Twisted Star Bread – Sweet Walnut & Savoury Feta-Spinach

Posted by Divna on

Soft, fluffy, beautifully braided star bread with two irresistible fillings — one sweet (walnut, cinnamon, apple jam) and one savoury (feta, sour cream, spinach). This show-stopping bread is perfect for celebrations, brunch, or cozy weekends.

⭐ Why You’ll Love It

  • One dough, two stunning flavours
  • Soft, buttery, rich crumb
  • Eye-catching star design
  • Perfect for guests or gifting
Deliciously braided star bread dusted with powdered sugar, showcasing its soft and fluffy texture.

Ingredients

Dough

  • 50 ml warm milk
  • 15 g yeast
  • 15 g sugar
  • 250 ml warm milk
  • 1 egg
  • 80 g sugar
  • 120 g butter (room temperature)
  • 600 g all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 10 g salt
Four portions of dough, perfectly shaped and ready for preparing delicious star bread.

Filling #1 – Sweet Walnut

  • 100 g baked, ground walnuts
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 100 g apple jam (or any favourite jam)

Filling #2 – Savory Feta & Spinach

  • 120 g feta
  • 50 g sour cream
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup fresh spinach, finely chopped
Bowls of sweet walnut filling and savory feta-spinach filling for twisted star bread.

Instructions

1. Activate the Yeast

In a bowl, combine 50 ml warm milk, yeast, and 15 g sugar. Cover and allow to foam for 5–10 minutes.

2. Prepare the Dough

Add egg, warm milk, sugar, and room-temperature butter. Mix.

Gradually add sifted flour and salt. Knead using a stand mixer on medium for 4 minutes. Rest 3 minutes. Knead for 4 minutes again.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover it, and let it rise for 60 minutes or until it has doubled in size.

3. Prepare the Fillings

Sweet:
 Mix walnuts, cinnamon, and jam until combined.

Savoury:
 Mix feta, sour cream, egg, and chopped spinach.

Shaped dough for the star bread, ready for filling and twisting.

4. Shape the Sweet Star

Divide dough into 4 equal pieces.
Roll two pieces into 10-inch circles.

Transfer one circle onto parchment paper. Spread walnut filling across the surface. Top with the second circle.

Place a small cup in the center to mark. Cut into 16 equal strips. Twist pairs inward 3 times and pinch ends to seal, forming a star.

Cover with a towel and rest 30–45 minutes.

5. Shape the Savoury Star

Repeat the same process with the remaining dough using the feta filling.

Cover and rest 30–45 minutes.

Raw twisted star bread ready for baking, showcasing its intricate layers and sweet filling.

6. Bake

Brush with egg wash.
Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 13–15 minutes until golden brown.

Dust the sweet star with powdered sugar.
Leave savoury version plain.

Serving Suggestions

  • Serve warm for best texture.
  • Sweet star pairs beautifully with:
    • Tea or coffee
    • Yogurt or milk
    • Whipped cream or fruit preserves
  • Savoury star is great with:
    • Greek yogurt dip
    • Ajvar
    • Fresh salads
    • Soup

Storage Tips

  • Keep covered at room temperature for 2–3 days.
  • Reheat briefly to soften.
  • Freeze up to 2 months; thaw covered overnight.

Variations & Substitutions

  • Replace apple jam with apricot, cherry, or plum.
  • Add Nutella for a chocolate version.
  • Swap feta with ricotta or cottage cheese.
  • Add garlic and herbs to the savory filling.
  • Try hazelnuts or almonds instead of walnuts.

FAQ

Can I make the dough ahead?
 ✅ Yes, refrigerate overnight and bake the next day.

Can I use instant yeast?
 ✅ Yes — skip the activation step.

Why twist pairs of strips?
 It forms the layered star design.

Can I make a single flavour only?
 Absolutely — double the filling.

This Twisted Star Bread is soft, buttery, and beautifully layered — a perfect centrepiece for holidays, guests, or weekend baking fun. Sweet or savoury, it’s bound to impress!

Zvezda Pogača – Slatka Orasnica i Slani Spanać-Feta

Meka, puterasta pogača u obliku zvezde sa dve neodoljive nadeve — slatkom (orah, cimet i džem) i slanom (feta, pavlaka, spanać). Idealna za slavlja, doručak ili druženja.

Beautifully braided savory star bread filled with feta and spinach, ready for baking.

Sastojci

Testo

  • 50 ml toplog mleka
  • 15 g kvasca
  • 15 g šećera
  • 250 ml toplog mleka
  • 1 jaje
  • 80 g šećera
  • 120 g putera (sobna temperatura)
  • 600 g brašna tip 400 (prosijanog)
  • 10 g soli

Nadev #1 – Slatki

  • 100 g pečenih, mlevenih oraha
  • 1 kašičica cimeta
  • 100 g džema od jabuka (ili po izboru)

Nadev #2 – Slani

  • 120 g feta sira ili slicno po zelji
  • 50 g kisele pavlake
  • 1 jaje
  • 1 šolja sitno seckanog spanaća

Priprema

1. Aktivirajte kvasac

Pomešajte toplo mleko, kvasac i šećer. Ostavite 5–10 minuta da zapeni.

2. Testo

Dodajte jaje, mleko, šećer i puter. 

Postepeno dodajte brašno i so. Mesite mikserom 4 min, odmor 3 min, pa opet 4 min.

Prebacite u nauljenu činiju, prekrijte i ostavite da naraste 60 min.

3. Priprema nadeva

Slatko:
 Pomešajte orahe, cimet i džem.

Slano:
 Pomešajte fetu, pavlaku, jaje i spanać.

4. Oblikovanje slatke zvezde

Testo podelite na 4 dela.
Razvijte dva u krug od 25 cm.

Stavite jedan krug na papir, premažite nadevom i pokrijte drugim.

Označite sredinu čašom, isecite 16 traka. Uvijajte parove tri puta ka unutra i spojite vrhove.

Odmor 30–45 minuta.

Twisted star bread shaped with sweet walnut filling, ready to rise before baking.

5. Oblikovanje slane zvezde

Ponovite isti postupak sa slanim nadevom kao i sa slatkim.

6. Pečenje

Premažite jajetom.
Pecite na 190°C oko 13–15 minuta, dok ne porumeni.

Slatku pospite šećerom u prahu.
Slanu ostavite bez posipanja.

Predlog serviranja

  • Uz kafu, čaj ili sok
  • Uz grčki jogurt
  • Uz ajvar ili salate

Čuvanje

  • U zatvorenoj posudi 2–3 dana
  • Zamrzavanje do 2 meseca
  • Zagrejati par minuta pre serviranja

Varijacije

  • Nutella, Eurokrem ili džem od šljiva
  • Dodajte origano ili beli luk u slani fil
  • Orahe zameniti lešnicima

FAQ

Mogu li unapred da pripremim testo?
 Da, ostavite testo u frižideru do sutra.

Instant kvasac?
 Može.

Zašto uvijanje parova?
 Time se dobija zvezdasti oblik.

Zvezdana pogaca je efektna, mekana i savršeno ukusna — oduševiće svakog gosta!

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