Mexican Chocolate Star Bread is a tasty way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. The beautiful star pattern is much easier than it looks.
This post is going to be short. Becks is back from college and visiting with her boyfriend. It’s the first time to meet him so big step for them (and me). I want to spend as much time enjoying their company as possible so posts this week will be short.
I’m on King Arthur Flour’s mailing list. Their bakers come up with some wonderful recipes and it’s a great place to get ideas.
A few months ago, one of the recipes was cinnamon star bread. Their recipe uses potato flakes or potato flour. Neither of those is available here. Not that I’d have them in my cupboard in Texas either. I always make mashed potatoes from scratch and I’ve never used potato flour.
I also wanted something chocolaty. You can use Nutella or cocoa and sugar if you prefer. I like cinnamon and chocolate together so I settled on Mexican chocolate star bread.
I was surprised how easy it was to get the pretty star pattern. First roll four balls of dough into four large circles. Second, alternate layers of dough and chocolate mixture.
Then set a biscuit cutter or glass on top in the center. This keeps the center cut-free. Using a sharp knife cut the circle in fourths (like slicing a pie but not all the way to the center). Then cut each fourth in half (eighths) and finally cut each eighth in half for 16 strips.
Twist one strip 2 times in a clockwise direction. Twist the strip next to it to the right in a counterclockwise direction (just go the opposite direction with the two strips). Bring the ends together and seal with a little beaten egg. Now you have one branch of the star. Repeat 7 more times for the other arms.
I noticed, King Arthur twisted their arms away from each other and tucked the ends under but I twisted mine towards each other and laid one on top of the other. Slightly different looks but both are stunning.
One nice thing about this bread is that it has most of the flavor of cinnamon rolls with a lot less fat. You spread egg wash between the layers instead of butter. No one here seemed to notice the difference.
Mexican Star Chocolate Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup hot water (114°F)
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons yeast
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 1/4 cup dry milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup mashed potatoes
Filling
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional if you want some zing)
- 1 beaten egg
Instructions
Filling
Mix cocoa powder, cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and set aside. You will use the beaten egg after the bread rises.
Bread
- Add butter, vanilla, yeast and sugar to warm water and let sit for 10 minutes to proof (should be foamy).
- Mix flour, salt, and dry milk together in a bowl. Stir in mashed potatoes and yeast mixture. Knead for about 5 minutes until dough is smooth. Form dough into a ball and place back in the bowl. Cover with a damp towel and let rise until double (about 60 minutes).
- Punch dough down and divide into 4 equal sized portions. Let rest 15 minutes.
- Roll the first ball into a 10 inch circle. Place the circle on parchment paper on a baking sheet and brush the top with beaten egg. Then spread 3 tablespoons of the filling mixture over the top.
- Roll the second ball into a 10 inch circle and place on top of the first round. Brush with beaten egg and spread 3 tablespoons of filling on top. Repeat with the third piece of dough (there will be a little extra topping for this layer).
- Roll the fourth piece of dough into a 10 inch circle and place on top of the other three.
- Place a glass or biscuit cutter on top in the middle (this is a round guide to keep you from cutting the center). Cut the dough into 16 strips. I cut the dough in fourths and then cut each fourth in half and then cut each strip in half again.
- Grab to adjacent strips and twist them towards each other two turns. Bring the ends together and seal with some beaten egg. Repeat 8 times for the arms of the star.
- Cover with a damp cloth and let rise 45 minutes.
- Brush the top with beaten egg. Bake at 400°F for 12-15 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 178Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 251mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 1gSugar: 11gProtein: 4g
Nutrition information is provided as a guide only. Please consult a dietician for specific dietary needs.