Chill a Slice-and-Bake Log at Every Stage

A slice-and-bake log only keeps its picture if the dough is cold at every stage. Chill each tinted dough until firm but still pliable before you build, chill the assembled log until solid before you cut, and chill the cut slices again while the oven heats. Cold, firm dough holds its lines under the knife and resists spreading in the first burst of oven heat; warm dough smears the design and blurs the edges. Building the log a day ahead and letting it rest overnight makes the whole job calmer and the cross-section far sharper.