Rainbow Swirl Bread

Steps

• 1

  In a small, microwave-safe bowl, whisk milk and egg yolk together and microwave 30 seconds. Set aside.
• 2

  In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together flour, sugar and yeast.
• 3

  Add milk mixture, butter and salt and stir to combine. Using dough hook and stand mixer or by hand on a lightly floured surface, knead dough until it comes together and is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes with stand mixer or 10 minutes by hand.
• 4

  Divide dough into 5 equal pieces; place each piece in a small bowl and cover with a tea towel.

  
• 5

  Remove one piece from a bowl and place it on a plastic cutting board (or any surface you're willing to cover with food coloring). Add several drops of food coloring (I'd start with 10 drops and keep adding as you go). Using gloves to prevent your hands from getting dyed, begin to knead the food coloring into the dough, adding more food coloring until it is fully incorporated. This takes some time; just be patient and it will come together!
• 6

  Shape dough into a ball and return to its bowl. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough, dying each a different color (red + blue makes purple), being sure to wash your hands/gloves and your work surface between each color.

  
• 7

  Cover bowls with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

  
• 8

  When dough is risen, punch down dough. Remove red dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface into an 8-by-4-inch rectangle. Roll out yellow piece of dough into an 8-by-4-inch rectangle and place directly on top of red dough. Repeat with green, then blue, then purple doughs until you have a stack of 8-by-4-inch rectangles.

  
• 9

  Roll up dough tightly from the short end into a loaf. Place loaf in a lightly greased 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• 10

  Heat oven to 375°F. Uncover dough and bake until browned on top and a thermometer inserted in the bottom center reads 190°F, about 30 minutes.
• 11

  Remove loaf from pan and cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing.