Here is my tested recipe of Cheesy Gochujang Star Bread. This bread is easy to make and is such a crowd pleaser. It is so cheesy with a hint of heat from the gochujang. If you want to impress your family, this is it! It is truly a piece of art!
If you like carbs and cheese, this Cheesy Gochujang Star Bread recipe is for you. The combination of gochujang and cheese is quite common in Korean dishes particularly with tteokbokki (rice cakes). The cheese offers a nice creamy counterpart to the spicy gochujang.
You Will Love this Cheesy Gochujang Star Bread and Here’s why:
- Show Stopper: This is carb art. The beautiful star shape will surely impress your guests! It’s also so festive for the holiday season because of its shape.
- Savoury: Need a break from all the sweets and cookies for the month of December? I do!
- Versatile: You can substitute with different fillings which makes options endless and even turn this into a sweet bread.
- Crowd Pleaser: The gochujang gives a little heat but it’s not overpowering. Let’s be honest, sharing is caring or you can save this all to yourself! No one will pass on bread fresh from the oven.
Looking for More Baking Recipes? Check These Out!
Table of Contents
- You Will Love this Cheesy Gochujang Star Bread and Here’s why:
- Equipment and Tools to Make Cheesy Gochujang Star Bread
- Ingredients
- Star Bread Fillings and Options
- How to Make Cheesy Gochujang Star Bread
- Storage and Reheating Tips
- Make Ahead Options
- Recipe Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Check out my Other Asian Recipes
Equipment and Tools to Make Cheesy Gochujang Star Bread
Stand Mixer: A stand mixer makes everything easier but you can definitely knead this by hand. The kneading time is the same, at 3 minutes.
Large Bowl: This holds all the ingredients together while allowing space to mix the dough.
Measuring Cup
Rolling Pin
Cheese Grater
Kitchen Shears: I found it easier to use kitchen scissors to cut the dough into a perfect circle and also for cutting the star into strips. A pizza cutter is another good option.
Baking Sheet
Parchment paper: Nothing will stick to parchment paper. I typically prefer parchment paper over aluminum foil when it comes to making bread.
Pastry Brush: This is required for the egg wash at the end. It makes the bread beautifully shiny and golden!
Ingredients
Instant Yeast: in order to hold its star shape, we are cutting down on rise time and prep time
Sugar: this is needed to proof the yeast
Milk: 2% or whole milk is ideal
Unsalted Butter: softened to room temperature to allow for easy mixing, gives the bread a soft texture
All Purpose Flour
Salt
Gochujang: has a sweet yet savoury, spicy kick
Water: to thin the sauce out a bit
Honey: balances the spicy gochujang
Hoisin Sauce: gives a unami flavour to the bread
Sesame Oil: toasted sesame oil gives a nutty aroma that is essential to most Asian cuisines
Cheese: I use marble cheese for this recipe. Any white or cheddar cheese is a great substitution.
Egg: required for the dough itself and the egg wash at the end guarantees a golden finish to the star bread
Sesame Seeds and Green Onion: these are optional toppings to finish the center of the star
Star Bread Fillings and Options
You can substitute the cheese and gochujang with different fillings. Make sure you top each layer lightly because it can spill out if there is too much! Generally, I recommend 1 tbsp of filling for each layer.
Savoury: pesto, tomato sauce and cheese, pumpkin and herbs
Sweet: your favourite jam, Nutella, cinnamon sugar, spiced apple butter. Note, add 1 additional tablespoon of sugar to the dough when proofing yeast.
How to Make Cheesy Gochujang Star Bread
Today I am showing you how to create this work of art.
Make dough. This dough requires 7 ingredients only with a 60 minute rise time. Knead dough for 3 minutes until smooth.
Roll out dough. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each to a 10 inch circle. Stack them on top of each other with gochujang and cheese in between each. There will be 4 layers of dough and 3 layers of filling. The top layer does not have filling.
Shape into a star. Make a 3 inch round indentation in the center to create the center of the star. Using kitchen shears, cut into 16 equal strips around the center (leaving the center intact). The easiest way to cut evenly is to cut the bread into quarters and then continue to cut those portions in half. Grab two adjacent portions of dough and twist them towards each other 2 times and pinch ends of the dough together until they stick. Repeat with remaining sections of dough. You will have 8 points.
Proof for 20 minutes. Brush with egg wash for a beautiful golden colour and bake at 350F for 25 minutes.
