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Ube Bread

Jen Paleracio
Fluffy and Pillowy bread rolls filled with creamy ube filling. The purple yam is made with Stokes Purple potatoes with butter, sugar, cream, maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla. It's one of the most popular and delicious desserts in the Philippines.
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Prep Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Filipino, Japanese
Servings 16

Equipment

  • baking sheet pan
  • Bowls
  • Electric stand mixer with hook attachment
  • Spatula
  • Measuring spoons
  • Measuring cups
  • Immersion Blender

Ingredients
  

UBE FILLING

  • 3 medium size Stokes Purple potatoes, peeled and cut into inch cubes
  • 4 oz. salted butter or 8 tablespoons
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

BREAD DOUGH

  • 4 cups bread flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 packet of instant dry yeast
  • 1 cup warm whole milk
  • 4 oz. or one stick of butter, softened, room temperature
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

MAKE THE UBE FILLING

  • Peel the Stokes Purple potatoes, and cut them into inch cubes.
  • Fill a stockpot with enough water to submerge the purple potatoes. Cook them on medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes or until fork tender (the same way you cook regular potatoes).
  • Drain the water after cooking. Return to the stove, and add butter, heavy cream, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
  • Use an immersion blender (see NOTE #3 if you don't have an immersion blender), and blend the mixture until smooth or thickened.
  • Remove from the heat and transfer to a platter or bowl to cool for 10 minutes. Then place it in the fridge for at least an hour.
  • Meantime, make the bread rolls.

BREAD ROLLS

  • See NOTE #4 to see the link for my Pull-Apart Bread Rolls recipe, but here's the written recipe:
  • In a mixing bowl, combine one cup of flour, sugar, yeast, and warm milk. Use a wire whisk and mix until smooth and with no lumps or visible white flour.
  • Use the hook attachment of your stand mixer (see NOTE #1 if you don't have an electric mixer). Add butter, eggs, and salt, and continue mixing until well incorporated.
  • Mix at low speed and gradually add the rest of the flour (a cup at a time). Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated. Add about 2 teaspoons of olive oil if it sticks to the bowl.
  • Increase the speed of the mixer to high, and continue mixing for 10 minutes or until the dough doesn't cling to the side of the bowl anymore. You can also do the windowpane test. If the dough stretches without breaking, it means the gluten is well-developed and your dough is ready to rise (see NOTE #2 regarding windowpane).
  • Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour or until it's double the size.

FILL AND BAKE

  • Lightly flour the surface and dump the dough. Cut it into 2 pieces first. Then equally divide into 8 pieces (or 50-60 grams for each piece), you should have 16 pieces in total.
  • Take out the ube filling from the fridge. Use a small ice cream scoop to scoop the filling. Roll in between palms to form a ball.
  • Place the rolled ube in the center of the dough. Pull the sides to close and tuck them in. Press with your fingers and neatly seal the dough. Cup the rolled dough with your hand and roll on the surface counterclockwise.
  • Place the rolled bread dough on a prepared baking sheet pan. Space them out (about an inch apart), so they have room to expand when baked. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and rest for 45 minutes or until double in size.
  • Preheat the oven to 375ºF and line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
  • Make the egg wash by combining one egg and a tablespoon of milk or water. Mix until combined. Brush the bread dough with eggwash before baking. Option to sprinkle sesame seeds.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Video

Notes

NOTE #1 If you don't have an electric mixer you can knead the dough by hand. It takes about 15 minutes if you're kneading by hand. Do the windowpane test to see if your dough is ready to rise. 
NOTE #2 Do the windowpane test by gently stretching the dough with your fingers and thumbs. Stretch the dough into a thin translucent sheet. If you can stretch the dough without breaking that means the gluten is well developed and your dough is ready to rise. 
NOTE #3 If you don't have an immersion blender, use a potato masher or a fork to mash the cooked purple potatoes before returning it back to the stove. Stir the mixture until it thickened. It won't be as smooth as using an immersion blender but you'll have a nice consistency. You can also use a regular blender or food processor. Add the cream and purple potatoes at the same time in the blender, and then blend until smooth. 
NOTE #4 Here's the link to my Pull-Apart Bread Rolls to see the video for the bread dough. 
 
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Keyword bread, bread rolls, dinner rolls, ube, ube bread