The bicolor loaf is a delicious, soft leavened bread characterized by a contrast of colors, with light and dark dough layers that intertwine harmoniously, creating an attractive visual effect. Its tender texture is the result of working with a pre-ferment, which gives the bread extraordinary aroma and lightness. Ideal to enjoy on its own or filled with creams or jams, it is perfect for breakfast or a snack, and also as a base for tasty sandwiches. It keeps for 3-4 days at room temperature in a food bag or airtight container. To extend its shelf life, you can also freeze it for up to 2-3 months. It is recommended to slice it before freezing so you can remove only the slices you need without thawing the whole loaf. Below are all the ingredients and the procedure to prepare our bicolor loaf at home:
Other loaf recipes:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Affordable
- Rest time: 4 Hours 45 Minutes
- Portions: 12
- Cooking methods: Oven
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup type 0 flour
- 3.4 fl oz water
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tsp honey
- the pre-ferment
- 3 7/8 cups type 0 flour
- 1/3 cup water
- 3.4 fl oz milk
- 0.4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 5 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Steps
Prepare the pre-ferment. Mix the flour with the honey dissolved in the water and the yeast until you obtain a homogeneous mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for about 45 minutes, until it has doubled in volume and is full of bubbles.
Prepare the dough. In a large bowl, combine the pre-ferment, the flour, the milk, the water, and the sugar and start mixing. Add the oil and, finally, the salt. Knead until you obtain a smooth and elastic dough.
Then, take about half of the white dough, add the cocoa powder and mix well so as to obtain the cocoa dough as well.
Cover both doughs and let them rise for about 1-2 hours, or until they have doubled in volume.
Then, gently deflate them and roll them out into two rectangles about 8 x 13 in. Place the cocoa dough on top of the white dough (the white dough should have been brushed with a little water beforehand) and join the two layers by gently passing a rolling pin over them.
Roll up and place the bicolor loaf into a suitable loaf pan. Let it rise for about another hour, until the dough rises above the edge of the pan.
Bake at 338°F for about 45-50 minutes. If the surface browns too much, cover it with aluminum foil during the last minutes of baking.
Once baked, remove from the oven and let cool completely. The bicolor loaf is ready to be sliced and served.
Enjoy and… see you in the next recipe!
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