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Ube Swirl Pull-Apart Milk Rolls
These rolls sit somewhere between Filipino pandesal and Japanese milk bread. The dough is enriched with milk, butter, and an egg, so it bakes up feathery and soft, with a thin golden crust. Instead of tucking a neat ball of filling into each roll, you spread ube halaya over the rolled-out dough, fold it up, and cut it into pieces. When you shape the pieces, the purple layers twist into irregular streaks and pockets, so every roll looks a little different and some edges peek through the crust in purple. A spoonful of extract in the halaya keeps the color bright after baking. The rolls are baked close together in a 9x13 pan, which keeps their sides soft, and a brush of honey butter right out of the oven gives them a glossy top. They're best warm, but they stay soft for two days in an airtight container.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup Whole Milk, Warmed to about 105°F (40°C)
- 2.25 tsp Instant Yeast, One 1/4-oz packet
- 0.25 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 whole Large Egg, Room temperature
- 3.5 cups Bread Flour, About 440 g, plus more for dusting
- 1 tsp Fine Sea Salt
- 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter, Softened, for the dough
- 0.75 cup Ube Halaya, Thick, spoonable, at room temperature
- 1 tsp Ube Extract, Stirred into the halaya for brighter color
- 1 whole egg Egg Wash, Beaten with 1 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp Honey Butter, 1 tbsp melted butter mixed with 1 tbsp honey, for brushing
Instructions
- Mix the Dough In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the warm milk, yeast, and sugar and let it sit for 5 minutes, until foamy. Add the egg, bread flour, and salt and mix with the dough hook on low speed until a shaggy dough forms, about 2 minutes.
- Knead in the Butter With the mixer on medium-low, add the softened butter a tablespoon at a time, waiting until each piece disappears before adding the next. Knead for 8-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, slightly tacky, and stretches into a thin windowpane without tearing.
- First Rise Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly greased bowl, and cover. Let it rise somewhere warm (about 78°F / 26°C) until doubled, 60-90 minutes. A proofing box or an oven with just the light on makes this faster and more predictable.
- Spread and Fold the Ube Stir the ube halaya and ube extract together until smooth. Punch down the dough and roll it into a 12x16-inch rectangle on a lightly floured counter. Spread the halaya evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Fold the dough in thirds like a letter, then roll it gently back out to about 10x14 inches. Some halaya will squeeze through; that's what makes the streaks.
- Cut and Shape the Rolls Cut the dough into 12 roughly equal pieces with a bench scraper. Fold each piece's corners underneath and pinch them together to form a rough ball, giving it a twist as you go so the purple layers swirl. Arrange the rolls seam-side down in a greased 9x13-inch pan in 3 rows of 4.
- Second Rise Cover the pan and let the rolls rise until puffy and touching each other, 40-50 minutes. About 20 minutes in, heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake and Glaze Brush the rolls gently with egg wash and bake for 22-25 minutes, until deep golden and an instant-read thermometer reads 190°F (88°C) in the center roll. Tent with foil after 15 minutes if the tops brown too fast. Brush with honey butter as soon as they come out of the oven and let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes before pulling apart.
Pro Tips
- Use halaya at room temperature, not straight from the fridge. Cold halaya tears the dough when you spread it, and very warm halaya runs out of the folds.
- Don't skip the windowpane test in step 2. Enriched dough that's under-kneaded bakes up dense, and the extra moisture from the halaya makes that worse.
- Tear one roll open before you decide they're done. If the center still looks damp around the purple streaks, give the pan another 3-4 minutes under foil.
Variations
- Ube Cheese Swirl Rolls: Tuck a 1/2-inch cube of quick-melt or cheddar cheese into the center of each roll while shaping, a nod to the classic ube cheese pandesal.
- Ube Coconut Streusel Rolls: Skip the honey butter and top the egg-washed rolls with a crumble of 1/4 cup flour, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp butter, and 1/4 cup desiccated coconut before baking.
- Overnight Ube Rolls: After shaping, cover the pan tightly and refrigerate for up to 16 hours. Let the rolls sit at room temperature for 45-60 minutes, until puffy, then bake as directed.
Nutrition (estimated, per serving)
245 calories · 40g carbs · 7g protein · 6g fat · 13g sugar · 1g fiber
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these without a stand mixer?
Yes. Mix the dough with a wooden spoon, then knead by hand on the counter for 12-15 minutes, working the butter in a little at a time. It will feel sticky at first, so resist adding much extra flour; it smooths out as you knead.
Why aren't my rolls very purple?
Store-bought halaya varies a lot in color, and some of it fades in the oven. Stirring in ube extract helps a lot. For a purple dough too, knead 1 tablespoon of ube powder and 1/2 teaspoon of extract into the dough along with the flour.
How do I store and reheat them?
Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze them for up to a month. Warm them in a 300°F oven for 6-8 minutes, or microwave a single roll for 10-15 seconds wrapped in a damp paper towel.
Recommended Ingredient
Brød & Taylor Folding Proofer & Slow Cooker — read our review.