Halloween Bread Recipe

Make the Orange Dough

1. Pour 1 cup of warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add 2 Tablespoons of sugar and 1 ⅛ teaspoons of active dry yeast to the warm water. Let this mixture sit for a few minutes until the yeast looks a bit frothy.
2. Add in several drops of the orange food coloring, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and 1 ½ tablespoons of melted butter.
3. Turn the mixer on low with a dough hook, and slowly add in 1.5 to 2 cups of flour, let all of the flour combine with the yeast mixture. Add in additional orange food coloring if needed at this time. You will want the dough to come together into a ball, it should be a little tacky. Add additional flour if needed. Continue to knead the dough for about 6 minutes.
4. Prepare a large bowl by lightly greasing it, when the dough has finished kneading, place the dough in the greased bowl, rub a little bit of oil on the top of the dough then cover the bowl with a tea towel and set aside to rise for about 1 hour.

Make the Black Dough

1. Repeat steps 2-5 using the same measurements but instead of adding orange food coloring, use the 2 Tablespoons of food grade activated charcoal.
2. Be sure to allow your doughs to rise in separate bowls for one hour. After an hour both doughs should have doubled in size

Shape the Loaf

1. Lightly grease a counter space and dump the black dough out onto the greased counter.
2. Gently use the tips of your fingers to press the dough out into a 9”x15” shape. Repeat this with the orange dough.
3. Lift the orange dough up and carefully place it on top of the black dough.
4. Starting on one of the short ends, roll the dough tightly into a log. Pinch the seams together along all the edges.
5. Oil a 9” bread loaf pan and place your dough log seam side down into the pan.
6. Cover the dough with a tea towel and let rise for 25-30 more minutes. While the dough is rising, preheat your oven to 400.

Bake the Halloween Loaf

1. Once the dough is finished rising, melt 1 Tablespoon of butter and brush the top of the loaf with it.
2. Bake in the preheated oven for approx. 30 minutes.
3. Remove bread from the oven and brush the top with 1 Tablespoon of the melted butter.
4. Allow your bread to cool and then remove from the loaf pan. Once it's fully cooled you can slice it up and serve.