Cinnamon Snowflake Bread is the perfect breakfast for Christmas Day. While sugar plums are dancing in the heads of your family, make this amazing bread for a memorable start of Christmas Day.
While Susan and I were in Paris, we took a Bread-making class where we learned how to make a chocolate filled Snowflake Bread. The bread was topped with pearl sugar.
Susan and I thought that it would be fun to do a variation using a cinnamon and sugar filling instead of chocolate and topping it with a cinnamon roll icing instead of pearl sugar. The result was amazing!
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Table of Contents
Ingredients for the Dough
The ingredients for the Cinnamon Snowflake Bread included water, egg, salt, butter, sour cream, sugar, bread flour and yeast.
Making the Dough
As I generally do, I used the bread machine to do most of the work. I started by adding all of the dough ingredients to the bread pan in the order listed and setting the bread machine to the dough cycle.
When the dough cycle had finished, I removed the dough to a floured surface, and divided it into four pieces. Each of the pieces weighed roughly 8 ounces.
Making the Cinnamon Snowflake Bread Filling
The filling included three simple ingredients: Granulated sugar, ground cinnamon and unsalted butter.
To make the filling, I mixed together the sugar and cinnamon. Then, I added the melted butter and mixed everything together.
Making the Cinnamon Snowflake Bread
To make the Cinnamon Snowflake Bread, I started by rolling each of the pieces of dough into roughly a 12-inch circle. The dough had a tendency to spring back when I rolled it, so I would roll it a little bit, let it rest and then roll it more.
Then, I transferred one of the dough circles to an inverted baking sheet that was lined with a silicone mat (Photo 1). I spread the circle of dough with ⅓ of the cinnamon/sugar filling (Photo 2).
After that, I placed another one of the dough circles on top (Photo 3) and spread it with half of the remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture (Photo 4).
I repeated this one more time, placing a dough circle on top (Photo 5) and spreading it with the remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture (Photo 6)
To finish things off, I put the final piece of dough on top of the three layers.
I placed a small bowl in the center of the top dough layer and made 4 equal cuts starting at about ½-inch from the edge of the bowl (Photo 7). Then, I cut each of the four pieces in half, again starting about ½-inch from the edge of the bowl (Photo 8). Finally, I cut each of the 8 wedges in half (Photo 9).
I ended up total of sixteen cuts. At this point, I removed the bowl from the top of the dough (Photo 10).
To turn the dough into a snowflakes I carefully picked up two pieces of adjacent dough (Photo 11) and twisted them twice away from each other (Photo 12). Then, I pressed the outer edges of the two pieces together (Photo 13). I made sure that the edges were well sealed (Photo 14).
I repeated this with the remaining seven pairs of dough wedges. Voila, Cinnamon Snowflake Bread!
For the finishing touch, I brushed the Cinnamon Snowflake bread with an egg wash.
I popped the cinnamon snowflake bread into a preheated 350°F oven for 23 minutes. After 23 minutes, the bread was golden brown and perfectly cooked.
While the bread was cooking, I made the icing, which consisted of confectioners’ sugar, unsalted butter, milk and vanilla extract.
Making the Glaze
I added all of the glaze ingredients to a bowl. Then, I beat the mixture on high with my electric mixer until the glaze was smooth and of a perfect consistency.
Finishing the Cinnamon Snowflake Bread
After I removed the bread from the oven, I carefully transferred it to a wire cooling rack. Then Susan drizzled the icing over the still hot bread.
All I can say is OMG, is this Cinnamon Snowflake Bread is amazing. It will make the perfect start of Christmas Day for your family. Yum!
For another amazing star bread, check out my Lemon Curd Star Bread. It’s a winner.
More Cinnamon Flavored Breads Where the Bread Machine Does Most of the Work
If you liked this Cinnamon Snowflake bread, you should check out these other amazing recipes:
- Christmas King Cake: Every year, Susan and I make a King Cake for Mardi Gras. This year, Susan suggested that we make a Christmas King Cake, decorated in red and green. I thought – what a good idea, especially since we’re breaking with tradition this year and having a New Orleans themed Christmas dinner.
- Braided Cinnamon Bread Wreath: If you like cinnamon rolls, you’ll absolutely love this show-stopping Braided Cinnamon Bread Wreath. It’s perfect for your holiday brunch or anytime. While it may look difficult to make, it’s actually variation on a classic King Cake. What’s even better is that your bread machine does most of the work!
