Fluffy brioche dough is layered with spicy tomato pesto and parmesan, then twisted into an easy but beautiful star bread which is perfect for tearing and sharing.
Spicy Tomato Pesto Star Bread
Happy middle of December! There are officially less than two weeks left until Christmas, and my apartment is jammed with all kinds of festive baking situations that I will be sharing with you over the next week or so!
I am super excited to share this one with you - a super festive holiday (or any time) star bread, stuffed with Spicy Tomato Pesto and Parmesan Cheese. My first attempt to make star bread was back in 2015 (there is Instagram evidence to prove it) and have been meaning to try it ever since. I made this yesterday and took it to a holiday party, and it disappeared incredibly quickly.
The concept of this bread is super simple - you roll out four circles of dough, and stack them on top of each other, layering some filling in between. You then place something round in the middle and cut the dough circle into 16 pieces, which you twist together to make a star shape. It is really easy to make, and it looks so, so beautiful.
How to make Star Bread using jarred Pesto
I used my favourite, go-to brioche dough for this, which I made the night before. I kept it even more simple by filling the star bread with Spicy Tomato Pesto from Filippo Berio. They have four amazing pestos (Classic Basil, Tomato and Ricotta, Sundried Tomato and the Spicy Tomato), which all would have worked so well in this bread.
I wanted a tiny bit of heat and so the Spicy Tomato was a perfect pick! I added a little bit of freshly grated parmesan because cheese, but the Spicy Tomato Pesto’s flavour carried so perfectly through the bread. I finished the bread off with a little pretzel salt for a salty crunchy finish.
Using a high quality jarred pesto like this one takes some of the work out of this star bread, making it quick and easy to assemble. It bakes up into a tear and share style bread, so is perfect for a party or holiday gathering. You can just plonk the whole thing down on the table and let people go for it!
A few wee tips for Pesto Star Bread
- I did my first proof overnight which helped a lot when it came to rolling out the dough. Having it slightly chilled makes it a lot easier to work with.
- I find it easiest to roll out all the pieces of dough in one go and then assemble together. If you like you can roll them one at a time as you assemble.
- Mix this up if you like. Add different cheese, you could add chopped up olives, whatever you like!
For more recipes with Pesto, check out:
- Tomato and Ricotta Pesto Pull-apart Buns
- Laminated Brioche Pesto Buns with Lemon, Parmesan, and Walnut
- Pretzel Bites with Whipped Feta and Vegetable Pesto Dip
- Mushroom and Sundried Tomato Pesto Pie
Thank you so much to Filippo Berio for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own.
❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️
I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!
Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Spicy Tomato Pesto and Parmesan Star Bread
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes plus rising time
- Yield: One 12" star bread - serves 8-10 1x
Description
Fluffy brioche dough is layered with spicy tomato pesto and parmesan, then twisted into an easy but beautiful star bread which is perfect for tearing and sharing.
Ingredients
Brioche Dough
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- 240g whole milk, lukewarm
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 545g all-purpose flour
- a few turns of freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 90g unsalted butter, at room temperature
Filling
- 1 jar Filippo Berio Spicy Tomato Pesto
- 50g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- Egg wash - 1 egg whisked with 1 Tsp water
- Pretzel Salt for finishing (optional)
Instructions
BRIOCHE DOUGH
- In a small bowl, combine the yeast, milk and 1 Tbsp of the sugar. Mix well, and leave to sit for 10-15 minutes, or until foamy.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, salt, remaining 1 Tbsp sugar, and black pepper. Mix briefly to combine. Add the eggs and foamy yeast mixture to the bowl. Mix on low for 2-3 minutes, until the dough is starting to come together. It may look slightly dry but do not worry - it will mix together nicely in the next steps. If it is not coming together, add extra milk a teaspoon at a time. Increase the mixer speed to medium, and mix for another 10 minutes, until the dough is soft and smooth.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the butter a little at a time, waiting until it is fully incorporated into the dough before adding the next piece. This process should take 3-4 minutes. Once the butter is fully incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium, and mix for a further 5 minutes, until the dough is very soft and smooth.
- Shape the dough into a ball, transfer to an oiled bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot until doubled in size, approximately 1 - 1 ½ hours, or overnight in the fridge.
ASSEMBLY
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Weigh the dough and divide into four pieces, then shape each into a ball, cover and leave to sit for 5 minutes.
- Roll the first piece of dough into a 10” (25cm) circle, and place on a parchment paper lined and lightly floured baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough until you have four 10” circles, making sure each is lightly dusted with flour before placing the next circle on top to ensure that they do not stick (alternatively layer a piece of parchment paper between each circle).