Storage and Reheating Tips
The bread is best enjoyed fresh out of the oven when it is warm. Cover and store leftover star bread at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Warm up slightly before eating, either in the microwave or toaster oven.
Make Ahead Options
- Refrigerate dough for 1 to 2 days. Don’t have enough time to finish the star bread? If you have made the dough, let it rise for 1 hour. Refrigerate dough for 1-2 days, covered. When you are ready, remove and let it sit on the counter for 20 minutes before shaping it.
- Freezing dough up to 3 months. If you have made the dough and let it rise for the hour, you can wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 3 months. When you are ready, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for 20 minutes before shaping it.
Recipe Tips
This is a shortcut recipe. Shaped breads, like cinnamon buns, usually require two rises. The first is for the dough and the second is once it is shaped. The second rise for the star bread is only 20 minutes. Any longer, the star bread will lose it’s beautiful shape. Plus, this cuts down on prep time!
Avoid overfilling. One tablespoon of sauce is enough. Too much can cause it to leak everywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is gochujang? Gochujang is a thick, sweet, savoury and spicy Korean paste used for cooking. I buy mine at the local Asian grocery store.
Is gochujang really spicy? There is most definitely a kick. I have added honey and hoisin sauce to the filling to balance everything out. My kids are able to eat this cheesy gochujang star bread.
Is gochujang necessary for this star bread? I do think that the gochujang is the “star” of the show (pun intended). But if you want it less spicy, use half of the amount of gochujang in the sauce. Or you can substitute with an entirely different sauce, like pizza sauce or pesto.
Can I use a different cheese? Absolutely! Marble cheese is what I had on hand. Just make sure you add a thin layer of cheese only. Otherwise the fillings will spill out and make it hard to shape the star bread.
Can I use oil or margarine instead of butter for the dough? Butter gives this bread a soft texture. I don’t recommend using oil or margarine.
Can bread flour be substituted for all purpose flour? Yes but the star bread won’t be as soft and light.
Check out my Other Asian Recipes
Lastly, if you make Cheesy Gochujang Star Bread, be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a star rating! I love to hear from you guys and respond to each and every comment. Also, don’t forget to tag me @cookwith.chopsticks and #cookwithchopsticks on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you have made makes me sooooo happy! You can follow along on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Pinterest.
Cheesy Gochujang Star Bread
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Measuring Cup
- Rolling Pin
- Cheese Grater
- Kitchen Shears
- Baking Sheet
- Pastry Brush
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ¾ cup milk 2% or whole milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 egg
- 2 ⅓ cup all purpose flour plus more if needed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg beaten, for egg wash
Filling (Sauce and Cheese)
- 2 tbsp gochujang
- 1 tbsp water
- 2 tsp honey
- 2 tsp hoisin sauce
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- 1 cup cheese shredded, divided into thirds
- sesame seeds and green onions optional, for center
Instructions
- Mix together yeast and sugar in large mixing bowl. Pour warm milk over sugar and yeast and gently mix. Let it proof for 5 to 10 minutes. The mixture will be frothy. If it is not foamy, your yeast may be inactive and you will need to start it again.
- Add the butter, egg, flour and salt. Mix on low for 3 minutes with stand mixer or knead by hand. The dough will be soft. Lightly grease a bowl. Using your hands, form into a ball and place in the greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise in a warm environment for 60 minutes.
- Meanwhile, grate the cheese and make the sauce by combining gochujang, water, honey, hoisin sauce and sesame oil.
- Once the dough has risen, deflate and form into 4 equal parts. Roll each out into a 10 inch round. Place one layer on the parchment paper, add 1 tbsp of filling with ⅓ cup of cheese. Repeat twice with each layer on top. The star bread does not have filling on the top layer. So 3 of 4 the circles will have fillings on top.
- Make a 3 inch round indentation in the center to create the center of the star. Using kitchen shears, cut into 16 equal strips around the center (leaving the center intact). The easiest way to cut evenly is to cut the bread into quarters and then continue to cut those portions in half. Grab two adjacent portions of dough and twist them towards each other 2 times and pinch ends of the dough together until they stick. Repeat with remaining sections of dough. You will have 8 points.
- Cover lightly and let rise for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350F.
- Brush star bread with egg wash for a beautiful golden finish. Sprinkle sesame seeds and green onions in the center. Bake for 25 minutes until golden. Oven times vary.
- Remove from oven. Let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy warm.
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