A beautiful cinnamon bun shaped into a cinnamon star bread! This pull-apart sweet bread is perfect for family gathering. It comes along with a step-by-step video tutorial.
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As you may already know, the Swedes are fairly well attuned to the rhythms of nature. Each year, by the end of June (usually between the 19th and the 25th), they celebrate Midsummer, the most important holiday in the Swedish calendar, and also a beautiful tradition which is centered around the summer solstice.
Midsummer (or “Midsommar” in Swedish) takes place mostly in the countryside and is the occasion for large gatherings for both family and friends and it lasts about 3 days. To me, the Midsummer formula involves the traditional maypole, crowns of flowers, songs and dance, a never-ending lunch/dinner and snaps (a lot!). Snaps is Sweden’s take on schnaps.
Children usually wear beautiful flower crowns and dance with their parents around a leafy and flower-laden maypole raised in an open spot. The most famous song is “Små grodorna”, the small frogs, a very cute one indeed! But if you really want to know how the tradition looks like, I think you need to attend the Midsummer celebrations at least once in your life!
For this very special occasion, I wanted to cook or bake something special for you. I could have chosen one specific recipe that is served at Midsummer celebrations, but instead I went for the traditional cinnamon buns (or “kanelbullar” in Swedish), and I simply shaped them into a lovely cinnamon star bread, that reminds me of the Midsummer crown symbol. A new cinnamon bun was born!
Because of the visual aspect of the recipe, I thought it could be fun to make a video to show you how to shape the cinnamon star bread. This way, it’s much easier to understand and follow the instructions of the recipe and you will find it much easier than it looks. Please, forgive me if I look super serious and a little bit tense in the video, it was my very first one. What a challenge! I loved the exercise anyway and hopefully I will come back soon with new cooking/baking videos if you like it. Have fun listening to my little French accent anyway!
Enjoy the video & Happy Midsummer everyone!
PrintSwedish Cinnamon Star Bread (like a cinnamon bun)
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 mins
- Yield: 8-10 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: Swedish
A beautiful cinnamon bun shaped into a cinnamon star bread! This pull-apart sweet bread is perfect for family gathering. It comes along with a step-by-step video tutorial.
Email me this recipe
We’ll send it straight to your inbox, along with weekly food inspiration!
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 3 3/4 cups (450g) flour
- 1/3 cup (70g) sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2 Tablespoons (30g) butter, softened at room temperature
- 2 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) milk
- 1 Tablespoon (8.5g) active dry yeast*
- 1 egg white (to brush)
For the cinnamon filling:
- 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
- 4 Tablespoons (31g) ground cinnamon
- 1/3–1/2 cup (100g) butter, softened at room temperature
Instructions
- Pour the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt) into a large bowl, then add the butter softened at room temperature and the yolks. Mix all the ingredients together until you get a slightly crumbled texture.
- Warm the milk for about 30 seconds in the microwave. Pour into the dry yeast and let it sit for about 15 minutes to activate.
- Add in the yeast to the other ingredients and mix until combined. Shape into a ball and knead the dough for about 8-10 minutes using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or 15-20 minutes by hand. Cover the bowl with plastic cling film and let the dough rise for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours (it should double in size).
- In the meantime, prepare the filling by mixing the sugar with the cinnamon. Add the softened butter and mix until combined.
- Take the dough out, knead it for about 1 more minute by hand. Shape the dough into a snake and divide into 4 equal parts. Shape them into balls.
- Take the first one and roll a large circle and place it on a piece of baking paper. Repeat with the other balls of dough. The dough should be 2-3mm (0,1 inch) thick.
- Take a large plate and slighly press it into the first layer. Remove the plate. Now cover the marked area with a thin layer of cinnamon filling. Place the second layer of dough on top of the first one, then cover with cinnamon filling again on the marked area. Repeat the same procedure with the third layer. Then cover with the last circle of dough. Cut the excess dough with a sharp knife.
