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Bring drama to your Halloween table with this Brimstone Bread that borrows from Asian and Dutch traditions to create a spooky spectacle – black and crackly on the outside, fiery red within. Soft, spooky and stunningly delicious. Serve with spooky spreads or alongside a cauldron of pumpkin soup.

Halloween Bread Recipe

Brimstone Bread looks like it was plucked straight from a witch’s oven.

Its blackened, crackled crust gives way to a vivid red interior that’s eerie and beautiful. Beneath its haunting appearance, the loaf is soft and tender with a mild chew, carrying a subtle sweetness that balances the rustic, toasted flavor of its crisp outer shell.

Fresh from the oven, the contrast between the jet-black crust and the scarlet crumb makes this bread a striking centerpiece for any Halloween spread.

This recipe plays with visual drama as much as texture, making it a perfect addition to October gatherings, from spooky dinner parties to themed charcuterie boards. Serve it alongside our roasted pumpkin soup recipe, smear it with roasted garlic butter or smear with Nutella for a sweet and spooky treat.

While “brimstone” is purely a name for effect here, inspired by witchy stories and movies (like Disney’s Hocus Pocus), the technique for the crackled crust borrows from the Japanese melon pan and Dutch tiger bread, where a rice flour paste bakes into a mosaic of cracks. This fun recipe teaches kids an artisan bread technique while creating some serious Halloween culinary theatre.

Brimstone Bread FAQs

Why is my brimstone topping not cracking properly? The topping may be too thin or too wet. Ensure the paste is thick enough to slowly fall from the whisk, and apply a generous layer over each loaf before baking.

Can I use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour? Yes, bread flour will yield a chewier texture with slightly more structure, though the original recipe produces a softer crumb.

Do I need to use gel or liquid food dye? Gel dye gives stronger color with less liquid, helping the dough maintain the proper texture. (This food coloring has lasted me forever and I love that it creates highly saturated colors with just a drop.) Liquid dye works but may slightly loosen the dough.

Can I make this recipe ahead of time? You can prepare the dough a day ahead and refrigerate it overnight. Let it come to room temperature before shaping and topping.

How should I store leftover Brimstone Bread? Keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, or freeze the baked loaves for up to three months. Reheat briefly in the oven to restore the crust.

How to freeze bread: Wrap the cooled bread in plastic wrap, pressing gently to remove air pockets. Then place it in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container for up to three months. (This set of freezer containers is a crazy bargain.)

Brimstone Bread Ingredients:

For the Dough:

• Active dry yeast
• White granulated sugar
• Warm water
• Salt
• All purpose flour
• Red Food Dye

For the Brimstone Topping:

• Warm water
• Active dry yeast
• Rice flour
• White granulated sugar
• Vegetable oil
• Salt
• Black Food Dye

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.

Tip #1: Use warm (not hot) water, ideally around 105–110°F, to activate the yeast effectively without killing it.

Tip #2: Allow the brimstone topping to rest for the full 15 minutes before spreading; this gives the yeast time to aerate and helps the paste adhere better for clean, dramatic cracks.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

• Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mat
• 9×11 Baking Sheet
• Measuring cups and spoons 
• Electric mixer <– this is a great hand mixer if you don’t want to make the investment into a stand mixer
• Large Mixing Bowl
• Tea towel

How to Make Brimstone Bread

Start with making the dough. In a bowl add the warm water, dry yeast and white sugar. Whisk together and let sit for 5 minutes, so the yeast can activate.

After 5 minutes add the flour, salt and red food dye. Fold everything together until combined and the red food dye is spread evenly throughout the dough. The dough will be sticky at this stage. Place a tea towel over the bowl and let rise for 1 hour.

Once the dough has risen, fold the edges of the dough from the bowl inwards toward the center.

Transfer the dough to a clean, floured surface. Cut into 7 even pieces. Take each dough piece and create a smooth ball, tucking the edges of the dough towards the bottom until a small round loaf is formed. Place on a parchment covered baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and let proof again for 30 minutes.

