Rainbow Bread

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons yeast

Directions:

For bread machine:

Measure ingredients into baking pan in order given. Set for dough cycle. When the dough is ready, proceed with "To Color" below.

For hand mixed:

In a large bowl, Di solve sugar in lukewarm water. Add yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Stir. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and salt. Mix vigorously for at least 5 minutes. This will reduce the kneading time. Add balance of flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough is smooth and no longer sticky.

Turn onto a floured board and knead for 10 minutes. Cover dough with a clean tea towel and let rise in a warm place for 1/2 to 1 hour, until it doubles in size. Punch down to remove all air bubbles.

To Colour:


Divide dough into 6 equal parts (one part for each colour desired). Poke a hole in the dough with your finger. Put food coloring into the hole. Use a little (5-6 drops) for light colors  more for bright colors  Pinch the hole closed and knead the dough for 5 to 10 minutes, until the color is well mixed in.

Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out very flat. Use a little water to moisten the top of one piece so the next piece will stick to it. This is very important if a lot of extra flour was used to keep the dough from sticking during kneading. Roll the dough into a log and place it in a greased and floured bread pan. 

Heat oven to 350'F. Bake bread for about 25 minutes. Remove bread from pan immediately when done. Bread should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. If it does not, it is not cooked yet. Cool 10-20 minutes before cutting.