Soft and Fluffy Sourdough Discard Ube Brioche

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

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.

Prep Time30

Cook Time50

Rise Time2

Total Time3 20

Course: Sides

Cuisine: filipino

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: slices

Calories: 224kcal

Author: Hannah Dela Cruz

Equipment

Ingredients

Ube Halaya

10 g ube powder
113 g water
113 g whole milk
50 g brown sugar
42 g unsalted butter

Ube Brioche Dough

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

Egg Wash

1 egg white large egg

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Make the ube halaya

Add the water and ube powder to a small saucepan. Let the powder rehydrate for 20 minutes.
10 g ube powder, 113 g water
Add the milk and sugar into the saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
113 g whole milk, 50 g brown sugar
Lower the temperature to a simmer and continue cooking, stirring frequently to prevent the bottom from scorching, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of chocolate pudding, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Transfer the ube halaya to a bowl and stir the butter in. Let the halaya cool completely before adding it to your dough, otherwise the heat could kill the yeast.
42 g unsalted butter

Make the dough

While the halaya cools, whisk the yeast, sugar and milk in the bowl of your stand mixer. Cover and let the yeast bloom until foamy and fragrant.
7 g active-dry yeast, 28 g brown sugar, 113 g whole milk
Add the cooled ube halaya and the remaining dough ingredients to the bowl of your yeast mixture.
113 g sourdough discard, 360 g all-purpose flour, 5 g ube extract, 1 egg yolk, 6 g salt
Using a dough hook, mix until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 15 minutes, this allows the flour to hydrate and jumpstarts gluten development without excessive mixing.
After the rest period, continue kneading with a dough hook until the dough is smooth and pliable. The dough should pull away from the sides and cling to the hook.

Proof the dough

Turn the dough out on a clean surface. Round the dough into a tight ball and transfer it to a lightly-oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap.
Let the dough rise untouched until its full of air and doubled in volume. This should could take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen.

Shape the dough

Line an 8-by-5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or brush with butter. Set aside.
Turn the dough out on a clean surface. Divide the dough into three even portions.
Using a rolling pin, flatten one portion of dough into a 10-by-4-inch oval.
Working with the shorter side, roll the dough into a tight log.
Nestle the log into the prepared pan. Repeat with the remaining portions.

Final proof

Cover the loaf pan with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until it almost fills the pan, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Bake the loaf

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Brush the top of the dough with egg white. This gives the bread a beautiful, shiny finish without causing too much browning.
1 egg white
Bake the loaf for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the center registers at least 190 F on an instant-read thermometer.
Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and let it cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Notes

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

Nutrition