of Food and Friends: July 2019

National Festival of Breads photo

Baking for others is a special kind of friendship, and baking with others is also special. At a recent friends weekend gathering my quilting friends and I not only enjoyed visiting several quilt shops, but also a wonderful brunch, a piano duet recital, 3 movies, and baking these Chai Ube Rolls.
I was anxious to try this recipe with the ube - purple sweet potato - but haven't found it in our stores yet. But luckily our Denver friend found it and we enjoyed the ube in these rolls as well as for a side dish with one dinner. Orange sweet potatoes may be substituted for the purple ube.
The shaping of these rolls is wonderful. I will try this with other doughs. Three circles are overlapped and rolled, then cut in two. This makes two rosettes that shape out beautifully as they rise. RaChelle Hubsmith of Utah was the champion winner in the Home Baker Division and Public Choice Award winner with this recipe.

Chai Ube Rosette Rolls

Our finished rolls

Ingredients

Dough

1 cup boiled and mashed Ube purple yam (about 2 medium)
¼ cup warm water (110°F – 115°F)
2 (¼ ounce) packages RED STAR® Platinum Superior Baking Yeast®
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
¾ cup whole milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch ground black pepper
1 large egg
4 – 4 ½ cups KING ARTHUR® Unbleached Bread Flour

Topping

¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup honey
Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Directions

Wash yams. In saucepan, cook yams in water until tender, drain, remove skin and mash. Set aside to cool.
In small bowl, whisk together warm water, yeast and sugar. Wait 5 – 10 minutes for mixture to proof.
In small saucepan, warm milk on medium-low until scalded (180°F). Stir in butter until melted. Pour into bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Mix in brown sugar, mashed yam, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, cloves and black pepper. Mix in egg and yeast mixture until combined.
Exchange whisk attachment for dough hook. Gradually beat in flour until a soft dough forms. Knead 10 minutes. Transfer dough to large greased bowl. Cover; let rise until doubled.
Deflate dough. On floured work surface, roll dough into 24” x 18” rectangle. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
Using 3 ½” round cutter or wide mouth canning jar ring, cut 36 circles. Place 3 circles in a vertical row, slightly overlapping edges. Starting on short side, roll up dough and seal edges. Make one vertical cut in center to form 2 rosettes. Place each in well-greased, 12-cup muffin tins. Repeat with remaining circles. Re-roll scraps. Cover rosettes with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled.
Near the end of the rise, preheat oven to 350°F. Bake 12 – 15 minutes. Remove rolls to a rack to cool.
To make topping: Soften butter and stir in honey. Brush over warm rolls. Garnish with mint leaves.