Prep Time: 20 mins + 90 mins of proofing | Cook Time: 40-50 mins | Yield: 8 servings
I was inspired last month to re-purpose my Spanish Bread recipe to make a loaf of ube bread, like the kind I used to have from Tropical Hut in the Philippines. I've been getting more and more into baking bread, inspired of course by the Great British Bake Off lol. I figured I could use the same bread recipe I already have and use some packets of dehydrated ube that has been in my cupboard since the pandemic. I thought my little experiment was pretty successful, though I'd recommend some simple tweaks, below.
Ingredients
I used the same exact dough recipe from my Pumpkin Spanish Bread recipe:
2 eggs
4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup melted butter
1 packet dry active yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup whole milk (or any milk variation / substitute), plus 1/4 cup for coating
1/2 cup unflavored bread crumbs
Heat milk until it reaches 105-115°F.
Mix yeast and warm milk with 1 teaspoon of sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer. Set aside for 10 minutes to let the yeast proof. The mixture should be foamy at the top after 10 minutes, which means the yeast has been activated.
Meanwhile, melt butter and let cool. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, oil, eggs, and sugar. Pour into the proofed yeast and milk mixture and stir until combined.
Add in the flour 1 cup at a time, waiting to pour in the next batch after the flour is thoroughly incorporated. Once all flour has been added, you should have a pretty cohesive dough.
Use the dough hook and set your mixer to a low-medium speed. Mix for 15 minutes to knead. If the dough is still wet, add in 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until the dough is elastic on the dough hook. After 15 minutes, leave in bowl, cover with a tea towel, and let proof for an hour.
And after that is where we get experimental! I used this ube packet (below) and followed the instructions on the package to make halaya (or like an ube paste). I also added a few drops of ube flavor to the halaya to intensify the color and the taste. Grease or line with parchment paper a baking sheet or circular cake tin.
Once the dough has proofed for an hour, remove the dough from the bowl and cut into two equal parts. Take one of two, flatten the dough and using a rolling pin, roll out until it's about 1/4 inch thick and rectangular in shape. Place some halaya so that the rolled out dough is covered in an even, thin layer and leave about 1/4 inch border around the edges. Roll the dough on the long side until it forms a log (similar to how you would roll a cinnamon roll). Place the log seam down, then use a knife or dough cutter to split down the middle the long way, leaving about an inch uncut (this may be a messy process). Repeat for the second portion.
Braid the dough starting on the side that is not split. Once the whole dough has been braided, wrap into a circle, with the open side of the braid facing outwards. Place on the baking sheet or tin, tucking in the open side of the braid under some dough to "close it."
Cover with a tea towel and let the braided dough proof for another half hour. And this is where my slight tweaks come in. I preheated and baked the bread at 350° F and baked for 35 minutes. This left some parts of the dough uncooked - so I suggest baking for longer at a lower temperature.
Brush the dough with an egg wash before baking. Bake at 325° F for 45-50 minutes, starting to check at 40 minutes.
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