Description

This Watermelon Bread is a whimsical, summer-perfect fruit bread that looks just like a slice of watermelon. With its vibrant green “rind,” soft red “flesh,” and chocolate chip “seeds,” this loaf is ideal for picnics, parties, or fun family baking projects. It’s surprisingly easy to make, uses basic pantry ingredients, and can be customized for vegan or gluten-free diets. Soft, sweet, and visually stunning—this bread is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients

For the green dough (rind):

1 cup warm milk (about 110°F)
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp sugar
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
½ tsp salt
Green food coloring

For the red dough (flesh):

1 cup warm milk (about 110°F)
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp sugar
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
½ tsp salt
Red or pink food coloring
⅓ cup mini chocolate chips (to mimic seeds)

Optional for white layer (rind transition):

½ cup of the base dough (uncolored)

Instructions

In two separate bowls, mix warm milk, yeast, and sugar for both the red and green doughs. Let sit for about 5–10 minutes until foamy.

To each bowl, add the softened butter, salt, and flour. Mix and knead until a soft dough forms.

Add green food coloring to one dough and red (or pink) to the other. Knead each until color is fully incorporated.

Fold mini chocolate chips into the red dough.

If making a white layer between the red and green doughs, reserve a small portion of uncolored dough from either batch.

Let each dough rise in a greased bowl, covered, for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Punch down the doughs. Shape the red dough into a log to form the center of the “watermelon”.

Wrap the white dough layer thinly around the red dough if using, then encase the entire log with the green dough, shaping it into a loaf.

Place the loaf into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan. Cover and let rise again for about 30–45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

Let cool before slicing to reveal

Notes

Always use warm milk (not hot) to activate the yeast properly
Food coloring is optional but key to achieving the watermelon look
Use a serrated knife to slice cleanly and showcase the layers
Try shaping into mini loaves or muffin tins for portioned servings
Store in a sealed container to keep it fresh and colorful