- Place the first circle on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Top with 2 Tbsp of the Filippo Berio Spicy Tomato pesto, and spread over the surface, leaving about ½” border clear at the edges. Sprinkle the pesto with ⅓ of the parmesan cheese.
- Top with a second circle of dough, smoothing down gently, and repeat the layering process with the pesto (leaving a border) and cheese. Top with the third piece of dough, then add a final layer of pesto and cheese before topping with the final dough circle (the top does not get pesto and cheese on it).
- Place a 2 ½” cookie cutter or glass in the middle of the stacked dough circle. Using a sharp knife, cut into 16 pieces, working from the cookie cutter outward (the cookie cutter is there to leave an uncut circle of dough in the centre). I find this easiest by making four cuts - top, bottom, left and right, and then dividing each of those sections into four by cutting in half and each in half again.
- Once you are finished making your cuts you should have a circle of dough in the middle and 16 strips of dough around the outside.
- Remove the cookie cutter, and brush a thin layer of egg wash on the ½” border around the outside.
- Take two strips, and twist them away from each other twice, then pinch the ends together into a point. Repeat with the remaining pairs of dough until you have an 8 point star. Pinch the points together again if needed.
- Lightly cover the bread with plastic wrap and leave to rise until puffy, approximately 30 minutes. While the bread is rising, preheat the oven to 350°f/180°c.
- Brush the surface of the star bread with egg wash and sprinkle with pretzel salt.
- Bake the star bread for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown and baked throughout - it should register 190°f / 85°c on a thermometer.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
- Leftovers can be rewarmed slightly in the microwave.
Keywords: star bread, pesto, tear and share, brioche, holiday bread
Comments
This is the best brioche recipe out there!!! Have used this to make 183730 different types of Babkas, and it never ever ever disappoints. Thank you, Erin. We don’t deserve you and your perfect metric measurements. So much love from India!
Hi! Ahhh yay thank you so much for the lovely review! I am so glad you enjoy!
We did pizza stars! Pep, cheeses, pizza sauce. SO GOOD. Almost too pretty to eat. Today I’m going to do a cinnamon sugar version and then glaze the top. Like a giant cinnamon roll star. Love this brioche dough!!
Yayyyy I love to hear that! That sounds so, so good! x
This is so delicious and really stunning! I went with a regular basil pesto from the same brand and it worked well! The dough was a dream to work with. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Hi Erin- I love your videos and recipes. I am planning on trying this recipe this coming weekend. I know for the first proof, I can put in the refrigerator overnight. Is it possible to put in after it is assembled and the second rise? I am trying to plan my time accordingly! Thank you!
Hi! I haven't tried that sorry! I usually only prefer to do the first rise ahead of time
I've made this twice now and definitely will again, trying different fillings. I had to use a self made tomato sauce because we don't have the one from the recipe here. I'll also have to try a sweet filling. Something with nuts would look and taste amazing, I imagine...
What I love about this is how people think I'm like really good at baking now, because it definitely looks impressive, but it's actually incredibly easy to make the star shape. The recipe itself is also fairly easy, more or less a basic bread recipe.
I tried both overnight and same day rising, I prefer the latter because the refridgerated cold dough was actually a little too hard to work with. Might depend on how humid your place is.
★★★★★
I just made this star bread and it is oh sooooo good!! I did keep the dough overnight in the fridge, was unsure initially but was super happy with the result. Thank you so much for a star recipe Erin! Much love❤️
★★★★★
Yayyyy I am so glad you loved! I love doing an overnight proof, makes it so much easier!
This was soooo good. Best brioche bread recipe ever! Thank you Erin!
★★★★★
Beautiful!!!!!!!!!
★★★★★
Fantastic, worked out beautifully first time. Thank you!
★★★★★
Yay I am so glad you liked! 🙂
Made this today by hand (KitchenAid top of my boxing day sales list!) and it was DIVINE. Worked a treat. I changed up the fillings to garlic butter, ham, feta and some cheddar. Your recipes are the best Erin! Thank you!!
★★★★★
This brioche is unbelievable. It's only my second attempt at it but it is now my go-to. I always use Erin's recipes because she thinks of everything and I can trust them to be perfect!
I swapped the spicy pesto with our homemade pesto I had on hand and I have a feeling I'll be baking this star bread with EVERY filling.
Thanks for teaching me the ways of dough!!
★★★★★
Hi! Yay yesss so glad that you love them! They are so good with nutella too as a sweet variation!
Made this for my in laws over the holidays and they were so impressed! I was surprised how simple it was to make the star design. I put tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese and sprinkled with everything bagel seasoning.
