Making a small batch of Ube (Purple Yam) Rolls is like bringing a little piece of Filipino dessert heaven to your kitchen. These fluffy, golden rolls are filled with homemade ube jam, a sweet, creamy spread made from fresh purple yams. Ube is a staple in Filipino cuisine, loved for its unique nutty flavor and vibrant color, making these rolls as visually stunning as they are delicious.

This recipe is perfect for when you’re craving a treat but don’t need a large batch—just four rolls, enough to share or savor on your own. Whether you’re new to ube or already a fan, these rolls are a delightful introduction to its charm. Soft, sweet, and full of flavor, they’re bound to become a favorite in your baking repertoire. Enjoy every bite of this colorful treat!

What is Ube?

So what is Ube? “Ube” means purple yam and as the name suggests, it is a purple colour yam. Think like sweet potato, but purple in color. Ube is quite a popular ingredient in the Philippine dessrts. Purple yam desserts are very popular in the Philippines. We used purple yam for a lot of desserts and bread. We use it for ice cream, cookies, cakes, bread, jam, flan, or anything this we can use it for.

Purple Yam has a natural purple colour, this natural colour makes the end product stands out from the rest. It produces a vibrant purple colour without adding any artificial food colouring. It looks different, attractive I would say. How often do you see a purple bread?

A Bite of Filipino Flavor

If you’ve never tried purple yam—or ube—you’re in for a treat. These Small Batch Purple Yam Rolls bring the rich, unique flavor of ube straight to your table. Ube is a classic ingredient in Filipino desserts, known for its vibrant purple color and deliciously sweet, nutty flavor. if you want to get introduced to Filipino baked goods, this is a good place to start.

Why Small Batch

Sometimes, you don’t need a dozen rolls to enjoy something special. This recipe makes just four soft, fluffy rolls—perfect for you or a friend; or keeping all to yourself (I won’t judge!). Small batch recipes are great for when you’re craving something homemade and interesting but don’t want too many leftovers.

Something New to Try

If you feel like trying something new or get introduced to Filipino bread, try this one. They’re soft, sweet, and bursting with the flavor of homemade ube jam. Whether you’re a longtime fan of Filipino desserts or new to the world of ube, these rolls are sure to win you over. This is a great weekend project if you want to try something new.

Homemade Goodness

The real star of this recipe is the homemade Purple Yam Jam. Made from scratch using fresh ube, this jam is creamy, sweet, and absolutely heavenly. It’s what takes these rolls from tasty to unforgettable. Plus, making your own jam adds a personal touch that’s hard to beat.

Store-Bought Ube Jam

I know you might be thinking it is not worth going through the effort on making the jam if you are only using small amount of it. Well, there are other ways you can use the jam, I left few recipes at the feature posts section to give you some idea. You can also eat it on its own, like a dessert. Now back to using it for this bread, you can also buy store-bought purple yam jam. You can find this in Asian grocery or section and they are in a bottle.

The Magic of Ube

Ube has a special place in Filipino cuisine, especially in desserts. It’s not just about the flavor—it’s about the memories and traditions it brings. Whether it’s in cakes, ice creams, or now, in these delicious rolls, ube adds a unique twist to every dish it touches. A vibrant touch of purple colour for sure.

The Purple Pop

Let’s talk about the colour—these rolls aren’t just tasty, they’re a feast for the eyes too. The vibrant purple hue of the ube jam is absolutely stunning. These are the kind of baked goods you’ll want to snap a picture of before you dig in. Instagramable I would say 🙂 if you are into snapping and posting photos.

Add Your Twist

Feeling creative? You can add your own spin to these rolls. Maybe sprinkle some coconut flakes on top, drizzle them with condensed milk (oohhh, dangerously good!), or even mix a little cheese into the filling for that sweet-savory combo Filipinos love. The possibilities are endless!

Why Does Dough Need to Rise Twice

I’ve made quite a lot of bread recipes, from all around dinner rolls, versatile sandwich bread, easy burgers buns, creamy brioche bread and beautiful cinnamon rolls. Most of these bread have something in common, they are all yeast bread that requires the dough to rest twice. It takes a lot of time, but for me it is really worth it. But why do we need to let the dough rise twice? There is a science behind all this and some confusing terminologies involved, so I will save us all that effort of remembering those words and get straight to the point. Juts remember two words, flavor and texture. Allowing the dough to rest twice produces better flavor, and chewier texture because it allows yeast more time to get to work. But this doesn’t mean the we cannot produce a soft and fluffy bread with just 1 proofing. There are variety of recipe now a day that do not require as much time as traditional bread.