- Place a small glass in the center of the circle. Divide the circle into quarters (remember to leave the center intact). Then divide every quarter into 4 equal parts. At the end, you should have 16 equal parts.
- Take 2 parts of the circle, lift them up and twist them twice around in the opposite direction, and lay them down. Repeat with all pairs to form an eight-armed star.
- Twist the ends of each arm underneath to create a round shape.
- Brush the surface of the bread with egg white before putting it into the oven.
- Bake at 350F, for about 15-20 minutes. Let cool a little bit, and enjoy!
Notes
* 1 tablespoon active dry yeast = 8.5g active dry yeast = 25g fresh yeast.
To adapt the quantities of yeast depending on which one you use (fresh yeast, dry yeast, active dry yeast, instant yeast…), use the following conversion calculator: http://www.traditionaloven.com/conversions_of_measures/yeast_converter.html
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this Swedish Cinnamon Star Bread (like a cinnamon bun), be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
Liam
Overall, this is a tasty recipe and we did enjoy it. However, like other reviewers noted in their experience, the recipe itself required more liquid to make the dough, about half a cup of water in my case. Otherwise, this bake is easy to follow, yields a nice treat – the dough itself (with the water added) was light and fluffy – and acts as a great bed for additional flavors, if desired. Just cinnamon itself is a bit dull for me, so I added in a homemade pumpkin spice mix to provide some additional depth.
4-stars because I had to modify the recipe to achieve a dough. Tasty though, and I do recommend it!
Amber
Wow! Amazing recipe! So beautiful and delicious! My niece and I enjoyed making it together for our Christmas celebration. This is the most ambitious pastry recipe I’ve made and it came out beautifully. Thank you for your excellent directions and video!
Delphine Fortin
Thank you so much, Amber! I’m so happy you liked it. Wishing you a Happy New Year! Del
Jeremie
I baked this last night and it turned out great! I did have some difficulty with the dough initially and since I don’t have a stand mixer and a large amount of time I added 1/2 cup water to the mix and it came out pretty darn good.
Delphine Fortin
I’m so happy you liked it, well done! 🙂
Helen
Great recipe, thanks a lot! One comment though; 4 tablespoons (of cinnamon) is NOT the same as 60g (which would be a huge amount for this recipe!) It would rather be something like 16g. 🙂
AnnieTC
Bonjour et bravo pour cette magnifique recette.
Je pense la tester ces jours – ci pour la refaire à Noël bien sûr.
J’ai une question : comment faites – vous pour transférer la brioche sur le papier de cuisson avec la plaque de cuisson sans la déformer, avant de la mettre au four.
Merci et bravo pour ce blog sur lequel je vais revenir!!!
Annie
Delphine Fortin
Bonjour Annie. En fait le plus simple c’est simplement de réaliser la brioche directement sur le papier sulfurisé, ca évitera des mauvaises surprises (et j’avoue que je ne me souviens plus de comment j’ai fait moi même pour la vidéo où visiblement je l’avais transférée sans dégats collatéraux… ca relève du miracle!). Très bonne idée de réaliser cette recette pour les fêtes en tout cas, elle plaît toujours énormément 🙂 Bien à vous. Del
Lau
Bonjour. Merci pour vos supers recettes, on se régale avec. Je vais revenir encore une fois (oui, je sais), sur une question déjà bien commentée mais pour laquelle j’ai quand même besoin de précision car ce n’est pas encore tout à fait clair :). Vous utilisez bien de la levure sèche active (Active dry yeast) et non de la levure sèche instantanée (Instant dry yeast)? Ou j’ai mal compris? Et pour la recette classique des Kanelbullar, c’est de la levure fraîche (en cube) (Fresh yeast). C’est pour faire les bonnes conversions pour utiliser ce qu’il me reste. Je vais essayer d’adapter en version sans produits laitiers car mon fils est allergique, j’espère que cela fonctionnera. Merci et bonne année 2018
Delphine Fortin
Bonjour Laure et très bonne année 2018 également! Alors oui en effet il s’agit bien de “active dry yeast” que j’utilise ici (à dissoudre dans un peu de lait, à la différence de l’instant dry yeast qui se suffit à elle même). Pour information, il faut multiplier X3 pour faire la conversion de active dry yeast à fresh yeast. Si donc vous souhaitez réaliser l’étoile briochée avec de la levure fraîche il vous en faudra environ 25g. Pour la version sans lait, je pense que vous pouvez simplement remplacer par du lait d’amande, cela devrait fonctionner également. Happy baking!
