, and the star points form on their own.
Use a plant-based milk in place of dairy milk, a vegan butter in place of regular butter, and a vegan chocolate hazelnut spread for the filling. With those three swaps the entire bread is plant-based, and the method stays exactly the same.
The most common cause is milk that is too hot, which kills the yeast, or milk that is too cold, which does not wake it up. Aim for warm, bath-water temperature milk. After sprinkling the yeast on top, wait about 10 minutes; it should look foamy and a little bubbly. If nothing happens, the yeast may be old, and it is worth starting over before adding the flour.
It is best warm on the day it is baked. For leftovers, keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. Warm a piece in the microwave for about 10 seconds before serving to bring back the soft, fresh-baked texture and loosen the chocolate hazelnut filling.
Yes. Chocolate hazelnut spread is classic and warms up to spread beautifully, but any thick, spreadable filling that is not too runny works, such as a fruit jam or a cinnamon-sugar butter. Warm thick spreads slightly so they glide across the dough without tearing it, and avoid very wet fillings that would soak the layers.
Thanks so much for this recipe! Making this is super easy and the results and so impressive! This was definitely the “star” of our Christmas table 🙂
Thank you!