Fruit Mince Braided Star Bread ~ #BreadBakers

A pull-apart Braided Star Bread that is sure to be a show-stopper and is deceptively easy to make. 

With a wonderful enriched dough and a filling of traditional fruit mince, this holiday

treat will be the star of your get-together and disappear right before your eyes.

This month the Bread Bakers are baking Tear & Share Holiday Breads. Tear & Share Breads encompass everything from pull apart bread, bubble bread, and monkey bread and they can be sweet or savory.  I have had a Braided Star Bread on my list of bread recipes I wanted to try for quite some time so now was my chance.

Fruit Mince or Mincemeat, which is a mixture of chopped dried fruit, candied mixed peel, alcohol, and holiday spices is very popular in Australia. I grew up eating Fruit Mince Pies around the holidays and too me it just tastes like Christmas.  I thought it would make a wonderful filling for my Braided Star Bread.

Although it looks intricate, I was actually surprised how easy this bread is to make, but be prepared to get a little messy when you are twisting the strips - keep a cloth handy so that you can wipe your hands in between twisting. I may seem like it is not going to work out but stay with it and you will have a beautiful bread at the end.

I felt like the Fruit Mince was a good choice but the pieces of fruit made it difficult to spread.  The next time I make it I think I will try processing the mixture so that it is smooth. I may have also added a little too much filling, and prior to baking a had a little moment of panic that it would spill out everywhere as it baked, but everything turned out just fine. This bread had everything I love - it was super soft and pillowy and the filling was tart-sweet with a wonderful spice. Not bad for my first attempt and it disappeared quickly. 10/10 would make again.

Fruit Mince Braided Star Bread
Printer Friendly Recipe

Ingredients

• 165ml (⅔ cup) whole milk, warmed to 105°F to 110°F
• 15g (1 tablespoon) granulated sugar
• 8g (1 x 0.25-ounce package) active dry yeast
• 410g (3¼ cups) all-purpose flour, divided
• 60g (¼ cup) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 egg and 30ml (1 tablespoon) milk or water for egg wash

Preparation

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Let stand until mixture is foamy, about 10 minutes.
2. With mixer running on low speed, add 125g (1 cup ) flour, beating just until combined.
3. Add the melted butter and 65g (½ cup) flour, beating until combined. 
4. Beat in eggs. 
5. Gradually add salt and remaining 220g (1¾ cups) flour, beating until a soft dough forms (dough will be sticky).
6. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place dough in bowl, turning to grease top.
7. Loosely cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
8. Punch down the dough to release the air.
9. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface.
10. Divide into 4 equal pieces and, with a floured rolling pin, roll each out into a thin 10-inch circle.
11. Place the bottom circle on prepared baking sheet. 
12. Top with filling, then layer the remaining circles and filling on top (the top layer does not have filling on it, so only 3 of the 4 circles will be topped with filling).
13. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut any scraps around the edges so you have an even circle.
14. Place a 3 inch round object or bowl in the center and make an indent, this is the center of the star.
15. Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut 16 even strips. 
16. Using both hands, grab two strips and twist them away from each other twice, then press the two ends together to make a point, the star bread will have 8 points.
17. Cover the shaped bread with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let it rest for 20 minutes.
18. Preheat oven to 180℃ (350°F ).
19. Whisk together egg and milk/water and, using a pastry brush, lightly brush the star bread with the mixture. 
20. Bake for about 25- 30 minutes or until golden brown on top (if you notice it browning too quickly, loosely tent the star bread with aluminum foil.
21. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.
22. Dust confectioners’ sugar on top and enjoy warm.
23. Cover and store leftover star bread at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the #BreadBakers home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month the Bread Bakers are making Tear & Share Holiday Breads, a theme chosen by Felice from All That's Left Are The Crumbs.

And don’t forget to check out all the amazing breads baked by our talented bakers ~

• Baklava Danish Tear and Share Treat Bread by A Messy Kitchen
• Buttery Soft Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Cheesy Chicken Chutney Pull Apart Skillet Rolls by Sneha's Recipe
• Cheesy Tomato Tapenade Party Bread by Food Lust People Love
• Cranberry Cinnamon Star Bread by Making Miracles
• Fruit Mince Braided Star Bread by All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Gingerbread Spice Christmas Tree Bread by Passion Kneaded
• Herb and Cheese Star Bread by Ambrosia
• Koledna Pitka - Bulgarian Christmas Eve Bread by Magical Ingredients
• Sourdough Finnish Pulla Bread by Zesty South Indian Kitchen
• Pumpkin Spice Pull-Apart Loaf by Palatable Pastime
• Spiced Chrysanthemum Bread by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Turkey, Cranberry and Cheese Pull Apart Bread by A Day in the Life on the Farm