Halloween Bread Recipe

Course: bread

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 35

Rise: 1 30

Total Time: 2 35

Servings: people

Calories: 226kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

This colorful swirled Halloween bread loaf is my favorite way to jazz up my kids' sandwiches during spooky season. It's super simple and fun!

Print Recipe

US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
Baking Sheet
9x5-inch Loaf Pan
Rolling Pin
Instant Read Thermometer (optional)

Ingredients

1⅔ cups milk lukewarm (110°F)*
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2½ teaspoons instant yeast (1 envelope)**
4 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
Food coloring yellow, green, purple, and black***

Instructions

Bloom the yeast by whisking together the warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 5 moments to bloom.
1⅔ cups milk, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2½ teaspoons instant yeast
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
4 cups all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
Once the yeast has bloomed, add it to the flour mixture along with the butter and molasses. Whisk briefly to bring together slightly before kneading to bring it together completely. Once the dough is smooth, divide into 4 equal balls.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
One by one, add food coloring into each ball of dough, kneading well to fully incorporate.
Food coloring
Once all of the balls are sufficiently colored, place them onto a baking sheet to rise. Leave at least 6 inches of space between them to allow them to rise. Cover with a damp towel and let them rise for about 30-45 minutes, or until doubled in size.
While the dough rises, spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
Once the dough balls have risen, roll them out. Begin by placing the yellow ball onto a well-floured surface. Roll out into a rough 9x9-inch square.
Next, roll out the green in the same manner. Place on top of the yellow sheet of dough. Follow with the purple dough and then the black. Flip the layered dough squares over so that the yellow is on top and the black is on the bottom. Use a rolling pin to roll the squares out together into a rectangle about 9 inches wide and 13 inches long.
Starting from the short side, roll the dough into a log like cinnamon rolls.
Place the dough into the prepared loaf pan. Cover with a damp towel and let rise for 30-45 minutes, or until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 350°F while dough rises.
Place the risen dough into the oven to bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place onto a cooling rack to cool. Slice and serve.

Notes

*Any milk will work, but I like whole milk for the richest flavor.

**Active dry yeast will also work but may take a bit longer to proof.

***I highly recommend using gel food coloring for the most vibrant results. Water-based food coloring will produce a more pastel result.

Tips:

If the yeast mixture does not become frothy after 5 minutes, your yeast may be dead, in which case you need to start over. Blooming your yeast in too hot of milk will kill the yeast.
Adding food coloring to each ball of dough may take several minutes to fully incorporate. If you use a stand mixer, it will go faster. I added color in increments and kneaded well for a few minutes before adding more.
Do not get impatient with adding color, it takes quite a bit of kneading before all of the dough is fully saturated evenly. The dough may become stiff after kneading for a while. This is normal and totally fine. It will soften up during the second rise.
You can tell the dough is properly proofed by performing the poke test: lightly flour your finger and poke to create an indent in the dough. If the indent slowly springs back, it's ready to bake. If it pops back out quickly, it needs more time.
To keep the layers together, you need to roll tightly, but not too tight. It can take a few tries to get right, so for extra insurance, you can also egg wash between the layers to help them stick together.
To tell when the bread is properly baked, you can probe it with an instant-read thermometer. The internal temperature should be 190°F.

Make-Ahead: You can prep the dough up until the first rise, then refrigerate it and get back to it the next day, or you can swirl the loaf and fridge it during the second rise so it's ready to bake the next morning.

Storage: Store Halloween bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition