Christmas Star Twisted Bread

December 2026. Recruiting season for the next class is underway. Two of the players I'm most excited about for 2027 are a sophomore wide receiver and a freshman linebacker who arrived in October from a Colorado Springs middle school and who has the kind of instincts that make defensive coaches look at each other during practice. I note them here because I want a record of the moment before they became what they'll become. The early vision is part of the work.

Sofia's college decision is made. Stanford in September. She and Lisa did the campus visit in October and she came home resolved — not excited in the way some students are excited, but clear. Stanford is the right place for her running and for everything else she wants to do with the years after the running. She's made her peace with leaving and she's made her peace with what she's going toward. I will drive her to campus in September and I will leave and I will drive home and I will feel the specific pride that comes from watching something you built go where it's going. I've done this once. I know how it feels. I'll do it again.

Hector is having more good weeks. The fall stabilization has held. He went to a NMSU basketball game last Tuesday — Clara drove him, stayed with him the whole time, reported that he had opinions about the team's transition defense. This made me so happy I had to call Mom just to tell her I'd heard about the game. She said, "He was talking about it when he got home." He's still going to games. He's still talking about transition defense. He's still my father.

Made the full Christmas tamale batch. Twenty dozen. Back to twenty. Hector joining via video call — Clara held the tablet for him while he directed the chile sauce. He corrected the cumin ratio three times. He was right three times. This is some kind of miracle and also just Tuesday.

Twenty dozen tamales is a number that belongs to my father, and this year he directed every step from a tablet screen that Clara held steady while he corrected the cumin three times — and was right three times. That kind of Christmas deserves something else from the oven to sit alongside it, something that fills the kitchen with the same pull-apart, gather-around feeling the tamale table always has. This Christmas Star Twisted Bread is that recipe for me: it looks like something you’d set in the center of the table and let everyone reach for at once, which is exactly what this season has been about.

Prep Time: 30 minutes + 1 hour 30 minutes rising | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes | Servings: 12

Ingredients

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup warm whole milk (about 110°F)
1/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg, room temperature
For the filling:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
For finishing:
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk (egg wash)
Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Instructions

Activate the yeast. In a small bowl, combine warm water, warm milk, and sugar. Sprinkle yeast over the top and let sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy and fragrant.
Make the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture, melted butter, and egg. Stir until a shaggy dough forms, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and springs back when poked. Add flour by the tablespoon only if the dough is sticking.
First rise. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Prepare the filling. In a small bowl, stir together softened butter, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until smooth and spreadable. Set aside.
Shape the star. Punch down the risen dough and divide into 4 equal portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a circle roughly 10 inches in diameter. Place the first circle on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread one-third of the cinnamon filling evenly to the edges. Lay the second circle on top, spread filling, repeat with the third circle and filling, then top with the fourth plain circle.
Cut the star points. Place a small round glass or bowl (about 3 inches diameter) in the center of the dough stack as a guide. Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the dough from the edge of the glass guide outward into 16 equal strips, leaving the center circle uncut. Working in pairs, take two adjacent strips, twist them away from each other twice, then pinch the ends together firmly to form a star point. Repeat around the entire circle to create 8 star points.
Second rise. Cover loosely and let rise 25–30 minutes, until noticeably puffed.
Bake. Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush the star gently all over with egg wash. Bake for 22–26 minutes, until deep golden brown. Tent with foil after 15 minutes if the tips brown too quickly.
Finish and serve. Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Serve warm, pulling apart the star points at the table.

Nutrition (per serving)

Christmas Star Twisted Bread — Baking Through the Distance, One Correction at a Time