- Mardi Gras Cinnamon Roll King Cake: Mardi Gras Cinnamon Roll King Cake is an adaptation of the traditional King Cake. Generally, a dough-filled ring forms the King Cake. I thought it would be fun to cut the filled dough into cinnamon rolls and use them to form the ring. Guess what? It worked like a charm! Also, I should mention that I used my bread machine to do most of the work!
- Overnight Cinnamon Rolls: “Twas the night before Christmas” when visions of cinnamon rolls were twirling in everyone’s head. Could Santa load some on his sleigh for a perfect ooey gooey wake up treat? Of course with Overnight Cinnamon Rolls! They are the perfect make ahead breakfast when your sweet tooth is craving a sugary start to the day.
- Mardi Gras King Cake: Mardi Gras which French for Fat Tuesday begins on January 6 and culminates on the day before Ash Wednesday. The King Cake is a quintessential confection that is decorated in Mardi Gras colors. Purple signifies justice; green denotes faith; and gold or yellow signifies power. Traditionally, a tiny plastic baby is hidden in the King Cake. Whoever, ends up with the baby is named “King” for a day and bound by custom to host the next party and provide the King Cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Feel free to substitute half and half or heavy cream for the milk in the glaze.
This dough does tend to be a bit springy when it’s being rolled out. Therefore, I’ll roll it into about a 6-inch circle and let it rest for about 5 minutes. Then, I’ll roll it again into about an 8-inch circle and let it rest again before the final rolling.
I assemble the Cinnamon Snowflake Bread first and then trim it. Therefore, the initial dough circles don’t need to be perfect.
The Cinnamon Snowflake Bread is best served warm but is also good served cold. However, I like to warm my piece of Cinnamon Snowflake Bread in the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds.
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Christmas Snowflake Bread
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup water (the egg plus the water should weigh 4- ounces, 114 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons (1-ounce, 29 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (8-ounces, 227 grams) sour cream (See Tip 1)
- 3 ½ Tablespoons (1.75-ounces, 50 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 ½ cups (17.5-ounces, 496 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons (.37 ounces, 11 grams) bread machine yeast
- egg wash
Cinnamon Filling
- ½ cup (3.5-ounces, 100 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Glaze
- 2 cups (8-ounces) confectioners' sugar
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 to 4 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
Dough
- Add the dough ingredients to the bread machine in the order listed. Select the dough cycle and start the machine. Check the dough after five minutes of mixing and add 1 to 2 more Tablespoons of water or flour if the dough is too dry or wet. (See Tip 2)
Cinnamon Filling
- Mix sugar and cinnamon together. Add melted butter; stir to combine.
Glaze
- Beat confectioners' sugar, butter, milk and vanilla extract, until smooth. If necessary, add more milk or confectioners' sugar to achieve desired consistency.
Cinnamon Snowflake Bread
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Invert a large baking sheet; line with silicone mat. Set aside.
- When the dough cycle is finished, remove the dough and form into 4 balls, roughly 8 ounces each. On a lightly floured surface, roll one of the balls into a circle roughly 12-inches in diameter. Place on silicone lined baking sheet. Center 10-inch cake pan on dough and press down slightly to form a 10-inch circle on the dough. (See Tips 3 and 4)
- Spread ⅓ of the cinnamon filling inside the circle. Repeat with two more balls of dough and remaining cinnamon filling.
- Roll final ball of dough into a 12-inch circle and place on top of third lemon curd layer.
- Place a small cup in center of dough. Starting about 1-inch from the edge of the cup, cut 4 equal slits in the dough. Then cut each of the wedges in half, resulting in 8 cuts. Starting about 1-inch from the cup or cookie cutter, cut each of the 8 wedges in half, resulting in 16 cuts.
- Being very careful, pick two of the adjacent pieces, and twist them twice away from each other. Press to seal the edges. Repeat with the remaining 14 wedges.
- Remove the cup from the center. Brush with egg wash.
- Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. (See Tip 5)
- Remove bread from oven; transfer to wire rack. Drizzle glaze over warm cinnamon snowflake star bread. Serve warm if possible.
- Yield: 12 servings.
Chula’s Expert Tips
- I always use low-fat sour cream when making the dough.
- If you make the dough the night before, coat a large bowl with oil. Place the dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. The next morning, remove the dough about an hour before you want to make the snowflake bread to give it a chance to come to room temperature.
