Cardamom Raspberry Star Bread

Celebrate the holiday season with our showstopping cardamom raspberry star bread. It makes a special treat that will disappear in a flash. This post is sponsored by Calphalon. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Beyond Sweet and Savory possible.

December marks the beginning of the holiday baking season for our family. We bake bread, cakes, cookies, and all types of treats. While the cookies and cakes change every year, one tradition that we follow is enjoying a star bread on Christmas morning while opening presents. To celebrate this holiday season, I couldn’t be more excited to partner with Calphalon to share our special recipe for a cardamom raspberry star bread. This pull-apart style sweet bread is made from a rich yeasted dough layered with raspberry jam, flavored with cardamom, and baked to perfection for a special treat.

How to Make Star Bread

Making the cardamom raspberry star bread takes about 2 days but the result is worth every second! It involves making the dough, proving it twice, rolling, filling, shaping, and baking. Although there are a lot of steps, each is simple and success guaranteed if you read the instructions thoroughly before making it. 

A Note on Yeast

For the star bread, we start with a yeasted dough that’s enriched with whole milk, eggs, and butter. Similar breads that utilize rich dough are brioche, babka, cinnamon rolls, and monkey bread. The most important thing is making sure the temperature of the milk doesn’t go above 110 degrees F or the yeast will die. Instant dry yeast or active dry yeast works for this recipe but the rise time will take a little longer if you use the latter. Always check the expiration date on your yeast package otherwise the yeast might be old and the dough won’t rise properly. 

The dough requires two proving steps. After the dough is made, leave it in a warm spot in your kitchen to rise for 2 hours. Once it doubles in size, punch down the dough to release any air bubbles and let it prove overnight, about 8 hours, in the fridge to develop the cardamom flavor. If you’re making this during cold weather, prove it in your oven at 90 degrees F and the dough will rise.  

At first glance shaping the cardamom raspberry star bread might seem intimidating but it’s a lot simpler than it looks. I have included a series of step by step pictures to show you how to shape the star bread. Rolling out the dough, filling it with jam, and shaping the star bread can be a lot of fun. Don’t worry if you don’t get the perfect shape on your first try. It comes with practice. Keeping the dough chill makes the job a bit easier. Whenever I feel the dough is too soft to handle, I put it in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up.

Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece of the dough into a ball and cover them with a clean, damp tea towel while you work on one. Take one ball of dough and flatten it with your hands first then shape it into a rough circle. Next, use the rolling pin to roll the dough into a 10-inch disk. I like to roll out all the dough and stack them in between parchment papers before filling it.

Transfer the dough onto a large baking sheet. Use an offset spatula to spread ¼ cup of raspberry jam on top of the dough disk. I love the taste of raspberry jam with cardamom but feel free to substitute with your favorite jam, chocolate, or hazelnut spread. Place another dough disk on top of the raspberry jam and repeat the process two more times.

Top the last layer of raspberry jam with the last piece of dough. I like to trim the excess dough and make the star shape even. Place a 10-inch plate on top of the dough disc and trim any excess dough with a sharp knife or pastry wheel.

How to Shape Star Bread

Use small glass or bowl with a 2-inch diameter and place it in the center of the dough. Press it gently to make a small indent. Use a sharp knife or a pastry wheel, make 4 cuts at 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, and 9 o'clock.

Slice each of these quarters into two pieces, then cut each of those into two pieces again. 

You should have 16 pieces connected to the middle of the circle.

To shape the dough, take any two strands next to each other and twist them away from each other. Pinch the ends of the strands together to form a point. Repeat with remaining strands until you have a shape of a star.

How Long to Bake the Bread

I love using my Calphalon Premier™ Countertop Safe Bakeware cookie sheet for baking the star bread. Its heavy-gauge steel core heats evenly with interlocking nonstick layers for superior release. I didn’t even need parchment paper for baking. Brush the star bread with egg wash and bake it for 25 minutes at 350 degrees F or until it turns golden brown. 

When the bread is done baking, leave it to cool on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes before serving. I love the heat-resistant, no-slip silicone feet of the Calphalon Premier™ Countertop Safe Bakeware which allow the sheet to go directly on the countertop from the oven. 

This innovative design protects counters from surface and accidental burns while eliminating the need for trivets or pot holders. I love the high quality of Calphalon’s bakeware and have pieces that are still going strong even after a decade of use. 

I could hardly wait to tear off a piece when the smell of freshly baked bread filled our kitchen. Pulling off a piece while it’s still warm is an experience to be savored. With every bite you get moist, tender crumbs, layered with a raspberry jam and subtle note of cardamom. Celebrate the holiday season with this special treat! 

For more yeasted bread inspiration, check these recipes: chocolate halva tahini wreath bread, salted tahini caramel monkey bread, earl grey chocolate babka, prune chocolate morning buns.