Google “star bread” , and you will slide down into very enjoyable rabbit hole . It is one of the baking world’s most amazing feats of engineering. It looks complex to create, but it’s actually easy to accomplish. Check out my video to see how it’s done.

The filling possibilities are endless. I decided on a maple walnut with a hint of cinnamon, a classic and very delicious combination. Maple butter (sometimes called maple spread) provides the maple flavouring. There is no actual butter in maple butter. It’s just maple syrup boiled to 234°F, cooled and then whipped to obtain a creamy consistency. I buy mine at Loblaws, but it is widely available online. It makes a delicious rugelach filling too.

You could fill yours with jam, cinnamon-sugar, Nutella or even go savoury with pesto or cheese. The possibilities are endless. They are so satisfying to create, not to mention, very delicious to eat.

The dough for this pull-apart bread is pillowy soft and tender. I tested a few different recipes and settled on the one from kingarthurbaking.com. Their recipe includes an unusual ingredient, dried potato flakes (also known as instant mashed potatoes). The starch in potatoes attract and hold more water than the starch in wheat flour, making the dough moister. The starch molecules in potatoes also inhibit gluten formation, making the dough light and airy. I found instant mashed potatoes at Bulk Barn, but most supermarkets carry it as well.

Click here to print recipe for