There are a many different names for pull-apart bread such as monkey bread, Hungarian coffee cake, golden dumpling coffee cake, tear & share bread, bubble loaf just to mention a few. Pull-apart bread has both popular and deep cultural roots having originated in Hungary. Starting in 1950 and making its way across the Atlantic to Hungarian Jewish bakeries in the United States. Pull-apart bread was eventually featured in a Betty Crocker cookbook in 1972 and even became a staple in the Regan White House of the 1980s.
Imagine a bread so soft and buttery that it pulls apart into tender pieces at the slightest touch. Pull-apart bread’s first North American incarnation was as a mass of buttery dinner rolls, baked together so they could be pulled apart at the table.
Home bakers have remained captivated by pull-apart bread, having come up with numerous versions such as maple bacon brie, garlic & herb, pepperoni, spinach artichoke. Of course, the classic with the sandy-sweet filling of a cinnamon roll, crunchy pecans topped with a rich caramel glaze will never go out of voque.
Pull-apart bread makes the ultimate baked good, perfect for a family or holiday brunch. Delicious cut into slices or simply torn into chunks, this Ube Pull-Apart Bread makes the perfect dessert for barbecues and picnics or just any time.
Ube (pronounced OO-bay), is a purple yam native to the Philippines and other areas of Southeast Asia. Ube is a very versatile ingredient. It is not a purple sweet potato or taro, it is a purple yam. Its special taste reminds one of vanilla, pistachios or chestnuts. The vibrant purple color inside and out is uniquely photogenic.
Ube has been used for decades in Filipino cuisine and has now caught on in North America, especially in the form of desserts. I fell in love with the flavor of ube jam many years ago so I’m always looking for another way to use it.
| Servings |
THICK SLICES
|
- 454 gm frozen, grated ube, thawed Can be found in Filipino grocery stores.
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 300 ml sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup (110 gm) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup lukewarm water
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, room temperature (one for egg wash w/ 1 Tbsp water)
- 2 1/2 cups PLUS 2 Tbsp flour
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 100 gm Edam cheese, grated, divided
Ingredients
Ube Halaya (Jam)
Bread Dough
Cheese
|
Rate this recipe!
|
- In a medium, heavy saucepan, melt butter. Add coconut & condensed milks; stir until heated. Add thawed, grated ube & combine well. Cook over a low heat. It is important to stir the mixture often during cooking to prevent it from forming a ‘crust’. This process takes about 40-50 minutes until the ube is cooked. The mixture should be thick & sticky. Transfer the ube jam to a container & set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together lukewarm water, sugar & yeast & allow to sit until frothy.
- In a small saucepan, heat the butter with milk & vanilla. Cool slightly.
- Pour the butter mixture into the yeast mixture and whisk together until just combined. Add the egg and beat until just combined. Slowly add the flour & salt, reserving 2 tablespoons for adjusting later.
- Knead the dough until you have a smooth, slightly sticky dough. Add some or all of the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour if necessary. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in an oiled bowl. Turn the dough to oil the top. Cover and let rise until doubled in size about an hour.
- Line an 8 1/2 inch by 4 1/2-inch bread pan with parchment paper.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and press or roll into a 16 x 11-inch rectangle. Spread about 1 1/4 cups (about 300 gm) ube jam filling mixture evenly across the top of dough going right to the edges. On the longest side, cut the dough vertically into six strips. Stack 3 of the strips on top of one another, making 2 layers of 3 strips each. Then, using a sharp knife, carefully cut the stacks into 4 squares.
- Layer the 8 'piles' of squares into the loaf pan vertically. Sometimes it helps to hold the pan vertically as you are stacking. Cover pan with greased plastic wrap & a tea towel. Allow to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes to an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Brush bread with egg wash & sprinkle with Edam cheese. Bake for 15 minutes and then tent with foil in the oven. Bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan & sprinkle with more cheese if you wish. Serve with extra ube jam if desired.
- I find making the Ube Halaya a day ahead is a good idea!
- You will only need part of the amount of ube jam this recipe makes. I never have a hard time putting it to good use in other recipes or just using it as a 'jam'.
- On my blog site there are numerous recipes such as ube cheesecakes, buns, cruffins, cake roll w/ cheese streusel, etc.