Purple Sweet Potato Milk Loaf

What is the bread menu of the week? Well, I have to say this time it's pretty special. Why? Well, perhaps by looking at the photo of my loaf itself, it says it all. Haha, yeah it's purple, purple sweet potato milk loaf. I have seen several bread recipes that calls for the usual orange flesh sweet potato and I always wonder how it will look or even taste like if I were to use a purple sweet potato for the bread recipe?! And I have been scouting around for these purple roots for quite awhile now...it's really not that common. :-P But just my luck I found some selling at the wet market last Sunday and really fresh too, yoohoo!

For the benefit of those whom has not seen a purple sweet potato before, I have attached a photo of the root for your viewing reference. :)

As you can see, the flesh of the root is a nice bright purple, isn't it great! So without much ado, I started working out a bread recipe, yes, a Honey Bee Sweet creation again if I may. And I can proudly say (after munching down a slice) that this is a very successful recipe! Definitely a keeper. ;)

Ingredients for Purple Sweet Potato Milk Loaf:
400g bread flour
220g purple sweet potato, peeled, sliced, steamed and mashed
60g caster sugar
1 large egg (AA)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp instant active yeast
60ml fresh whipping cream
100ml fresh milk (more or less depending on the moisture left in the mashed potato)
60g unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup big plum raisins

Method:

• Mix all ingredients except butter and raisins in a large mixing bowl to form a soft dough. Knead the dough till it is not sticky, about 20 minutes.
• Add the unsalted butter in and continue to knead till the dough is shiny and elastic. To test if the dough is ready, pull a small piece off and stretching it with your fingers. If dough is very elastic and pulls to almost see through without breaking, then it's done.
• Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap and allow to proof for at least 90 minutes.
• Punch out the air in the dough and divide it into 4 equal portions.
• Roll out each portion into a long flat oval shape and scatter the raisins on top. Then roll up one end to make it into a swiss roll form.
  
• If you want to make everything into one large loaf, repeat with the other 3 dough portions and place in a 9" by 6" bread tin. Else you can do like I did, use only 3 portions in a 8" by 5" loaf tin and the last dough portion in a smaller mold (I used a mini tube pan). Let proof for another 90 minutes or it rises to 90% of the tin.
• Preheat oven to 180°C.
• Brush loaf top with egg wash and bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. If top browns too quickly, cover with foil and reduce heat to 170°C and bake till time is complete.
• Remove from bread tin immediately when done and cool on rack completely before slicing. Enjoy!

The loaf slices up into a pretty purplish pink on the inside. I am so sure my girls are going to say" It's pink bread, Mommy!" when they see it the next morning, haha! And that mini tube loaf is baked especially for them, cute right? Will cut it up for their breakfast tomorrow, hope they will like it as much as I do. ;D
And the best past is, the bread is super soft, with a very well balanced taste, good on it's own as I have added raisins to it. And surprisingly, a very very slight hint of sweet potato taste at the back, nice! My only regret now is how come I did not make more?!
So, if you do see purple sweet potatoes coming to a store near you, you know what you need to do next, haha! Enjoy!