Cranberry Star (or snowflake) bread Mixed in the bread machine

This post contains affiliate links. We will be compensated for purchases you make at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

      Cranberry Week was last week, but I have one, maybe two more Cranberry recipes that I want to share with you.  This one is a real show stopper and it is perfect for the holidays!
       One of the main things I am loving about having a bread machine is that I can have it simply mix up a bread dough for me and then I can shape it into whatever shape I would like.  Whether it be rolls, (like these pumpkin dinner rolls), pizza dough, hamburger buns or cinnamon rolls, having the bread machine do the heavy mixing and the first rise is such a time saver!  While all of that is going on, I can be working on so many other things and then I'm rewarded with wonderful homemade bread! 
      When I saw ideas like this Cranberry Star Twisted Sweetbread, it looked  delicious, and also like a lot of work.  I knew instantly that I wanted to make it (because of Cranberry Week!), and I knew that I could make it work in my bread machine, and the thought of making it seemed so much easier! The result is this sweet, delicious and beautiful cranberry filled bread that is perfect for breakfast or dessert or at a holiday party.  You are going to love it! 

  ​A few tips on using the bread machine for your dough:

• First of all, you need to know the capacity of your bread machine.  Mine will make a 2 pound loaf.  I've found that I generally do not want to go over 3 cups of flour in my recipes or the bread will rise too high and overflow into the bread machine creating a mess!  That being said, look at the cranberry bread on my platter.  That platter is a little over 13 inches across and this bread fills it up.  This recipe only contains 2.5 cups of flour yet,  it will feed a lot of people! (I got my platter in Germany years ago, but here, here and here are a few nice ones.)
• I have learned by sad experience that it works best to put your liquids into the bread machine first and then the dry ingredients.  It mixes so much better! ( It also mixes better when you don't forget the little mixing arm that goes in the bottom of the pan. Don't ask. )  Also, it is okay to lift the lid of the machine and use a rubber spatula to scrap down any flour that is sticking to the sides of the pan.
• Even though the machine is doing the mixing and the kneading for you, you still get the hands on experience of removing the perfectly risen dough onto a floured board and giving it a slight knead as you get ready to form it.  Then, it will need to have its second rise before you bake it. 

​

Preparing the Cranberry Filling

      I've given you the recipe on the card for the cranberry filling.  You need a few simple ingredients: 

• Cranberries
• Sugar
• Oranges
• Salt

​     It makes a tasty filling.  Because cranberries are so high in pectin, it thickens into a jam like texture to spread on your dough.  I've been thinking that my Cranberry Sauce recipe that I shared with you recently would also be so good in this bread. It is similar, but with more warm spices added.  Plus, if you've already canned some, you will have it on hand when you decide to make this bread! 
     If you haven't already made the Cranberry Sauce, you can make this recipe.  Do it while the bread is mixing in the bread machine and give it time to cool before you need to spread it on the dough.  You could also add some of those warm spices like cinnamon and allspice if you would like to do that. ​

Assembling and Filling the Bread

     Putting this bread all together is easier that it looks! 
First-Once the bread machine beeps at you and tells you that your dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board.  Knead it a couple of times gently and then divide it into 4 equal parts. 
Second-Prepare a baking sheet by covering it with a sheet of parchment paper.
Third-Roll out one of the 4 dough parts into a 10 inch circle.  Place the circle onto the baking sheet.  Spread 1/3 of the cranberry filling over the first layer of dough. 

Fourth-Roll out the second piece of dough and lay it over the first layer, then spread 1/2 of the remaining dough over it.  Do the same with the 3rd piece of dough spreading on the remaining filling. Then,  top the stack with the final piece of dough. 

Dough stretched a bit, but it will be okay in the end, I promise! Those little flecks in the dough are orange zest!

Fifth-Place a small glass or cup in the center of the circle of dough to use as a guide. Then make slits from the center out to the edge until you have an even number of rays, from 12-16.  I did 12 but I kind of wish I'd done more.  I will next time. 

Sixth-Now, grab 2 adjacent arms and twist them in alternate directions about 2.5 times.  Let the pretty red color show.  Pinch them together to form one point of the star.  I kind of pinched and then tucked to help them to not come apart. Your bread will end up looking like this one in this photo:

Seventh-Now the bread just needs to ride until double and brush on the egg wash and then bake!  I baked it at 350 degrees F. for about 20 minutes.   Here is how it looks when it comes out of the oven. 

As I took it out of the oven, I realize that I'd forgotten the egg wash! Guess what, it still looks delicious, smells delicious and tastes delicious! So, if you want to skip the egg wash, then go ahead!

      Most of the recipes that I've seen simply sprinkle  powdered sugar over this bread.  It does look pretty, but I decided to be extra and drizzle on a glaze and sprinkles.  I think that with six points coming out this could also be a snowflake or even a poinsettia.  You can decorate it however you would like, of course! 

       I love that the cranberry filling isn't overwhelming in this bread, but is just a perfect jammy taste.  I love that the orange zest is in the dough and the juice is in the filling! I love that my bread machine did so much of the work while I made a batch of fudge! I love that everyone is going to love this addition to our table during the holidays!  I hope that you love it, too! As usual, click on the recipe to get the printable version! 
​

Don't Miss These Cranberry Recipes!

• Cranberry Sauce for Canning
• Fresh Cranberry Sauce
• Making Cranberry Juice from Scratch
• Cranberry Juice Blends in the Instant Pot
• Cranberry Salsa
• Cranberry Lime Bars​