8.5g active dry yeast = 25g fresh yeast
Nass
Salut Delphine je me demandais 4 tbsp c’est bien 4 cuillères a café ?
N’est-ce pas un peu trop pour la cannelle sachant que c’est assez puissant ?
Sinon recette au top.que j’ai bien envie d’essayer
Delphine Fortin
Bonjour! Tbsp c’est “Tablespoon” en anglais, donc cuillère à soupe en francais. Et oui en effet c’est beaucoup de cannelle dans cette recette car il y a beaucoup de pâte donc finalement ça ne fera pas tant que ça par personne. Cela dit, vous pouvez parfaitement en mettre moins si vous voulez, cela n’a aucun impact sur la réussite de cette recette, le goût de cannelle sera simplement légèrement prononcé. À vous de voir en fonction de vos goûts mais je suis confiante pour cette recette même avec moins de cannelle 🙂 Joyeuses fêtes de fin d’année à vous!
Dani
I really wish you had made a note on the yeast (especially since you said you would) and now I don’t have breakfast for my family danjChristmas tomorrow because the dough is unusable and I have no more yeast. What an intense bummer. All my other ingredients are mixed so a huge waste of ingredients.
Delphine Fortin
Hi Dani. I understand your disappointment, however I think you should wait until tomorrow and see how your dough turns out after rising. Given I don’t know which yeast you used, it’s not easy to guide you at this point but I’ll do my best. If you find the dough too sticky, add a little bit more flour, and knead for 5-10 more minutes by hand. And remember to keep in a warm room as it helps the dough rise. I think you can still have a great Christmas breakfast. I have been very busy lately but I’ll work on this note regarding the dough really soon as it really matters depending on the country you are in and as a result the yeast you use. I wish you a Merry Christmas!
Delphine Fortin
Hi Dani! I just wanted to let you know that I have created a note with information depending on which yeast you use: http://www.traditionaloven.com/conversions_of_measures/yeast_converter.html
Krista
I am extremely frustrated with this recipe. You really should change the recipe on the page to reflect what is actually correct, as well as the video. Trying to decifer between the video, written recipe, and comments has taken all the joy out of this recipe. My dough came out extremely tough and unworkable. I am letting it rise now and just hoping that I didnt waste these ingredients on something I will have to throw out. I guess ultimately it was my fault for not trying this recipe before making it for a big christmas party tonight.
Delphine Fortin
Hi Krista. I’m really sorry for your frustration. This is a beautiful recipe and your guests will love the surprise tonight for sure. I’m here all day long, so please feel free to ask me any question and I’ll be happy to guide you. I baked it many times and I’m confident it will turn out just fine in the end. Good luck to you. Best wishes. Del
Delphine Fortin
Hi Rebecca! It’s because we’re talking about fresh yeast here (versus instant dry yeast that is most commonly found in the US). For 30g fresh yeast we usually recommend 7g instant dry yeast. Just use the one you have at hand. Happy baking! 🙂
Sharon
Great recipe! Thanks for the clear directions and video. I took the easy way out and used my bread machine to mix the dough. I love how easy the dough is to roll out and work with.
Delphine Fortin
Oh thank you, Sharon! I’m really glad to hear you like the recipe and found it easy to follow 🙂 I love working with this kind of dough too, it is indeed really soft and supple. Again thank you for your feedback, this is much appreciated!
Emilie
Quel effet sur la table du goûter pendant les fêtes de noël!
