This Crusty Ube Bread is probably the easiest bread you will make. All you need are just 5 ingredients. Oh and it requires no kneading.
No knead breads are the best. They are so low effort, but the end result is just so satisfying. I mean the smell of freshly baked bread alone makes you a household hero!
This recipe uses only Ube puree and NO added coloring or flavoring. It will make it a bread that is more on the savory side and the color will be a very pale purple. It's okay. No one needs to eat that much food coloring and additives! Embrace natural.
Ingredients
These are the ingredients for making your super easy crusty Ube Bread.
Flour - You can use all purpose flour, as most people have that in the pantry. If you want to get hard core and think you will be making more bread after this try you can also get some bread flour. It has a higher protein content that will give your breads more gluten and the gluten is what will make the bread nice and chewy.
Ube Puree - If you have access to real fresh ube please use that! You will need 2 cups of steamed mashed Ube. If you live outside of the Philippines then you will have to use the frozen puree.
Water - You will need 1 ¾ cup of warm water. Don't use water that is too hot as that will just kill the yeast. It needs to be the same temperature as your body.
Yeast - We will use 1 sachet of active dry yeast.
Salt - One teaspoon of salt is needed for the recipe.
How To Make Crusty Ube Bread
Here are the step by step directions on how to make the Ube Bread.
If you are using frozen ube puree it will be very watery when you defrost it. So you will need to cook out the water before using it. To do that place the defrosted ube puree in a small sauce pan and turn the heat to medium low. Stir for about 5-7 minutes until the water evaporates and you have a more stiffer Ube puree.
Transfer to a bowl and cool fully on the counter.
To make the Ube Bread dough mix together the flour and salt.
Add the yeast to the warm water and leave to sit and get active.
Once the ube puree is cool, add it to the flour and salt mixture.
Using clean hands mix together the Ube and flour.
Just until you get fine crumbs with a few chunky pieces. Make sure all the ube is coated with flour.
Add the water and yeast mixture to the ube mixture and mix until you get a shaggy dough. Leave to rest for about 10 minutes.
Mix the dough again until it's all fully hydrated. It will be very wet and sticky. That is okay! Cover with a moist towel and place in the refrigerator overnight.
The next day take the dough out of the refrigerator and leave on the counter top for 1 hour to get to room temperature.
Baking The Ube Bread
Once the dough is at room temperature dust your work surface with lots of flour. Dump the dough in the middle.
Cut the dough in half and form each half into a ball.
I used dutch oven lined with parchment paper to bake mine in. If you don't have a dutch oven you can also use a cake pan lined in parchment paper.
Transfer the formed balls into separate dutch ovens or cake pans. Cover each with a kitchen towel and leave to rise for 45 minutes. While it's rising pre-heat your oven to 400F.
Once the dough has doubled use a knife to cut a cross across the top of the risen dough. This will help the bread to puff up more during baking.
Cover with the lid. If you are using a cake pan cover it with foil.
Bake the bread for 30 minutes with the lid/cover on.
Take off the lid and bake for a further 20 minutes to get a nice brown crust.
You can see here that I didn't cut the top of the dough before baking and it remained flat. This is because the air in the bread had no where to go and just expanded the bread wide.
Once the Ube bread has baked and browned transfer to a wire rack to cool fully.
How to Serve
There are several ways to use this crusty Ube Bread. One is to simply slice it and have it with butter. A smear of Vegan Filipino Pimento Cheese Spread is also a good idea.
Or you can use it as a bread bowl and serve Creamy Tinola Potato Soup inside it. You can also use it to replace the pandesal in this salad.
The list is endless. Be creative! Let me know how you used it.
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Equipment
- Sauce Pan
- Large Bowl
- 2 Clean kitchen towels
- 2 Dutch Ovens with lids or 9 inch cake pans
- Foil if using cake pans
Ingredients
- 16 oz Ube Puree
- 4 ½ Cups Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Cups Water
- 1 Packet Active Yeast
Instructions
- If you are using frozen ube puree it will be very watery when you defrost it. So you will need to cook out the water before using it. To do that place the defrosted ube puree in a small sauce pan and turn the heat to medium low. Stir for about 5-7 minutes until the water evaporates and you have a more stiffer Ube puree.
- Transfer to a bowl and cool fully on the counter.
- To make the Ube Bread dough mix together the flour and salt.
- In a separate bowl add the yeast to the warm water and leave to sit and get active.
- Once the ube puree is cool, add it to the flour and salt mixture. Using clean hands mix together the Ube and flour. Just until you get fine crumbs with a few chunky pieces. Make sure all the ube is coated with flour.
- Add the water and yeast mixture to the ube mixture and mix until you get a shaggy dough. Leave to rest for about 10 minutes.
- Mix the dough again until it's all fully hydrated. It will be very wet and sticky. That is okay! Cover with a moist towel and place in the refrigerator overnight.
- The next day take the dough out of the refrigerator and leave on the counter top for 1 hour to get to room temperature.
- Once the dough is at room temperature dust your work surface with lots of flour. Dump the dough in the middle.
- Cut the dough in half and form each half into a ball.
- I used dutch oven lined with parchment paper to bake mine in. If you don't have a dutch oven you can also use a cake pan lined in parchment paper.Transfer the formed balls into separate dutch ovens or cake pans. Cover each with a kitchen towel and leave to rise for 45 minutes. While it's rising pre-heat your oven to 400F.
- Once the dough has doubled use a knife to cut a cross across the top of the risen dough. This will help the bread to puff up more during baking.Cover with the lid. If you are using a cake pan cover it with foil.Bake the bread for 30 minutes with the lid/cover on. Take off the lid and bake for a further 20 minutes to get a nice brown crust.
- Once the Ube bread has baked and browned transfer to a wire rack to cool fully.
- To serve slice and serve with butter and your choice of spreads.
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