• Gather all the ingredients.

PREPARE THE DOUGH

• Mix well all the ingredients in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, except for the flour and butter.

  Add flour and mix on low speed until there are no dry bits of flour in the dough - Note 1.

  Cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
• Mix on low to medium speed for 10 minutes or until the sides and the bottom of the bowl are clean and the dough is clinging onto the hook.
• Start adding the butter incrementally, about 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix for another 5 minutes or until the bowl is clean and the dough is shiny, smooth, and passing the window-pane test - Note 2 (DDT 25°C/77°F)

BULK FERMENTATION

• Transfer the dough to a clean lightly buttered bowl. Fold the dough couple of times using the coil method to form a ball.
• Rest for one hour after which another coil fold should be done. The desired dough temperature should be 25.5°C (78°F).
• Rest for another hour after which do one more coil fold. The desired dough temperature should be 25.5°C (78°F).
• Leave the dough to ferment for another hour and a half, after which place the dough in the fridge for cold fermentation overnight.

PREPARE THE FILLING

• Melt the butter on low heat in a small saucepan. Set aside.
• Add all the filling ingredients, except the butter, to a small food processor and process until all the sugar chunks are broken down and the mixture is uniform and almost powder-like. Set aside.

SHAPE THE BREAD - next day

• Dust the clean working surface with some flour. Take the dough from the fridge, scrape it from the bowl, and place it top-down on the working surface. 
• Using a sharp knife cut the dough into 4 pieces. 
• Fold the pointy edges of the dough inwards and gently make a round ball. Don't overwork the dough.
• Roll each dough piece into a round circle with about 5mm (⅕ in) thickness - Note 3.
• Take one piece of the rolled out dough and place it on the prepared baking sheet lined with the parchment paper.
• Remove the excess flour from the dough and the work surface using a brush.

  Brush with ⅓ of the melted and cooled butter and sprinkle ⅓ of the filling - Note 4.

  Place the second rolled-out dough on top aligning the edges. Brush with ⅓ of the melted and cooled butter and sprinkle ⅓ of the filling.

  Repeat the process with the third rolled dough.

  Place the final fourth rolled out dough on top. Align the edges - Note 5.
• Measure where the middle of the circle of the dough is and place a small cap in the middle.
• Using a very sharp knife cut the dough to obtain 16 elongated pieces. Each cut should start from the edge of the small cup in the middle.

  Step 1: Cut the dough into quarters.

  Step 2: Cut each quarter in half.

  Step 3: Cut each half in half.
• Take two cut pieces by their edge and twist 3 times outward from each piece.

  Pinch them together along the cut edge.

  Push the pinched part down and tug underneath the dough. This forms one edge of a snowflake.

  Repeat for the other 7 pairs.
• Adjust each of the edges of the snowflake so that the twisted parts are aligned.

  Cover and place in the turned-off oven with the light on. Prove for 2 hours.

  Take the dough from the oven and place it on the kitchen counter. Preheat the oven to 220ºC (430ºF) - see Note 6 about oven temperature.

BAKING & SERVING

• Make the egg wasg by whisking the egg and the date syrup, if using - Note 7.

  Brush the snowflake with the egg wash.
• Place the star bread in the preheated oven and immediately lower the oven temp to 180ºC/356º. Bake for about 20 minutes or until it starts to lightly take on the color - Note 6 & 8. Place on the cooling rack to cool to room temperature before serving.
• Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.
• The snowflake is best on the day it is baked - Note 9.