On a suivit la vidéo pas à pas (pc dans la cuisine) et on a réussi le pliage avec ma fille.
Trop bon! Merci!
Delphine Fortin
Oh super, vous m’en voyez ravie! Bravo à votre fille et à vous! 🙂
Marlene
I followed your directions to the T but my dough was crumbling not like yours on the video. Going to let it rise anyway and cross my fingers it rises and let’s me roll it out
Delphine Fortin
Hi Marlene! I hope it will turn out just fine, and it case the texture wouldn’t be the same, add some flour and knead a little bit again. The dough should be supple and elastic. Let me know if you need more help, I am here to help 🙂
Kim
This is my first attempt at making this and my dough was tough – not smooth as it appeared in the video but also very granular. I followed the ingredients from the video which calls for 3/4 cup of sugar. On the website I notice the written recipe calls for only 1/3 cup. Which is the correct amount? Fingers crossed it turns out because it looks divine.
Kim
Sorry – correction – video shows 2/3 cups of sugar – written shows 1/3 🙂
Delphine Fortin
Hi Kim! Thank you for pointing this mistake out, the error comes from the video as it should be 1/3 cup sugar (not 2/3). My apologize about that. I will add a coll-out to the video to cover up the mistake. However, your recipe wouldn’t change too much because of the quantity of sugar you use, so this is good news. I suggest you use a bit less sugar in the filling to compensate if you don’t want to have it too sweet. Hope you will enjoy the star bread anyway as it is one of my favorite recipe 🙂 Let me know!
Sheri
This bread is so beautiful. It’s so perfect for little bread baskets I brought back from Italy for xmas gifts. I’m going to experiment and divide the dough in half and make 2 small stars. It will fit better in the baskets. Have you tried this at all?
Delphine Fortin
Hi Sheri! I’m glad to hear that you are very enthusiastic about the recipe and want to give it a try for a Xmas gift, sounds like an amazing idea! I have never tried to make it half the size but as it is quite big, I am pretty confident it would work fine too. So you can definitely try it! Feel free to send me your feedbacks and/or pictures once you have baked them, it’s always a pleasure to me 🙂
Delphine Fortin
Hi Sheri, and thanks for your question! Yes the recipe calls for 16g of dry yeast, which is a lot but works beautifully in the recipe you will see. Keep in mind that you will need several layers for the star bread so you actually need a lot of dough. However, you can try with 2 packets of the brand you use, using 14g instead of 16. It should work just fine as well! Hope I answered your question. Have a nice day!
Sheri
Hi Delfine! I made the star cinnamon rolls today. It turned out great using one batch of dough to make two smaller stars. I also added raisins. I was going post a picture, but can’t figure out how to add it the comments. Thanks again.
Delphine Fortin
Oh, I’m really happy to read that, Sheri! I am very glad that it turned out just fine 🙂 You can send me the picture via mail if you wish at delphine.e.fortin@gmail.com or post on my Facebook page! Have a nice day and thanks for your feedback!
Joanne
I’m about to make this for the third time. A-mazing!! I drizzle a simple vanilla glaze over it once it cools. Since I’ve brought these to other people’s houses, I put it the microwave for 20 seconds before serving. Tastes like a Cinnabon!! Sooooo good!
Joanne
Also I’d like to thank you for the wonderful step-by-step instructions. They were wonderful and very helpful!
Delphine Fortin
Thank you so much for your feedback, Joanne! I am very happy to learn that you love the recipe and even baked it several times! Also, I love that you drizzle some vanilla glaze over it once cool. Thanks for sharing your tip with us. I need to try next time I will bake it. Have a nice day!
Alexia Dickens
Hi, does the flour need to be bread flour or not? This looks amazing by the way!
Sue
No, I just use all purpose flour – works fine!
Delphine Fortin
Thank you for your feedback, Sue!
Delphine Fortin
Thank you so much, Alexia! I usually use plain flour as well and it works fine 🙂