Ube Sourdough Bread 🍞
Today I went out of my comfort zone and made an ube sourdough bread. Adding inclusions to sourdough can be a little tedious, but it actually wasn’t too bad! The bread turned out absolutely delicious. Have you tried a loaf of ube sourdough bread? 🍞
Ube cream ingredients:
-3 tsp ube powder
-1/2 cup condensed milk
-3/4 cup coconut milk
-2 drops ube extract
Steps: To make the ube cream, simply mix the ingredients above together on a pan at medium heat. Continue stirring until it becomes thick.
Sourdough bread ingredients:
-500 grams bread flour
-100 grams starter, active and bubbly
-350 grams water
-10 grams salt
Steps for making the sourdough bread:
1) Feed your sourdough starter at least 6 hours before starting the dough making process. Ensure it is active and bubbly.
2) Combine the room temp water, active starter, and flour with a wooden spoon or your clean hands in a large bowl.
3) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
4) Add the salt to the dough.
5) Start the stretch and fold process by grabbing the edge of the dough and pull up by stretching it out as you pull upwards. Place dough that is in your hands back into the center. Turn the bowl about a quarter turn and complete another stretch and fold. Repeat two more times.
6) Thirty minutes later, complete another round of stretch and folds. Cover and allow the dough to rest another 30 minutes. You’ll repeat this 2 more times.
7) Cover with a lid, damp towel, or plastic wrap. Let the dough bulk ferment in a warm place until it has doubled in size. This could be anywhere from 6-12 hours (or longer) depending on several factors. Try out the aliquot method to ensure a more accurate fermentation. Be careful not to let it over ferment.
8) Once the bulk fermentation is complete, place the dough on a clean work surface.
9) Stretch the dough out and spread out the ube cream. Be careful to not be messy on this step as the goal is for the ube to stay inside the dough and not outside.
10) Fold the dough and add another layer of ube before rolling into a ball.
11) Fold the dough onto itself and roll up. Then shape into a ball by gently spinning it toward you.
12) Transfer the dough to a floured banneton or bowl with a floured towel (I recommend using rice flour!!)
13) Cover with plastic and let the dough rest for 12-15 hours in the refrigerator.
14) The next day, preheat a dutch oven to 450 degrees.
15) Remove dough from the fridge right before baking. Place dough on a piece of parchment paper.
Dust with flour, if desired, and score with a razor blade.
16) Transfer the piece of parchment paper with the dough into the hot dutch oven.
17) Place the lid back on and place the dutch oven into the hot oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
18) Remove the lid with oven mitts, turn the oven temperature down to 400f, and bake an additional 15-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Enjoy!
Incorporating ube into sourdough bread is a creative twist that blends traditional fermentation techniques with vibrant flavors from Filipino cuisine. When making the ube cream, using freeze-dried purple sweet potato powder is a fantastic way to get an intense color and natural sweetness without adding artificial dyes. Stirring the ube cream over medium heat until it thickens ensures a smooth spread that melds into the bread layers during baking. One key tip I found helpful when working with the sourdough starter is maintaining its activity level by feeding it regularly, preferably 6 hours before making the dough, to ensure robust fermentation. The aliquot method, where a small piece of dough’s volume is monitored, helps accurately determine when the bulk fermentation is complete, preventing over or under fermentation that could affect the bread’s texture. The stretch and fold technique used several times during the dough's development strengthens gluten and creates an airy crumb, which is important when you're adding inclusions like ube cream to avoid tearing the dough. When spreading the ube cream, doing it carefully so it stays inside the dough rather than leaking out helps maintain a beautiful swirl of filling inside the baked loaf. Cold-proofing the shaped dough in the fridge for 12 to 15 hours not only improves flavor complexity but also makes handling the dough easier during shaping. Preheating the Dutch oven to 450°F and baking with the lid on traps steam, essential for a crusty exterior, while reducing the temperature and removing the lid for the final bake ensures a golden crust. Cooling the bread for at least two hours before slicing helps the crumb set properly so each slice holds together without becoming gummy. This ube sourdough bread is a delightful bakery-style treat that pairs beautifully with both sweet and savory accompaniments. It’s a rewarding baking project for anyone looking to expand their sourdough repertoire with an exotic, colorful twist.
yum!! 💜