- The dough tends to be a bit springy with it’s being rolled out. Therefore, I’ll roll it out into about a 6-inch circle and let it rest for about 5 minutes. Then, I’ll roll it again into about an 8-inch circle and let it rest again before the final rolling.
- Because the dough will be trimmed once the Lemon Curd Star Bread is assembled, the circles don’t need to be perfect.
- Once the bread is assembled, there is no need to let it rise. Just go ahead and pop it into the oven, the same way that you would a pizza.
Nutrition
Lemon Curd Star Bread
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup water (the egg plus the water should weigh 4 ounces, 114 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons (1 ounce, 29 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (8 ounces, 227 grams) sour cream (See Tip 1)
- 3 ½ Tablespoons (1.75 ounces, 50 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 ½ cups (17.5 ounces, 496 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons (.37 ounces, 11 grams) bread machine yeast
- egg wash
- Pearl sugar, optional for sprinkling on bread
Lemon Curd
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup (3.5-ounces, 100 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ½ cup (4-ounces, 113 grams) fresh lemon juice (2 ½ to 3 lemons depending on size)
- 6 Tablespoons (3-ounces, 85 grams) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Lemon Glaze
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 3 to 4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Dough
- Add the dough ingredients to the bread machine in the order listed. Select the dough cycle and start the machine. Check the dough after five minutes of mixing and add 1 to 2 more Tablespoons of water or flour if the dough is too dry or wet. (See Tip 2)
Lemon Curd
- Whisk together eggs, sugar, and lemon zest in a non-reactive saucepan (stainless steel, enameled, glass). Add lemon juice; whisk to combine. Add butter pieces.
- Place pan over medium heat. Whisk mixture constantly, until thickened, about 6 minutes. Continue whisking constantly for several more minutes, until bubbly.
- Remove from heat. Pour lemon curd into wire mesh strainer set over a bowl. Stir with rubber spatula or spoon to force lemon curd through strainer. Discard any bits left behind in strainer.
- Press piece of plastic wrap on top of lemon curd; refrigerate at least one hour to cool completely.
- Yield: 1-⅓ to 1-½ cups.
Lemon Glaze
- Beat confectioners' sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. If necessary, add more lemon juice or confectioners' sugar to achieve desired consistency.
Lemon Curd Star Bread
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Invert a large baking sheet; line with silicone mat. Set aside.
- When the dough cycle is finished, remove the dough and form into 4 balls, roughly 8 ounces each. On a lightly floured surface, roll one of the balls into a circle roughly 12-inches in diameter. Place on silicone lined baking sheet. Center 10-inch cake pan on dough and press down slightly to form a 10-inch circle on the dough. (See Tips 3 and 4)
- Spread ⅓ of the lemon curd inside the circle. Repeat with two more balls of dough and remaining lemon curd.
- Roll final ball of dough into a 12-inch circle and place on top of third lemon curd layer.
- Place a small cup in center of dough. Starting about 1-inch from the edge of the cup, cut 4 equal slits in the dough. Then cut each of the wedges in half, resulting in 8 cuts. Starting about 1-inch from the cup or cookie cutter, cut each of the 8 wedges in half, resulting in 16 cuts.
- Being very careful, pick two of the adjacent pieces, and twist them twice away from each other. Press to seal the edges. Repeat with the remaining 14 wedges.
- Remove the cup from the center. Brush with egg wash.
- Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. (See Tip 5)
- Remove bread from oven; transfer to wire rack. Drizzle lemon glaze over warm lemon curd star bread. Serve warm if possible.
- Yield: 12 servings.
Chula’s Expert Tips
- I always use low-fat sour cream when making the dough.
- If you make the dough the night before, coat a large bowl with oil. Place the dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. The next morning, remove the dough about an hour before you want to make the snowflake bread to give it a chance to come to room temperature.
- The dough tends to be a bit springy with it’s being rolled out. Therefore, I’ll roll it out into about a 6-inch circle and let it rest for about 5 minutes. Then, I’ll roll it again into about an 8-inch circle and let it rest again before the final rolling.
- Because the dough will be trimmed once the Lemon Curd Star Bread is assembled, the circles don’t need to be perfect.
- Once the bread is assembled, there is no need to let it rise. Just go ahead and pop it into the oven, the same way that you would a pizza.