While the dough balls are proofing, create the brimstone topping.

Add the black food dye, be heavy with the dye to get the blackest possible topping for the brimstone, to the warm water. Add the yeast and mix everything together. Let sit for 5 minutes for the yeast to activate.

In a separate bowl add the rice flour. Pour in the yeast mixture after 5 minutes and then add the sugar, vegetable oil and salt. Whisk this mixture together until a thick paste that slowly falls from the whisk forms. Cover this with a tea towel and let sit for 15 minutes.

Once both the dough and brimstone topping has proofed, place a large spoonful of the black topping on each red dough ball.

Use clean, dry hands to spread each ball of dough with a thick coating of the black paste. Don’t make it too thin or you won’t get the nice crackles were are looking for once baked. Once all are coated let the paste adhere to the dough well by sitting for 15 more minutes before baking.

Preheat the oven to 460 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the bread for 25 minutes. You will notice beautiful cracks of the black coating, to reveal the red loaf bread.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes.

Pin this Black & Red Brimstone Bread for a Spooky Halloween Feast:

Grab your free printable recipe card for our Halloween Brimstone Bread recipe:

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Yield: 7 servings

Brimstone Bread

Print

Bring drama to your Halloween table with this Brimstone Bread that borrows from Asian and Dutch traditions to create a spooky spectacle - black and crackly on the outside, fiery red within. Soft, spooky and stunningly delicious. Serve with spooky spreads or alongside a cauldron of pumpkin soup.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes

Ingredients

For the Dough:

• 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar
• 1 ¼ cups warm water
• 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• Red Food Dye

For the Brimstone Topping:

• ½ cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• ¾ cup rice flour
• 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Black Food Dye

Instructions

Start with making the dough. In a bowl add the warm water, dry yeast and white sugar. Whisk together and let sit for 5 minutes, so the yeast can activate.

After 5 minutes add the flour, salt and red food dye. Fold everything together until combined and the red food dye is spread evenly throughout the dough. The dough will be sticky at this stage. Place a tea towel over the bowl and let rise for 1 hour.

Once the dough has risen, fold the edges of the dough from the bowl inwards toward the center.

Transfer the dough to a clean, floured surface. Cut into 7 even pieces. Take each dough piece and create a smooth ball, tucking the edges of the dough towards the bottom until a small round loaf is formed. Place on a parchment covered baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and let proof again for 30 minutes.

While the dough balls are proofing, create the brimstone topping.

Add the black food dye, be heavy with the dye to get the blackest possible topping for the brimstone, to the warm water. Add the yeast and mix everything together. Let sit for 5 minutes for the yeast to activate.

In a separate bowl add the rice flour. Pour in the yeast mixture after 5 minutes and then add the sugar, vegetable oil and salt. Whisk this mixture together until a thick paste that slowly falls from the whisk forms. Cover this with a tea towel and let sit for 15 minutes.

Once both the dough and brimstone topping has proofed, place a large spoonful of the black topping on each red dough ball.

Use clean, dry hands to spread each ball of dough with a thick coating of the black paste. Don’t make it too thin or you won’t get the nice crackles were are looking for once baked. Once all are coated let the paste adhere to the dough well by sitting for 15 more minutes before baking.

Preheat the oven to 460 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the bread for 25 minutes. You will notice beautiful cracks of the black coating, to reveal the red loaf bread.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Red Star Yeast Jar Quick Rise
• 
  Amazon Basics Rectangular Silicone, Non-Stick Reusable, Food Safe Baking Mat, Pack of 2, 16.5" x 11.6", New Beige/Gray
• 
  Wilton Icing Colors, 12-Count Gel-Based Food Color

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

7

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 293Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 534mgCarbohydrates: 58gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 8g

Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.

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I hope your family enjoys this spooky Halloween bread roll recipe as much as mine did!

For more beautiful breads, check out our full bread recipe collection here: