Celebrate this holiday with this decadent Date Orange Cinnamon Star Bread. This cinnamon bread is soft, fluffy with layers of date orange cinnamon filling, and very addictive too!
It has been a crazy busy few weeks for us. Things did not work as planned this holiday. However, I was able to do the gift shopping on time, and I just managed to bake a few batches of cookies to send to our friends.
It’s Christmas eve, and I think it is not too late to post a fantastic recipe that you can share with your family. You could make this Date orange Cinnamon Star Bread for Christmas breakfast or new years.
I baked these cinnamon rolls a few times and took them to work and, my colleagues just loved it. They have been requesting me to post the recipe since, and I got to it just now. ?
How to bake Date Cinnamon Star Bread
This cinnamon roll recipe is easy to put together, and you can make it ahead of time. I used the basic bread dough that I use for many of my bread recipes. The only addition to this dough recipe is eggs and orange juice. If you prefer an egg-free recipe, you can leave the eggs out and replace them with 3 Tablespoons of milk or water.
Since it’s Christmas, I shaped them into a star. But if you like the regular classic cinnamon roll shape, you can go ahead. However, the star shape is easy to make if you follow the steps given. I made two star-shaped cinnamon loaves with this recipe.
The date orange cinnamon filling is quick to whip up. You will only need dates, orange zest and juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Add all the ingredients into a food processor and blend it well until smooth paste forms. It makes about 1 1/4 cups, and this is enough for both star bread.
How to make the dough
It is important to use warm milk (the temperature at 110°C ) Depending on the flour and the weather conditions, you might need more or less milk. Add the milk gradually to get a very soft dough but not wet dough. If the dough is dry, add milk, 1 Tablespoon. Similarly, if the dough is too wet, add flour 1 Tablespoon at a time until you get the correct consistency. Avoid adding too much flour. Use whole milk and avoid using fat-free or low-fat milk.
Date Orange Cinnamon Star Bread -Cinnamon Rolls
Course: Bread, Breakfast, featured, Freezer-Friendly, Sweet & Savory Bakes8
servings2
hours25
minutesIngredients
- Bread Dough
500g/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons/7g instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon orange zest
1 large egg
3/4cup + 2 Tablespoons / 205ml of whole milk( warm water -110°C)
½ cup/ 120ml of orange juice
60g/ 3 Tablespoons soft unsalted butter( room temperature)
Egg Wash – one large egg yolk and 1/2 teaspoon water/ milk
- Date Orange Cinnamon Filling
238g of / 1 cup pitted Medjool dates
1 Tablespoon orange zest
100g / 1/2 cup brown sugar
60g / 3 Tablespoons soft unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
3-4 Tablespoons Orange Juice
- Orange Vanilla Glaze
50g / 1/2 cup Icing sugar(powdered sugar)
2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tablespoon orange juice
Directions
- Making the bread dough
- First, combine flour, sugar, orange zest, and salt in a large bowl, and next, add the yeast and mix well.
- Make a well in the center.
- Add the butter, egg, orange juice to the flour mixture and gradually add the milk and knead to form a very soft and slightly sticky dough. The amount of liquid may vary according to the flour that you are using.
- Next, turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead the dough for 10 minutes.
- Put the dough into an oiled bowl and cover the bowl with cling wrap and leave it somewhere warm for 1 hour or till the dough is doubled in size.
- Make the filling
- Add the dates, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, orange zest and juice, and butter into a food processor and blend it well until smooth paste forms. If the filling is too thick, add a tablespoon of orange juice to get a spreadable consistency.
- Shaping & Filling**
- After an hour, punch the dough down, and shape the dough.
- Divide the dough equally into 8 -pieces for 2 -star loaves. Shape each piece into a ball and cover them with a damp cloth to avoid forming a skin on top. Rest the dough balls for 10- 15 minutes. This helps it easier to roll the dough.
- Lightly flour the countertop, and take one dough ball and roll into an about 7-8-inch circle.
- Next, place the circle on a parchment paper and equally spread 1 1/2 – 2 Tablespoons of the filling.
- Repeat the rolling and filling for 2 other circles and place the 4th circle on top and leave it plain.
- Place a 2-inch circle cutter or a bowl in the center, and make an indent as a guide.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the circle into 16 even strips starting from the guided line.
- Carefully lift two strips and twist them away from each other. Pinch each pair of strips together to create 8 points of the star.
- Slowly, move the star bread with the parchment paper to a baking sheet, cover, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, Preheat the oven to 177C / 350F.
- Brush the star bread with egg wash and bake it for 20- 25 minutes. It took 20 minutes for me. Since every oven is different, I would suggest checking the bread after about 18 minutes.
- Remove the loaf from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Brush some butter on top and drizzle the Orange Vanilla Glaze. Serve it warm with a cup of hot chocolate or coffee.
Notes
- Make-Ahead -You can bake this Star bread ahead and store this in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days or freeze it for later use.
