Bacon Cheddar Star Bread

This savory bacon cheddar star bread is just as delicious as it is beautiful! The layers of homemade bacon onion chutney and cheesy cheddar cheese come together to make a showstopping bread.

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Bacon: A type of salt-cured pork, this salty meat is the umami contributor to the chutney. Although this recipe uses cured bacon, you can experiment and try using different uncured or even flavored bacon.
• Onions: Use yellow onions or sweet onions such as Vidalias, Walla Wallas, or Maui.
• Balsamic vinegar: To balance the sweet and savory, use balsamic vinegar to add acidity. This Italian vinegar is a dark, concentrated, intensely flavored vinegar with a slightly sweet flavor. Substitute it with apple cider vinegar if desired.
• Mustard seeds: The small, round seeds of mustard plants, yellow mustard seeds have a sharp, tangy flavor that cuts through rich ingredients. You can also use mustard powder.
• Milk: The dough for the star bread is an enriched dough, incorporating milk, egg, and butter to yield a soft bread. You can use whole-fat, 2%, or non-fat milk.
• Cheddar cheese: Although I used cheddar cheese for the star bread, you can substitute it with another cheese such as fontina, white cheddar, gruyere, or gouda.

Recipe

Print Recipe

Bacon Cheddar Star Bread

Total Time4 hours hrs

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bread

Servings: 8

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Bacon onion chutney

• 12 ounces bacon chopped
• 2 medium onions chopped
• ⅓ cup brown sugar (50 grams)
• ⅓ cup water
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 ½ teaspoons mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Bread

• 1 ¼ cup warm milk (100-105 degrees F) (312 ml)
• 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup butter, melted (57 grams)
• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour (518 grams)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Remaining ingredients

• 1 cup bacon onion chutney (250 grams)
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (56 grams)
• 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

• Cook bacon in a heavy pot over medium heat until the fat has rendered out and the bacon begins to crisp about 15 minutes. Drain the fat.
• Add the remaining ingredients for the bacon onion chutney, reduce heat to medium-low, and cover. Cook for 15 minutes or until the onions have softened, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and continue to simmer the chutney for about 30-40 minutes or until it resembles a dark chutney. Add more water if the pan becomes too dry. Remove from heat and let cool.
• Make the bread dough. Combine the warm milk with yeast and sugar, gently stirring to combine. Let sit for 5 minutes or until the yeast is activated and foamy.
• Combine the yeast mixture with the egg, butter, flour, and salt in a bowl of a stand mixer. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7-8 minutes. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let proof for 1 hour in a warm spot or until doubled in size.
• Punch down the dough and divide it into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 10-inch circle. Lay the first circle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread about ½ cup of the bacon jam on the dough, leaving a ½ inch border. Place one of the dough portions on top and sprinkle the cheese. Stack another dough portion on top and spread another ½ cup of jam. Top with the remaining dough.
• Place a 2 ½-inch round biscuit cutter in the center of the dough. This will help guide where to cut the dough. Cut the dough into quarters, leaving the center intact. Cut each quarter into 4 wedges. Grab two pieces that are next to each other and twist them in opposite directions two times. Pinch the edges together to seal. Repeat with the remaining pieces. Lightly cover the dough and let it proof for 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Beat together the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush egg wash on the bread. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the bread is golden brown. Let cool completely and serve.

Notes

Bacon jam can be prepared up to 1 week in advance. Reserve the remaining bacon jam for another use.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Make bacon onion chutney

Ready for some bacon action? To make the chutney, check out my original recipe. You're basically cooking the bacon first, then adding the remaining ingredients and simmering them all together.

The onions will become caramelized and jammy, and the vinegar and mustard seeds will flavor the chutney. It's truly a wonderful condiment.

You can make the chutney up to a week in advance. In fact, go ahead and make a large batch, saving some for the bread, and use the remaining for whatever you like! It's fantastic with grilled cheese.

Step 2: Prepare the dough

Once the jam is ready, start making the dough. It's a fairly simple dough with the addition of eggs, milk, and butter, all ingredients that will make the bread tender.

Knead the dough with a stand mixer or by hand until it's smooth, and let it rise in a warm area until doubled in size.

Punch down the dough and divide it into four sections. Working with one section at a time, roll each out into a 10-inch circle. I used a plate as a stencil to get perfect circles.

Spread the bacon onion chutney on the first portion. Then, top it with another layer and sprinkle cheese on top. Repeat the layers with more chutney and finish by stacking the last portion on top.

Step 3: Shape the star bread

Now, get a 2 ½-inch biscuit cutter or glass and place it in the center. We're going to use this as a guide on where to cut the dough.

Cut the dough into quarters, leaving that center circle intact. Then, cut each quarter into 4 equal triangles. You should have a total of 16 triangles by the time you're done cutting.

Grab one triangle in your right hand and the triangle next to it with your left hand. Simultaneously twist those two pieces away from each other for a total of two twists. Then, pinch together the ends to seal together.

Don't worry if it's not perfect; the bread will still be beautiful no matter what. Continue to do this with the remaining pieces.

Let the wreath rise for another 45 minutes, then brush on the egg wash and bake the bacon cheddar star bread in the oven at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Let it rest before slicing right away, but do serve the bread warm.

This bacon cheddar star bread is currently my favorite savory bread. I mean, you can't go wrong with layers of bread smeared with bacon and onion chutney, am I right? Plus, it's just so pretty to look at!

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: The bacon jam can be prepared up to 1 week in advance.
• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refridgerator for up to 4 days.

Frequently asked questions

More bacon recipes

Looking for more dishes featuring bacon? Try these: