Leopard Print Bread

Prep Time

3 Hours

Cook Time

45 Minutes

Total Time

3 Hours and 45 Minutes

Yields

1 Loaf

Ingredients

300 g warm water
35 g sugar
5 g active dry yeast
27 g olive oil
5 g salt
240 g white bread flour
230 g whole wheat bread flour
Green dough: 7 g Matcha powder
Purple dough: 3 g purple carrot powder
Optional: 1-2 tsp of water to dissolve each Powder
Optional: Edible dried rose petals, as per preference
Use only if using rose petals: Water for brushing dough ropes*
Melted butter for brushing the dough

*This is not a sweet bread. Rose petals are used here for aroma and to outline the leopard print spots (instead of using a third color).

Color powders and rose petals used here are from Suncore Foods® (not sponsored).

Equipment Needed

Stand mixer with a dough hook attachment
9 x 4 x 4 inch bread pan

Instructions

Activate yeast: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm water, sugar and yeast and set aside until frothy.
Form dough: Mix in olive oil on low speed for 15-30 seconds. Mix in salt, white bread flour and whole wheat bread flour on low speed (or at the mixer recommended speed for dough) until the dough comes together and is no longer sticking to the walls of the bowl.
1^st proof: Remove dough and form a dough ball. Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover and proof the dough for 60-90 minutes or until double or almost double in size.
Divide dough: Lightly oil the inside of the bread pan and set aside. Punch the air out of the dough and cut the dough into 2 portions with one portion being larger, in a 70:30 ratio.
Knead powders into dough: Dust some flour onto a clean work surface and knead the purple carrot powder into the smaller dough until very well combined. If needed, dissolve the powder into 1-2 tsp of water before kneading. Similarly, knead Matcha into the larger dough.
Cut dough: Once the colored doughs are ready, cut both doughs into 9 portions each and create small dough balls with each portion.
Roll dough: Using your hands, roll each of the purple portions into skinny dough ropes, and set aside. Using a rolling pin, roll out one portion of the green dough into a long oval or rectangular shape, 1-2 inches longer than the dough ropes and wide enough to engulf the dough rope within.
Optional step is using rose petals - Create dough logs using rose petals: Brush a purple dough rope with water and sprinkle rose petals over the dough rope, ensuring the rose petals stick on firmly. You could also sprinkle some rose petals on the green dough as well.
Form dough logs: Place a purple dough rope (or rose petal covered dough rope is using rose petals) over the green dough and tightly fold in the sides, wrapping the dough rope (and rose petals) within. Tuck or pinch the ends, closing off the dough log. Using your hands, gently roll the dough log on your work surface, increasing its length by ½ - 1 inch and ensuring the log is properly sealed off. Follow the same process with the remaining dough portions, creating 9 dough logs.
Assemble dough logs: Place 3 dough logs, side by side, at the bottom of the prepared bread pan. Place another 2 dough logs on either side of the middle dough log (already placed at the bottom). Lastly, place the remaining 4 dough logs forming the top layer.
2^nd proof: Cover the pan with a kitchen towel and set aside for 60-90 minutes.
Bake: When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350^º F. Brush the dough with melted butter and bake for 45-55 minutes. Optional for a softer crust, after 35 minutes, cover the bread pan with aluminum foil and continue to bake. Oven temperatures vary and the bread should be monitored, once ready, the top of the loaf should be golden-brown and should sound hollow when you tap on it.
Allow the loaf to cool in the bread pan for 15 minutes. Remove the loaf from the bread pan (the loaf should slide out when the bread pan is tilted) and allow it to cool to room temperature before slicing.