Tips for a Successful Soft Homemade Bread

• Liquid Temperature – Yeast grows in temperature between 105 – 110F, so its important to have the water that you are using to “proof” it in this range. If you go lower or higher, the yeast might not proof properly. That means the bread will not rise as much, resulting to a flat and tough bread. 
• Check Yeast Expiry a Date – you might be wondering how come the bread did not rise when you followed exactly the recipe. Well, first thing first, make sure the yeast is not yet expired. Expired yeast is the common reason for flat and dense bread. If your bread did not expand or rise during the rest period, it is most likely that the yeast is not fresh or the water temperature is too hot or cold.
• Amount of Yeast – Just because you want a tall bread doesn’t mean you have to put as much yeast in the mixture. Sometimes adding too much yeast can cause the bread to collapse during the rest period. Just imagine putting more air than what is needed in a balloon, the balloon will explode. The same case with bread. 
• Right Type of Yeast – We’ve discussed the 3 types of yeast above. Make sure to use the right one for your recipe, and make necessary adjustments if you want to swap one from another. 
• Rest Period – Yeast bread needs time to rise. There are bread that uses less yeast but requires more rest time, the likes of No Knead Bread or Artisan Bread which usually require 8- 16 hours rest period to get the volume and to develop the flavor. There are 1 hour bread like my Rosemary Dinner Rolls which used this same bread dough. The point is, give it time to rest, don’t touch it just leave it in a warm place. The first rest period will normally tell you if your dough is good or not. If it rise and almost double in size, then your on the right track.  
• Expiration and Quality of the Flour – The quality of the flour greatly affect the texture of the bread. All-purpose flour could differ from country to country although they are all called as all-purpose flour. Sometimes it depends on the brand too. The closer the flour to expiration date or if it is already expired, the flour could tend to be drier, which means it would require more liquid than mentioned in the recipe. This is a common issue of way sometimes the dough tend to be tough and dry. This is why sometimes you have to add few more tablespoon from the suggested flour measurement to get the right texture. The dough should be soft, smooth and elastic. If it is too wet, add a bit more flour until it is no longer to sticky to handle. If it is too dry, a small amount of liquid helps provide moisture to the dough. A clean side of the bowl, with the dough slightly sticking at the bottom, a soft, smooth and elastic dough is what You are aiming for.

How do I Know if I Made the Bread Dough Correctly?

• Activating the Yeast –  This is the first thing that you should get right, otherwise do NOT proceed. After 5 – 10 minutes you should see a foam forms on top of the water, this is an indication that the yeast is alive. If you do not get this, either the yeast is old or the liquid temperature is too hot or cold. The temperature should be 100F, lukewarm but not hot.
• Clean Bowl After Kneading – The sides of the bowl should be clean, while the bottom is slightly sticking to the dough. This means that amount of liquid to the flour is correct. Enough to make a clean bowl and still make a slightly wet dough.
• Soft Dough – Soft dough means the amount of flour to liquid is enough. Too much flour could make the bread dense and heavy, and too much liquid could make it too wet. Both will affect how the bread rise in the rest period. Try to push your fingers in the dough, it should leave a “dimple” on the dough and should gradually disappear.

• Smooth Dough Surface – Again, this is a sign of correct flour to liquid ratio. A “bumpy” surface could mean that the dough is dry and tough.
• Elastic Dough – A soft dough is usually elastic. If your dough is dry and tough, it wouldn’t be as elastic when you pull it apart.
• First Rest Period – The dough should almost double in size. This is a sign that the activation of the yeast work which is crucial to making a soft and fluffy bread. This also means the yeast is alive (not yet expired) and the liquid temperature is correct. I always use baking thermometer to check the temperature of the liquid.
• Second Rest Period – The bread dough should be really puff up. This is crucial and the final state of the bread before baking. If you are able to make it puff-up, that is a good sign that there are air trapped inside which will make the bread fluffy.

Why is My Dough too Wet or too Dry?

Don’t get frustrated if your dough did not turn out immediately as what you see in the photo or video. Most likely It is not because you did not follow the recipe. When it comes to bread making, the amount of flour and liquid is not always 100% precise. This is why often times you will encounter recipes that says, if your dough is dry, add a bit more liquid. If your dough is too wet, add a little bit more flour. This instructions are not meant to confuse you, they are meant to guide you on how to adjust as you work through your dough. The reason for this is that  although the measurement of water and flour are specified in the recipe, it still could slightly vary depending on many factors.

For instance, all-purpose flour could very from country to country, or even from brand to brand. Don’t be surprise if you find that some brand tends to require a bit more liquid as the others. On top of this, the amount of liquid is also affected by the state of your flour. How old is the flour that you are using? Older flour nearing expiry tends to be drier and this requires more liquid. Humidity also affects baking. The more humid it is, the more likely the dough will be sticky and wet. Bread making requires patience, and practice. Once you learn how to feel the right texture of the dough, everything will be quick and easy. You can instantly tell if you need to add more water or flour to get the dough in right state.

Makes 4 pieces

Enjoy! If you make this, share and tag me in Instagram #SweetNSpicyLiving. I would like to see your creations too.

My Latest Video

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• [VIDEO] Ube Jam
• [VIDEO] Purple Yam Crinkles
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