Sourdough Star Cheese Bread

I wanted to make something with sourdough, rosemary, and feta for a meeting I will be attending tomorrow - I came with this Sourdough Star Cheese Bread.

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 8    ounces sourdough starter (or 4 ounces water + 4 ounces flour +1/4 teaspoon yeast)
• 1/4 cup + 2 to 4 tablespoons  lukewarm water, to make a soft, smooth dough
• 2    teaspoons instant yeast
• 2    teaspoons (25g) sugar
• 1/4 cup canola or olive oil
• 127    gr All-Purpose Flour (4.5 ounces, ~1 mounded cup)
•  1/2 cup (46g) dried potato flakes (from instant mashed potatoes)
• 1/4    nonfat milk powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Filling:

• 6 ounces feta
• 4 ounces mozzarella, shredded
• 1/2 cup of finely diced Vidalia onion
• 1/4 cup kale, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, diced small
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

 

 Instructions:

1. Mix sourdough starter, 1/4 cup water + 2 tablespoons water, yeast, and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let proof for 5 minutes or so.
2. Add oil to mix.
3. Knead in potato flakes until well incorporated.
4. Knead in flour,  milk powder, and salt for about 5 minutes, adding up 2 tablespoons more water as needed.
5. Place dough in a greased bowl, and let rise for 60 minutes or until doubled.
6. Whirl filling together in a food processor.
   
   
   
   
7. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces, shaping each piece into round disk. Let rest 15 minutes.




8. Roll one disk into a 10" circle, and top with 1/3 of filling mixture. (This is about a 1/2 cup of filling.)




9. Roll the remaining three disks into 10" circles, stacking each circle and also topping the 2nd and 3rd circles with the cheese mixture.
10. Place a 2 1/2" to 3" shape in the center of the dough circle as a guide.
11. With a sharp knife or bench cutter, cut the circle into 16 equal strips, from the guide to the edge, through all the layers.
12. Twist one strip twice to the left so that the top side is facing up again. Twist the strip beside it twice to the right so that the top side is facing up again. Pinch the ends of the two strips together.




13. Repeat with the remaining strips of dough so that you end up with eight pairs of strips.  Remove the guide.
    
    
    
    
14. Transfer the star to a baking sheet. Cover the dough and let it rise until it becomes noticeably puffy, about 45 minutes.
    (You might need to pinch the ends together again, or smooth them out.)
15. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F.
16. Optional - Brush the star with a thin coat of the beaten egg. 
17. Bake the bread for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown, the center should register 200°F on a digital thermometer. (Mine baked for 15 minutes on a pan on top of a piece of cooking steel.)
18. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Carole's Notes:

I liked this! The folks at my meeting also liked it - there were no pieces remaining!

The recipe is adapted from https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/cinnamon-star-bread-recipe and https://carolelikesroundfood.blogspot.com/2019/10/lebanese-cheese-flatbread.html

 You can also make up 12 cupcake roses with this recipe.

Divide the dough into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a 4.5" circle. Lay 4 circles in a line, overlapping in the middle. Spread with filling. Roll together, then slice each roll in half.