Morgan is baking her way through Selefina's natural food color powders (and a colorful spice or two), one mini loaf at a time. So far she has tested butterfly pea flower, matcha, purple sweet potato, ebony carrot, black cacao, and turmeric. Each entry covers her shade amounts, how the dough behaved, and what to expect from the color and flavor once it's baked. We'll add more entries as Morgan tests more powders (and, we hope, finds new ways to decorate with them), so check back often!
Please enjoy this series by Morgan A of Wild Bird Bread Co. Food photography on this page is ©Morgan Autrey.
by Morgan A
My original single loaf recipe makes a 600g loaf. For this series I split it into three 200g mini loaves, so each color powder got its own bowl and its own amount.
The powders go in with the flour, rather than into dough that is already mixed. That meant dividing the recipe into thirds before mixing, so plan on that if you're testing a few colors at once.
Want to color one full-size loaf instead? Triple the color amounts in any entry below.
- 105g - organic all-purpose flour
- 75g - filtered water
- 19g - bubbly starter
- 2g - pink Himalayan salt
- plus - your color powder (amounts listed with each color)
315g flour, 226g water, 57g starter, and 6g salt.
- Add the water and starter to your bowl, then the flour, salt, and color powder. Mix the dough, then let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Do one set of stretch and folds, then wait another 30 minutes.
- Do 3 to 4 sets of coil folds, 15 minutes apart.
- Let your dough rise until fully proofed.
- Turn your dough out onto the counter and shape it.
- Place the shaped dough in a banneton (or a similar lined bowl) and refrigerate overnight for a cold proof.
The next day, preheat your oven to 440°F. If you're using a Dutch oven, preheat it with the oven.
- Turn your loaf out onto parchment paper and score it with a sharp scoring lame. Carefully place it into your Dutch oven, put the lid back on, and bake for about 24 minutes.
- Remove the lid and keep baking for another 20 to 25 minutes, depending on how toasty you'd like the crust.
- Let your loaf cool completely before cutting into it. Trust me on this one, it's worth the wait!
That's it! You'll have a gorgeous, colorful loaf of homemade sourdough.
Add your color powder to the flour, not to dough that is already mixed. Each entry below lists the amounts and what to expect from that powder.
adding natural food coloring to sourdough
Butterfly pea flower powder is a great pick if you'd like a vibrant blue dough! The difference between amounts was very noticeable, so it worked really well for an ombré effect across the three mini loaves.
Add the butterfly pea flower powder to your flour along with the salt, rather than to dough that is already mixed. The base recipe above has the full method.
The more powder I used, the tougher the dough got, just like with black cacao powder. I didn't change the ratio of powder to flour, and things still turned out fine, with a really dark blue bread as the result.
- Light: add 1/2 tsp butterfly pea flower powder
- Medium: add 1 tsp butterfly pea flower powder
- Deep: add 1 Tbsp butterfly pea flower powder
NOTE: Be sure to use a measuring spoon for accurate results. Triple the amounts to color one full-size loaf.
There is a subtle taste difference with butterfly pea flower powder, but nothing too strong. It has a little less flavor than matcha, with a similar earthiness in the bread.
adding natural food coloring to sourdough
Matcha is such a beautiful powder to use! It works well in drinks, of course, but it's also great for coloring your bread!
Add the matcha powder to your flour along with the salt, rather than to dough that is already mixed. The base recipe above has the full method.
- Light: add 1/2 tsp matcha powder
- Medium: add 1 tsp matcha powder
- Deep: add 1 Tbsp matcha powder
NOTE: Be sure to use a measuring spoon for accurate results. Triple the amounts to color one full-size loaf.
Matcha tastes just about as you'd expect! It keeps both its color and flavor surprisingly well, which is a fun surprise for any occasion.
adding natural food coloring to sourdough
For turning your dough into a light shade of pinkish-purple, purple sweet potato powder is the way to go!
Add the purple sweet potato powder to your flour along with the salt, rather than to dough that is already mixed. The base recipe above has the full method.
Although the powder itself is very bright, it tends to fade somewhat in both the dough and the final loaf. With that said, you'll need to add more than you think to keep a brighter shade of purple!
- Light: add 1/2 tsp purple sweet potato powder
- Medium: add 1 tsp purple sweet potato powder
- Deep: add 1 Tbsp purple sweet potato powder
NOTE: Be sure to use a measuring spoon for accurate results. Triple the amounts to color one full-size loaf.
The addition of this powder did not seem to alter the taste of the bread much at all. It ended up being pretty light, both in color and taste. I still enjoyed the end result, though!
adding natural food coloring to sourdough
Ebony carrot powder is one of those ingredients that likes to change things up on you in the oven! It starts as a deep, velvety red and turns a gorgeous purple after baking. It was a fun change to watch!
One of the most important tips I have for this powder is to add it to the dry flour before mixing the dough. Because of the natural sugars in the carrot, the powder will liquify and turn sticky if it's added to dough that's already mixed. Stirred into the flour, it combines beautifully! Just follow along with the steps in the base recipe above and you'll be good to go.
- Light: add 1/2 tsp ebony carrot powder
- Medium: add 1 tsp ebony carrot powder
- Deep: add 1 Tbsp ebony carrot powder
NOTE: Be sure to use a measuring spoon for accurate results. Triple the amounts to color one full-size loaf.
I didn't notice a big change in the consistency of the dough! The taste wasn't very strong, either, but I'll say it added a bit of sweetness from the natural sugars in the carrot powder.
adding natural food coloring to sourdough
Black cacao is SO much fun to use in bread, both for coloring the inside and as a dusting for the outside crust! All in all, it's a great addition to any loaf.
Add the black cacao powder to your flour along with the salt, rather than to dough that is already mixed. The base recipe above has the full method.
Much like standard cocoa powder, black cacao slightly thickens your dough when higher amounts are used, but I got great results without altering my base recipe. The color also bakes darker than the dough looks at first, so start with smaller amounts until you land on a shade you like.
- Light: add 1/2 tsp black cacao powder
- Medium: add 1 tsp black cacao powder
- Deep: add 1 Tbsp black cacao powder
NOTE: Be sure to use a measuring spoon for accurate results. Triple the amounts to color one full-size loaf.
The taste is slightly chocolatey, and the color is very prominent. The more powder I used, the tougher (and a bit denser) the dough got. It still baked up nicely, though!
adding natural food coloring to sourdough
For bright color, bold flavor, and an easy mix into your bread, ground turmeric is a great option! You'll be in awe of these results!
Add the ground turmeric to your flour along with the salt, rather than to dough that is already mixed. The base recipe above has the full method.
Turmeric is a great addition to your dough because it won't bake off or fade in the heat of the oven! With that said, you'll want to use it sparingly. Start with less and add more if needed, until you find the amount that works for you.
- Light: add 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- Medium: add 1 tsp ground turmeric
- Deep: add 1 Tbsp ground turmeric
NOTE: Be sure to use a measuring spoon for accurate results. Triple the amounts to color one full-size loaf.
Turmeric holds on to its flavor even after baking. It gives the bread a beautiful flavor, not too strong but definitely noticeable! Spread a little butter on a slice and the taste reminded me of a : a creamy, flavorful bite that keeps you coming back for more!
Quick links to the natural food coloring powders and spices used in this series. Remember: Natural food coloring can add taste to your food creations in addition to color. Final color in naturally dyed foodstuffs will be altered by the baking process!
A friendly note: as with any plant-based ingredient, check with your healthcare provider before using if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a health condition.
