You don't want to miss this magnificent masterpiece - leopard bread. White, light, and dark chocolate doughs come together to create a stunning leopard print bread that is almost too pretty to eat.
The creation of animal print bread is a matter of attribution. The origin of leopard milk bread (pão de leite com padrão leopard in Portuguese) can be traced back to Patricia Nascimento, a French pastry aficionado in southern Portugal.
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A similar Chinese bakery item known as leopard patches bread loaf, or leopard toast 豹纹土司, is a trendy pastry recognizable for its distinctively patterned appearance.
Leopard bread vs. giraffe bread
Although leopard bread may resemble giraffe bread at first glance, they are, in fact, not interchangeable.
The distinguishing factor is that the giraffe pattern differs from the leopard print. Furthermore, giraffe bread is white bread covered with a rice flour paste on top of the dough that results in a unique pattern upon baking.
Why you should try this recipe
- Leopard milk bread is a brioche bread with a characteristic pattern (leopard spots) inside the loaf.
- Leopard bread recipe is straightforward and easy enough compared with, for example, sourdough bread.
- Serving sliced bread delights and impresses guests, bringing lots of compliments.
Ingredients
For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.
- Milk: The recipe calls for whole milk.
- Corn starch works as a thickener and also lightens up the proteins of the flour.
- Butter: Use salted butter or unsalted butter with an additional pinch of salt.
- Sugar: Use granulated or caster sugar.
- Vanilla extract brings a beautiful flavor to this patterned bread.
- Salt enhances the flavors of the bread.
- Instant dry yeast is used to make the bread recipe. If needed, refer to this yeast conversion chart to easily convert it to other types of yeast.
- Flour: The recipe calls for all-purpose flour, the same as plain flour sold in the UK.
- Cocoa powder is essential for making light and dark chocolate dough.
How to make leopard bread
In a small saucepan, pour milk, vanilla, salt, and cornstarch and bring over medium heat. Cook the mixture stirring constantly with a wooden spatula until it begins to thicken. Add butter and stir until smooth. Let it cool down for 30 minutes.
Place flour, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment (aka dough hook) and pour the milk mixture over the dry ingredients. Mix into the dough using a low speed. Knead with your hands until you get the shiny and smooth dough (photo 1).
Divide the bread dough into two equal parts. Reserve one of them (it will be the white dough or plain dough) and cover it with a kitchen towel to proof it until doubled.
Divide the second half of the dough into two parts: one bigger and another smaller.
Add 2 tablespoons (15 g) of cocoa powder mixed with 1 tablespoon of milk to the smaller part of the dough, and knead manually until the dough is homogeneous and colored. Set aside, and cover it with a cloth to proof it until doubled. It is a dark chocolate dough or dark brown dough.
Add 2 teaspoons (5 g) of cocoa powder mixed with 1 teaspoon of milk to the bigger part of the dough, and knead till smooth. Set aside and cover with a cloth to proof till double. It is a light chocolate dough.
Pro tip: Alternatively, you can place each dough in a glass bowl, cover it with cling wrap and let it proof at room temperature until it doubles in size, about 1-1.5 hours.
Deflate the dough and divide the white dough into 7 balls: 2 big balls and 5 small ones.
Divide the chocolate dough into 7 balls: 2 big and 5 small ones. Repeat the same procedure with the dark chocolate dough to get 2 big and 5 small brown balls. The size of the balls depends upon the final weight of each part of the dough; divide it accordingly (photo 2).
Take a ball of chocolate dough and roll it using a rolling pin into a flat oval shape (aka a long tongue). Its length has to be equal to the length of the loaf pan. Then roll the dough into a cylindrical shape (photos 3-4).
Take a ball of dark chocolate dough and roll it into a flat oval shape (aka a long tongue), keeping the same length as the length of the baking pan.
Then place the roll of chocolate dough in the center of the oval of dark chocolate dough (photo 5) and wrap the chocolate dough, not entirely covering it (photo 6).
Repeat the same for the rest of the chocolate dough - you will get seven chocolate logs with the light chocolate center (photo 7).
Consider that the big balls of chocolate dough have to correspond with the big balls of dark chocolate dough. The same is with tiny balls.
Using a rolling pin, roll a white ball into a white dough oval or a long tongue shape. Wrap the chocolate roll with the white dough, fully covering it. Continue the final wrapping of white dough (photo 8).
Take a roll of the white dough and gently roll it with your hands into a long log double the size of the baking pan. Repeat it for the rest of the white dough - you will get seven dough logs (photo 9).
Cut each long log into half. Place the rolls alternating their ends into the greased baking pan loaf or a pan lined with parchment paper (photo 10).
Cover the pan with the cloth and let it rise till double.
Heat the preheated oven to 340°F (170°C). Brush the bread with milk and bake it for 30-40 minutes. Remove the bread from the loaf pan and let it cool on a wire rack before cutting.
Expert Tips
- Use a kitchen scale for the best baking results.
- Recalculate ingredients for a baking pan you have on hand using this simple cake pan converter.
- If desired, make the bread using a toast mold (aka Pullman loaf pan with a lid).
- Instead of milk, use an egg wash.
- Make-ahead option: let the three doughs proof covered with plastic film in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Proceed to shape the dough, proof it a second time, and then bake.
