Name: Soft and Fluffy Sourdough Discard Ube Brioche
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 200 min
Ingredients: 10 g ube powder; 113 g water; 113 g whole milk; 50 g brown sugar; 42 g unsalted butter; 7 g active-dry yeast; 28 g brown sugar; 113 g whole milk; 113 g sourdough discard; 360 g all-purpose flour; 5 g ube extract; 1 egg yolk (large egg); 6 g salt; 1 egg white (large egg)

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My sourdough discard ube brioche bread is soft, fluffy, and buttery, with a beautiful purple crumb and a subtle, nutty sweetness from ube. Ube halaya adds moisture and helps keep the bread tender for days, while bread flour provides structure so your loaf doesn't collapse. Sourdough discard adds a subtle tang that balances the richness, and since commercial yeast makes the dough rise, there's no need to feed or activate your sourdough starter before baking.

A hand holds a slice of soft and fluffy ube brioche over a dish of butter, next to the rest of the loaf on a wooden board.

Growing up in a Filipino household, ube halaya was always a staple at our Christmas and New Year's celebrations. I thought adding ube halaya to bread dough could work much like a tangzhong, a starchy mixture that locks in moisture to keep bread soft and fluffy. When I tested the idea with my sourdough discard ube rolls, the results were even better than I expected! The bread was incredibly soft, with a texture almost like cotton candy. I loved the results so much that I wanted to try the same technique in a rich, buttery brioche loaf.

I used bread flour in this recipe because its higher protein content helps develop a stronger gluten network, giving the loaf enough structure to support its soft, fluffy crumb. Since ube halaya adds so much moisture and tenderness to the dough, that extra strength helps prevent the loaf from collapsing and the interior from turning gummy as it cools.

Hands pulling apart a soft and fluffy loaf of purple ube brioche on a wooden cutting board.

You'll love tearing off chunks of this soft, fluffy bread to enjoy on its own or toasting thick slices and slathering them with butter. It also makes the best French toast, almond bostock, and bread pudding.

How to Make Sourdough Discard Ube Brioche Step by Step

Gather your ingredients

You can purchase ube powder and ube extract at your local Asian Supermarket or online.

Baking ingredients for fluffy ube brioche arranged on a stone surface, including flour, cocoa powder, butter, an egg, milk, sugar, salt, and extracts in small bowls and jars.

If you don't want to make your own halaya, you can use store-bought 226 grams (1 cup) ube jam and add 42 grams (3 tbsp) softened unsalted butter to the dough.

Make the ube halaya

First soak the ube powder for 20 minutes, then transfer with the soaking liquid to a small pot. Add milk and bring to a boil, simmer for another 15 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of chocolate pudding. Then transfer to a bowl and stir in the butter. Let the halaya cool completely before adding it to the dough.

A bowl containing deep red ube liquid, surrounded by a raw egg, a small dish of butter, a jar of dark grains, and a metal fork on a marble surface.

A ceramic bowl filled with a dark ube puree topped with melting butter, with a wooden spoon resting inside.

Make the dough

Combine the ube halaya and all the dough ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix with a dough hook until a shaggy dough forms. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes to give the flour time to hydrate and the gluten a head start without extra mixing. Knead until the dough is smooth, pulls away from the sides of the bowl, and gathers around the hook.

A metal mixing bowl containing purple ube brioche dough being mixed by a dough hook.

Proof the dough

Round the dough into a tight ball and transfer it to a lightly-oiled bowl. Let the dough rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.

A ball of smooth, purple ube brioche dough sits in a clear glass bowl on a marble countertop.

A smooth, round ball of purple ube brioche dough resting in a clear glass bowl on a marbled surface.

Proofing time could take longer depending on the temperature of your kitchen.

Shape the dough

Divide the dough into three equal portions. Flatten each portion into a roughly 10-by-4-inch oval. Working with the shorter side, roll the dough into a tight log. Nestle each log into a parchment-lined 8-by-5-inch loaf pan.

Three rectangular portions of vibrant purple ube brioche dough on a marble countertop.

Hands rolling a piece of purple ube brioche dough on a stone countertop next to a wooden rolling pin.

A wooden rolling pin rests diagonally across a rectangular piece of purple ube brioche dough on a marble countertop, with additional portions nearby.

Hands place a third log of purple ube brioche dough into a parchment-lined loaf pan containing two other identical dough logs.

You can shape your loaf however you like! I chose this shape simply because I liked how it looked.

Final proof

Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it almost fills the pan.

Three logs of purple ube brioche dough arranged in a parchment-lined metal loaf pan.

Three rolls of purple ube brioche dough sitting in a rectangular metal loaf pan lined with parchment paper.

Bake the loaf

Brush the top of the dough with egg wash. Bake the loaf at 350 F for 50 minutes to 1 hour.

A hand uses a pastry brush to apply a glaze to soft and fluffy ube brioche dough in a loaf pan.

A loaf of soft and fluffy ube brioche with a dark brown crust and purple interior in a parchment-lined baking pan.

The best way to tell whether your loaf is fully baked is to test it with an instant-read thermometer. The center should register between 190 F and 200 F.

A slice of soft and fluffy ube brioche on a small floral plate, with additional slices nearby and a small dish of butter.

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Soft and Fluffy Sourdough Discard Ube Brioche