This Parol Bread or Star Bread is made in the shape of a Filipino Lantern called a Parol. It's filled with a sweet buttery bread crumb filling similar to what you will find in Spanish Bread.

Parol Bread or Star Bread on a gold serving tray with presents all around it.

I love making star shaped bread during Christmas. I love that it looks like a Parol after it's baked.

This time I wanted to try and make one that had 5 points. Usually the ones that you see have 8 points in the bread. As you can see it unfurled, but not in a bad way. It totally looks like a Parol Bread, but the middle you can clearly see a star. To me it looks like that really big parol with the star in the middle with the lights all around it.

Anyway what makes this bread even more special is that it's filled with the same filling you find in Spanish or Senorita Bread. Sweet buttery breadcrumbs. It's a totally treat for the holidays.

Ingredient Notes

For the dough this is what you will need.

Sugar - I like using super fine sugar here so that it melts into the dough better.

Salt - Sweet always needs salt. It's a rule of thumb.

Yeast - Use 1 packet of instant yeast or 2 ½ teaspoons.

Eggs - Make sure the 3 eggs are at room temperature.

Butter - Have it melted but at room temperature.

Milk or Egg Nog - You can use any kind of milk. For this recipe I personally used Egg nog for that additional Christmas flavor.

Flour - Bread flour is best, but all purpose flour will do fine as well.

Bowl of flour, bowl of sugar, pan of melted butter, bowl of egg nog, 3 eggs in a bowl, salt in a bowl, packet of yeast.

For the bread crumb filling this is what you will need.

Bread Crumbs or Panko - I happen to have panko, but no regular bread crumbs. Both work well so use either one.

Brown Sugar - Use dark brown sugar and make sure it's packed in the measure cup when you measure out ½ cup.

Butter - You need it soft here and not melted at all as this filling needs to be spreadable.

Egg Nog or Milk - Like the dough, you can use any kind of milk you want or even Egg nog if you have it.

Bag of dark brown sugar, jar of panko, bowl of egg nog and stick of butter.

How To Make Parol Bread

Let us start with the dough.

Sugar, salt, yeast, milk, butter and eggs in a bowl.

In your mixing bowl add in the sugar, salt, yeast, milk, butter and eggs.

Mix well.

Then add in the flour.

Use your dough hook to lightly mix until all the liquid is absorbed by the flour. Cover with a kitchen towel and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Prepare another bowl by brushing it all over with oil.

Kneading Parol Bread or Star Bread dough in a mixer.

After 10 minutes with your mixer set to 3 kneed the dough for 12-15 minutes, until it is nice and soft and elastic.

Finished Parol Bread or Star Bread in a bowl.

Shape the Parol Bread dough into a ball and place in the prepared bowl.

Cover and leave to rise for 2 hours or even overnight in the refrigerator.

Now let's shape and bake!

Parol Bread or Star Bread doubled in size.

After the dough has risen and double in punch down the dough and transfer to a clean work surface. Leave to rest for a few minutes.

Brown sugar, panko, butter and egg nog in a bowl

Meanwhile make the filling by placing the panko or bread crumbs in a bowl along with the brown sugar, soft butter and milk or egg nog.

Mix until fully combined.

Back to the Parol Bread dough. Shape it into a disk and cut into 4 equal portions.

Take one portion and roll it out about 10 inches round. Use a 9 inch plate and place it on top of the rolled out dough and cut out a perfect circle.

Place this dough circle on a baking sheet.

Divide the breadcrumb filling into 3 portions and spread it all around the dough circle.

Roll cut out circles of dough with the remaining portions.

Spread the remaining breadcrumb filling over the second and 3rd dough circles as well.

Last Parol Bread or Star Bread dough disk on top.

Place the 4th and final dough circle on top.

Use a cookie cutter or jar cap that is about 3 inches in diameter to mark the middle. Press it in lightly.

Make 5 cuts around the cookie cutter using a butter knife or pizza cutter.

Cutting each portion in half to make 10 portions.

Cut each section in half to have a total of 10 cuts all around.

This is the point where I realized by everyone else cut the bread into 16 pieces. It makes it easer to twist thiner pieces. But anyway I was on a mission to make this work. To make the star points take one section out of the five and twist the points away from you at least two times.

Finished Parol Bread or Star Bread shaped.

Then pinch the points together. Repeat with the other pairs and you will end up with a 5 point star.

Brush with egg wash. We will not do a second rise here. The heat of the oven will take care of that for us for this bread. Place in the oven and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

As you can see the points have burst open, but then now it really looks like a Parol Bread! I was actually elated to see this.

To finish off the Parol Bread brush it all over with melted butter.

Then dust with some sparkling sugar.

Finished Parol Bread or Star Bread on a baking tray.

She is a beauty.

Serving and Storage Suggestions For Your Parol Bread

To serve place on a serving board and just have your guests pull off a section and have at it.

A hand grabbing a piece of Parol Bread or Star Bread.

It's best to make it for a crowd as it's both so stunning and delish. The dough is super buttery and the filling is nice and sweet. People who don't know Spanish bread will wonder what is in between the layers.

If you do have any leftovers it's best to wrap it up in foil and freeze and let it come to room temperature. Then heat it up in the toaster for a bit to get nice and warm again.

Parol Bread (Star Bread)

Ingredient Notes

How To Make Parol Bread

Now let's shape and bake!

Serving and Storage Suggestions For Your Parol Bread