This is a great recipe, thank you! My whole family enjoyed it 🙂
★★★★★
Yayyy I am so glad that you love them!!
Cinnamon Star Bread was a 'thing' in my circle this holiday season. I'd had enough of sweets, so I used this savory version, improvising with what I had in my fridge. Used Herb & Garlic Boursin cheese plus grated Parmesan between the layers - very yum! I have never made brioche before and this dough was easy to make, roll and manipulate (Is it usually difficult? Apparently I've been spoiled by this recipe!). The recipe's exact weights and measurements made this beautiful bread turn out perfectly and I know I can rely on it again in our wacky climate where humidity and temperature swing wildly and really affect dry measure volumes. Thanks for this keeper.
Hiii! Ooooh this sounds so, so good, I am so glad you enjoyed! It's not usually too hard to manipulate - sometimes some dough can be a little tough to roll but this one is nice and soft! Thank you so much for leaving such a lovely review xx
How do you recommend storing this and for how long can it be stored?
Lightly covered at room temp 🙂 it’s best the day it’s made!
Another phenomenal recipe 😍 I made this with sundried tomato pesto and mozzarella instead of parmesan and it was soo good! Warmed up beautifully the next day too. I made it with instant yeast (75% of the amount) because it's lockdown and didn't want to go to the supermarket again 😂 and it worked a treat. I also did an overnight proof and made it by hand because I can't find my dough hook, so it's a super flexible and delicious recipe! Thanks again Erin x
★★★★★
I made this for a work Christmas party last night and got rave reviews... People thought I'd bought it and were very impressed to discover it was home made. I told them Cloudy Kitchen never lets me down 😉 A very forgiving dough and a very impressive end result. Thank you!
★★★★★
This recipe was super fun to make and very delicious. I was a bit intimidated at first but the star shape turned out great, thanks to the very detailed directions and video tutorial! I really appreciate those details in a recipe.
★★★★★
Love this recipe! The dough is simple and foolproof but the results are delicious and impressive. I’ve switched up the pesto and cheese for what I had on hand multiple times and it always turns out great. Love the note for an overnight rise in the fridge - this makes it great for serving on Christmas Day!
★★★★★
I was a tiny bit intimidated because I've never made brioche before and this looked so incredible, but the recipe couldn't have been more precise and easy to follow. It was perfection! Such a great sharing bread - we had it with a bottle of champagne on the deck and everyone was so impressed. I made the dough the night before, which made it even easier. Will definitely make again! Thanks for yet another epic recipe, Erin ❤
★★★★★
Eee thank you so much - so so happy that you loved! x
The bread was beautiful…honestly I can’t believe I even made it! Showstopper!
★★★★★
Made this for our Easter picnic and it was huge hit! Overnight proof was such a great time saver. I’m always a little worried when I try to make bread but this was so easy and super tasty.
Made this to meet my new neighbours - great way to make a good first impression as this dough is the absolute best. Such clear, easy to follow instructions. Thank you so much.
★★★★★
This looks amazing! One question, do you brush with the egg wash two separate times or only once before it foes into the oven?
★★★★★
Just once, just before it goes in 🙂
This brioche dough is a game changer! So easy, so versatile, so light & delish. I've now made this recipe twice & both times I've had excellent feedback. Thank you so much for another fail-safe recipe Erin!!
★★★★★
Delicious!! I used the pesto I could find at the store and made a little spider out of olives on it for Halloween. Too cute!
★★★★★
I was first intimidated by the recipe but the instructions were clear and easy to follow. Such a fluffy yummy bread that keeps well over a few days!
★★★★★
I made this bread twice and it was easy and delicious. Thanks for a great recipe!
★★★★★
There's always a point baking any type of bread where I start to question everything (too dry?? too wet? not rising???) but at this point I've made enough of Erin's recipes to know that if I just stay the course it will turn out perfectly, and this was no exception. Erin's recipes really give me the confidence to attempt things I always thought of as being too "advanced" for me in the past. This recipe was absolutely flawless and such a show stopper at my holiday potluck. I used cheddar cheese and jalapeno as the filling and my only regret is that I didn't save some to bring home with me.
★★★★★
I made 2 of these, one with a basil pesto and one with garlic butter. It was easy, the directions were clear, and they tasted amazing! And just as tasty warmed up the next day in the air fryer with a bit of extra cheese sprinkled on top. Will definitely make these again!
★★★★★
Number one way to seem like an absolute baking pro: follow Erin’s recipes! This bread looks SO complex, but if you follow the instructions it’s eeeeeasy. Love the video, the accurate measurements. Just love!!
★★★★★
How much instant dry yeast can we use instead of active dry yeast
Hi! The same quantity should work