This bread was inspired by my Purple Yam Jam post. In that post, I promised you guys that I am going to explore options on how we can further enjoy the smooth and addictive Purple Yam Jam. The 2nd best way for me is to use it in bread. I said 2nd best because in my opinion, the best way to have it is just to eat it on its own. Yes, you can actually enjoy it that way, and that is what makes it different from any other Jam. I used to eat spoonful and spoonful of this , and I still do until now. I have to warn you though, it is dangerously delicious. Once you start, you cannot stop.

What is Ube?

Ube or Halaya is a Filipino dessert made from boiled mashed purpe yam. It has a vibrant purple color, hence the name ‘Ube’. It is a thick heavy jam made by combining boiled mashed purple yam, sugar and milk. The mixture is then cooked in low heat until the consistency is thick.

It can be enjoyed on its own as a snack, or it can be mix with bread dough to make Ube rolls, or used as a filling or stuffing for a bread like this one, or for making cookies and cakes. It is also used as toppings for Halo Halo (another Filipino dessert). Here are few ideas on how we use Ube.

If you are not familiar with Purple Yam Jam, it is a smooth and creamy jam made from purple yam. Yes, the vegetable purple yam. It might sound weird to you, using vegetable to make jam , but it works and it is really deliciously good. Trust me on this. Purple Yam Jam is a traditional  desert in the Philippines, commonly present on occasions like Christmas , New Year or birthday.

I love the idea of making huge bread, but I always favored making bite size like this. They are just the perfect size to take with me , just the perfect size when I want to watch the portion I am eating. Although in some ways this mini is quite dangerous as it is easier for me to just keep on eating it. At one point, I actually lost track of how many pieces I ate, I just cannot stop.

The texture of the bread is on the heavy and dense side. Don’t worry, that is how it should be. This is the kind of texture that is perfect for filling in with this jam. Let’s get started!

Ingredients:

• 1 batch Purple Yam Jam
• 1 cup + 3 tablespoon Bread Flour
• 1/4 cup lukewarm Milk (110F)
• 1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon granulated White Sugar
• 1 1 /4 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast ( I used Fleischmann’s brand)
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted Butter –  softened at room temperature
• 1 Egg for brushing (Add 1 tsp water to make egg wash)  – optional
• 1/4 teaspoon Poppy Seed or Sesame Seed – optional

Note: This recipe can be done without a stand mixer. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and using your hand, manually mix and knead the dough in a flat surface.

Instructions:

1. Prepare Purple Yam Jam. This can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge. I have a short video for this, click HERE to watch.
2. Activate Yeast: Microwave milk for 20- 25 seconds until lukewarm but NOT hot, aim for 110 – 115F. If you have a baking thermometer, use it as it is the best way to be sure of the temperature. Hot milk will kill the yeast and the bread will not rise properly.  Transfer milk in bowl of stand mixer (Refer to discussion above for other Methods of making this) and add 1/2 tsp of the granulated sugar and stir. Add the yeast and let rest for 10 minutes until mixture is foamy. If the mixture did not become foamy, either the yeast is old or the milk is too hot. Do NOT proceed until corrected, otherwise you will end up with a tough dense bread.
3. Add Wet and Dry Ingredients: Set mixer with paddle attachment and mix in remaining sugar (2 tbsp), beaten egg oil, bread flour and salt. Mix until combined. Switch to a hook attachment. Allow mixture to knead on medium-low speed (2 kitchenaid) about 15 minutes until smooth and elastic. If the dough is too sticky add 1 tbsp of flour at a time until the dough comes together, the dough should be slightly sticky, smooth, soft and but not too dry. If too much flour is added, the rolls will be dense and heavy. A good measure of correct texture is a clean mixing bowl with slightly sticky bottom, a soft, smooth and elastic dough just like the photo below. On the other hand, if it is too drt, add 1/2 teaspoon warm milk and continue kneading about 3 minutes before adding more liquid.
4. Add softened butter and knead for another 15 minutes. The final dough should be smooth, soft and elastic. The side of the bowl is clean while the bottom is slightly sticking
5. First Rest Period: Remove the dough and shape into a ball. Transfer into a greased bowl (I used oil spray) and roll the dough inside the bowl to coat the dough with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or warm towel and allow to rest for 1 hour in a warm place. Greasing the bowl lessen the sticking of the dough in the surface of the bowl. The left photo is after 8 minutes kneading the dough, and the right photo is after 1 hour rest. It doubles in size.
   • TIP: To help the dough rise faster, leave the covered dough OUTSIDE the pre-heated 350F oven. The top of the oven hot surface will give the dough the heat it needed to rise properly. Alternatively, you can also pre-heat the oven to 110F then turn it OFF and put the covered dough inside.
6. Shape: and Fill Take the dough out from the bowl and lightly push the dough down with the heel of the palm of your hands. Divide into 8 portions and shape each piece into a ball. I used a kitchen weighing scale, you can eye-ball it if you do not have scale. Roll and flatten each piece and fill the center with 1 1/2 tablespoon of Purple Yam Jam. Close and roll it into a ball. Make sure to seal all the edges.
7. Second Rest Period: Cover and leave for 1 hour in a warm place before baking.
   • To help the dough rise better, I put it inside the oven which I pre-heated to 110F. Once it reached the 110F, turn OFF the oven. DO NOT forget to turn it OFF, you only want the oven to warm up for the dough to rise, you do not want to dough to be baked. Some oven has a proofing setting, mine doesn’t, so this is my trick.
8. Brush with egg wash – optional. Sprinkle with poppey seed or sesame seed – optional
9. Preheat the oven to 350F and bake for 18- 20 minutes or until the top turns golden brown.

SaveFeatured Posts:

• Purple Yam Sweet Roll Bread
• Braided Purple Yam Loaf Bread
• Purple Yam Cupcakes
• Purple Yam Star Bread
• Purple Yam Swiss Roll Cake
• Purple Yam Crinkles
• Purple Yam Jam
• [VIDEO] Ube Macapuno Chiffon Cake

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