Rainbow Milk Bread Recipe
This Rainbow Bread is a burst of colorful magic in every bite! Imagine fluffy clouds of Japanese milk bread transformed into a mesmerizing kaleidoscope of vibrant hues. Soft, pillowy, and delicately sweet, each slice tells a tale of whimsy and imagination.
Whether you’re hosting a tea party, surprising the little ones with a rainbow grilled cheese sandwich, or simply seeking to infuse a pop of color into your everyday life, this Rainbow Bread recipe is here to spark joy and spread smiles all around.
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About Japanese milk bread
Milk bread, or Shokupan (“plain bread”) is a Japanese bread made using a tangzhong or yudane. Using this roux-like starter gives the bread its characteristic softness and prevents it from becoming stale as quickly.
Recipe tips and tricks
Making the starter
I used a technique and recipe that were nearly identical to my purple cow bread. First I made a tangzhong and let it cool.
Making the colored dough
In order to make the purple cow bread, you divide the dough into two halves with one purple and the other white. To make this rainbow-colored bread recipe, you also divide the bread dough into half. One half of the dough stays white, and the remaining dough is divided into sixths that are colored into the colors of the rainbow.
Shaping the rainbow
Once colored, you roll the dough into logs about the length of your loaf pan.
The pictures below show how to form the rainbow bread. In the bottom of your pan, place four white logs to form the base of the rainbow (Panel #1, below). To get an arc of color, add a middle layer made of the red log, then two white logs, and then purple (Panel #2). The final top layer will have the orange log on top of the red, then yellow, green, and blue on top of the purple (Panel #3).
Recipe FAQs
Most other rainbow bread recipes have you swirl a few different colors around each other in a spiral. I wanted my recipe to give you the arc of a rainbow.
The milk bread method results in a bread that stays fresh at room temperature for longer. If you keep the loaf in a plastic bag on the countertop, and it should last a week. If you want to enjoy it over a longer period of time, I would recommend slicing it and freezing it in a freezer bag with all of the air squeezed out.
This is a Pullman loaf pan or pain de mie pan. It’s what gives this bread its nice square shape, but it is not critical for this bake. If you don’t have a Pullman loaf pan, you can make this recipe in two standard bread loaf pans.
Yes, although in my experience with the cow print bread, I wasn’t able to get a vibrant color using only purple sweet potato powder. But you can definitely get natural dyes in the colors of the rainbow.
I have that on my to-do list, I promise.
Recipe inspiration
This rainbow bread recipe was originally developed for a collaboration to celebrate Pride adapted from my purple cow Japanese milk bread.. As a celebration of Pride, the colors in this rainbow bread are bright and don’t fade.
Related bread recipes
Check out other breads for sandwiches from the Ugly Duckling Bakery archives like:
Or, if you’re looking for more rainbow-inspired recipes, how about making a rainbow poke bowl, a rainbow fruit tart, or a rainbow salad with maple Dijon dressing?
Rainbow Bread
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer
- 1 13 inch Pullman loaf pan or two standard bread pans
Ingredients
Tangzhong (roux starter)
- ⅓ cup (45 grams) bread flour
- ½ cup (120mL) whole milk
- ½ cup (120mL) water
Dough
- 4 ⅔ cup (600 grams) bread flour plus more as needed
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup (60mL) whole milk plus more as needed
- roux starter
- ½ cup (8 tablespoons or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes plus more for greasing the loaf pan
- food coloring
Instructions
Tangzhong (roux starter)
- Make the roux starter (tangzhong). In a small pot, combine the flour, milk, and water. Over low heat, whisk until smooth and continue stirring until the whisk leaves a clear, thick track at the bottom of the pot (as if you were making a bechamel).⅓ cup (45 grams) bread flour, ½ cup (120mL) whole milk, ½ cup (120mL) water
- Remove from heat, scrape into a glass measuring cup, and cover the starter with plastic wrap, pressing down the wrap onto the surface of the roux to prevent a skin from forming (see photo). Let cool.
Dough
- In the bowl of a mixer, use the paddle to combine the flour, sugar, and yeast and mix on low speed briefly. Add the salt and mix for about 10 seconds.4 ⅔ cup (600 grams) bread flour, ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar, 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast, 2 teaspoons salt
- Add the egg, milk, and the starter. Mix on low speed. When it comes together, add the butter cubes.2 large eggs, ¼ cup (60mL) whole milk, ½ cup (8 tablespoons or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes, roux starter
- When the dough starts to come together, switch to the dough hook. (If the dough doesn't come together, add an additional tablespoon of milk at a time). Increase the speed to medium and knead for 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary if the dough sticks to the bottom of the mixer. At the end of kneading, the dough should be soft and tacky but not sticky.
- Divide the dough in half, and place one half into a greased bowl and cover it with plastic.
- Divide the remaining dough into sixths. Because the amount of dough is so small, it is easiest to work the food coloring in by hand (although you may want to wear a glove to prevent the coloring from getting on your hands).
- I used Wilton color right concentrated food coloring in the following amounts. If you are using a different food coloring, you will need different amounts to get the desired colors.Red: 4 drops red. Orange: 2 drops orange, 2 drops yellow. Yellow: 4 drops yellow. Green: 3 drops yellow. One drop blue. Blue: 4 drops blue. Purple: 4 drops pink. 1 drop blue. 1 drop red.food coloring
- Once you've worked all of the color in as evenly as possible, form the dough into a ball. Leave the rainbow colored balls on a tray or plate and cover with plastic wrap to rise until doubled in size, about 60 minutes.
- Lightly butter a 13" by 4" by 4" Pullman loaf pan, including the lid.
- To create the pattern, divide the white dough into six equal parts. Roll each part into a log the length of the pan, and lay four logs into the bottom.
- Create a second layer with a red log, two white logs, and the purple log.
- The final layer should lay the orange log on top of the red log, then the yellow, green, and blue on top of the purple (see photos).
- Put the lid on the pan and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free location until it is nearly up to the lid, about 2 hours.
- Thirty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the internal temperature is 190°F.
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then cool on a rack completely before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
This rainbow bread recipe was first posted June 4, 2021. It was last updated May 8, 2023.
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