Date Orange Cinnamon Star Bread -Cinnamon Rolls

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.