Storing and freezing
To keep your bread fresh and tasty, store it at room temperature for up to 4 days wrapped in a paper or cloth bread storage bag. Opt for a specifically designed cloth bag or wrap it in a breathable cloth to ensure optimal storage conditions.
Can you freeze it? You can freeze leopard bread as a whole loaf or in individual slices for 3-4 months. Wrap the cooled loaf or each slice individually in two layers of plastic wrap. Then place in a freezing Ziploc bag or cover with aluminum foil. Label it and bring it to the freezer.
To thaw, bring the bread to the kitchen counter for a few hours or to the fridge overnight. Alternatively, warm individual slices in a toaster.
Recipe FAQ
You can replace all-purpose flour with bread flour that has higher protein content, but using all-purpose flour results in a softer texture of bread.
You can flavor your bread with ground cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon, or orange zest.
Love quick bread recipes? Try these next!
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Leopard milk bread
Here is a beautifully designed masterpiece - leopard milk bread. White, light, and dark chocolate doughs come together to create a stunning leopard print bread that is almost too pretty to eat.
- Total Time: 2 hours (plus resting time)
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Quick bread & Brioche
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Portugal
Ingredients
For a loaf bread pan 8 x 4 inches (20 x 10 cm)
For the white dough:
- 8 teaspoons (25 g) cornstarch
- 1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
- 3 ½ tablespoons (50 g) salted butter
- ⅓ cup + 1 teaspoon (70 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) instant dry yeast
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
For the dark chocolate dough:
- 2 tablespoons (15 g)unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) whole milk
For the light chocolate dough:
- 2 teaspoons (5 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) whole milk
*Don't you have the correct baking pan on hand right now? Try this simple Cake Pan Converter!
** If needed, please refer to Baking Conversion Charts.
Instructions
-
In a saucepan, pour milk, vanilla, salt, and cornstarch and bring over medium heat. Cook the mixture stirring constantly with a wooden spatula until it begins to thicken. Add butter and stir until smooth. Let it cool down for 30 minutes.
-
Place flour, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment and pour the milk mixture over the dry ingredients. Mix into the dough using a low speed. Knead with your hands until the dough is smooth and shiny.
-
Divide the dough into two parts. Reserve one of them (it will be the white mass) and cover it with a cloth to proof it until doubled. Divide the other part of the dough into two parts: one bigger and another smaller.
-
Add 2 tablespoons (15 g) of cocoa powder mixed with 1 tablespoon of milk to the smaller part of the dough, and knead manually until the dough is homogeneous and colored. Set aside, and cover it with a cloth to proof it until doubled. It is a dark chocolate dough.
-
Add 2 teaspoons (5 g) of cocoa powder mixed with 1 teaspoon of milk to the bigger part of the dough, and knead till smooth. Set aside and cover with a cloth to proof till double. It is a light chocolate dough. Alternatively, you can place each dough in a glass bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and let it proof at room temperature until it doubles in size, about 1-1.5 hours.
-
Deflate the dough and divide the white dough into 7 balls: 2 big balls and 5 small ones. Divide the chocolate dough into 7 balls: 2 big and 5 small ones. Repeat the same procedure with the dark chocolate dough to get 2 big and 5 small balls. The size of the balls depends upon the final weight of each part of the dough; divide it accordingly.
-
Take a ball of chocolate dough and roll it using a rolling pin into a flat oval shape (aka a long tongue). Its length has to be equal to the length of the loaf pan. Then roll the dough like a Swiss roll.
-
Take a ball of dark chocolate dough and roll it into a flat oval shape (aka a long tongue), keeping the same length as the length of the baking pan. Then place the roll of chocolate dough in the center of the oval of dark chocolate dough and wrap the chocolate dough, not entirely covering it.
-
Repeat the same for the rest of the chocolate dough, considering that the big balls of chocolate dough have to correspond with the big balls of dark chocolate dough. The same is with tiny balls.
-
Using a rolling pin, roll a ball of white dough into a long tongue shape. Wrap the chocolate roll with the white dough, fully covering it. Continue the same for the rest of the white dough.
-
Take a roll of the white dough and gently roll it with your hands into a long log double the size of the baking pan. Repeat it for the rest of the white dough. Cut each long log into half. Place the rolls alternating their ends into the greased loaf pan or a pan lined with parchment paper.
-
Cover the pan with the cloth and let it rise till double. Heat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Brush the bread with milk and bake it for 30-40 minutes. Remove the bread from the loaf pan and let it cool before cutting.
Notes
- Use a kitchen scale for the best baking results.
- Bake the bread using a toast mold (aka Pullman loaf pan with a lid) if desired.
- Instead of milk, use an egg wash.
- Make-ahead option: let the three doughs proof covered with plastic film in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Proceed to shape the dough, proof it a second time, and then bake.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 291
- Sugar: 11 g
- Sodium: 199 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 50.5 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6.5 g
- Cholesterol: 17 mg
The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.
The recipe was adapted from www.cocoebaunilha.com. It was originally published on February 08, 2018. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos.
Marie says
I've never imagined the existence of such beautiful bread. Moreover, I couldn't imagine that I could make it. Thank you for your detailed explanations. I will make it again for sure.