Rye bread comes in many forms, such as classic plain rye, dark-colored pumpernickel, and marble rye. A loaf of marbled rye gives indication of the contrasting colors within until you slice into the loaf and see the light and dark swirls on the crumb, and the different colors united in the same loaf actually taste different from each other.

Making marble rye starts with a basic dough used to make standard deli rye bread, and once the dough has risen, it's split into two balls of dough using a roughly 60/40 ratio. The larger portion is set aside, while the smaller portion gets mixed with molasses, coffee, or cocoa powder to add a dark flavor and color like pumpernickel.

Nailing the swirl is a matter of flattening each dough portion into equal-sized rectangles, layering them on top of one another, and then slowly folding it backward to combine the two. The finished loaf is like a mix of plain rye and a New York-style pumpernickel, with milder and more intense flavors in balance with a stunning visual effect.