Breads (Sourdough) - Soft Loaves

Butterfly Pea Flower Sourdough Bread – Soft, Fluffy & Naturally Colored

July 23, 2019 | Recipe by Bake with Paws
Last Updated on May 2, 2025
By Bake with Paws



Butterfly Pea Flower Soft Sourdough Bread


This Butterfly Pea Flower Soft Sourdough Bread is one of my most visually stunning and unique loaves to date. Naturally colored with butterfly pea flowers, this bread not only turns heads with its vibrant hue, but also offers a soft, fluffy texture that’s a joy to eat. It’s made using a sweet stiff starter and enriched dough base, which results in a tender crumb and mild flavor—perfect for both sweet and savory pairings.

If you're looking to explore a creative twist on traditional sourdough while still enjoying the benefits of natural fermentation, this recipe is a great place to start.


Why Use Butterfly Pea Flower?


Butterfly pea flower (Clitoria ternatea) is a natural plant-based dye popular in Southeast Asian cuisine. It imparts a striking blue or purple tone to food, depending on the pH. It’s antioxidant-rich and completely natural, making it a great choice for coloring your bakes without artificial additives.

In this recipe, I used dried butterfly pea flowers, steeped in hot water and cooled before mixing into the dough. The result is a mesmerizing marbled effect when combined with plain dough.

What Makes This Recipe Special


  • Natural Color: No artificial food coloring—just butterfly pea flowers infused into the dough.
  • Soft Texture: Thanks to the sweet stiff starter and enriched dough (using milk, butter, and egg), this sourdough bread is extremely soft and moist, more like a milk bread than a rustic loaf.
  • Mild Flavor: This loaf is very low in sourness due to the stiff starter and shorter fermentation time, making it suitable even for those who don’t typically enjoy the tang of sourdough.
  • Shelf Life: It stays soft for several days at room temperature, especially when stored properly.


Step-by-Step Instructions How To Make Butterfly Pea Flower Soft Sourdough Bread


Yields:  1 Loaf

INGREDIENTS:

Butterfly Pea Flower Water:
8g dried butterfly pea flowers tops (removed stem and discarded)
250g water

Yudane Dough:
70g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)
70g boiling butterfly pea flower water

Sweet Stiff Starter:
60g sourdough starter (100% Hydration), use at its peak 
180g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)
75g butterfly pea flower water, room temperature
30g sugar (I used organic brown sugar)

Main Dough:
70g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)
All yudane dough (above)
All stiff starter (above)
10g brown sugar (I used organic brown sugar)
1 tsp salt
30g milk powder (I used full cream/whole milk powder)
70g butterfly pea flower water, cold (reserve 10g and add in later if needed) I used total 70g of water, cold
25g butter, room temperature

Egg Wash: (Optional)
1 egg + 1 tbsp water, whisked

Utensil:  
450g loaf pan (21.3 X 12.2 X 11.5 cm  /  8.4" X 4.8" X 4.5")

METHOD:
  1. Butterfly Pea Flower Water (prepare one night before):
    1. In a sauce pan, boil flower and water.  Off the fire once boiled. 
    2. Steeping for 30 - 60 minutes,  strain to get the blue water. Chill in the fridge.
  2. Yudane (prepare one night before):
    1. Add bread flour in a bowl, pour the boiling flower water and mix well with spatula or spoon until no dry flour.
    2. Cling film and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.  
    3. Use directly from the fridge.
  3. Sweet Stiff Starter (prepare one night before)
    1. In a bowl of stand mixer, dilute starter with flower water, stir in sugar and add in bread flour.  Mix with paddle attachment until well mixed and all come together.   It can be done by hand mixing too.
    2. Cover and let it ferment until tripled. I prepared a night before and leave it in aircond room (approximately 24 - 25C room temperature) overnight until tripled.  It took about 8 - 9 hours depending on your starter.  It should take around 4 - 6 hours to get triple at room temperature at 28C - 30C. 
  4. Main Dough:
    1. Put all ingredients (except butter) into a bowl of stand mixer.  I usually torn the stiff starter and yudane dough into pieces first.
    2. Slightly combine the mixture by hand with the paddle attachment before turning on the machine so that the flour will not splash out.  Using the paddle attachment, mix for 2 minutes or until all incorporated.  This step is critical to prevent  an uneven mixed dough as the stiff starter is rather hard and a dough hook may not be able to mix it well enough.
    3. Change to hook attachment and knead for another 3 minutes or until the dough comes together. Add in butter and continue knead for 10 - 12 minutes or until reach window pane stage.  The whole kneading process, I stopped few times to scrape down the dough from the hook to be sure it is evenly kneaded and also to prevent the motor from overheating.
  5. 1st Proofing/Resting:
    1. In the same bowl, let the dough rest for 45 - 60 minutes. Keep it covered with clingfilm or use a lid.  This dough I rested for 45 minutes at 29C room temperature and the dough rose slightly in 45 minutes.  
  6. Shaping:
    1. Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface then divide into 2 equal portions.  Please use a kitchen scale if you want to be exact.
    2. Form each portion to a ball.  Flatten with rolling pin.
    3. Fold right to centre and fold left overlap it.  Roll out with rolling pin into long rectangle shape. Roll up the dough like Swiss Roll until a small log is formed. 
    4. Place all dough in the prepared loaf pan.   
  7. Final Proofing : 
    1. Let it proof at warm place until the dough reaches the height of the pan.  This one took approximately 2 1/2 hours at room temperature of 29C - 30C.  The duration of proofing depends on your ambient temperature and starter.
  8. Baking:
    1. Preheat oven at 190C (top & bottom heat) for 10 - 15 minutes.
    2. Brush with egg wash (optional) and bake in a preheated oven for 25 - 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
    3. Remove bread from oven and let them cool on rack completely before slicing.
Yudane Dough

Sweet Stiff Starter

Main Dough




Tips for Perfect Results

  1. Sourdough Starter:   
    • A healthy starter is essential for successful bread baking. To ensure your bread rises well, it's important to feed your starter regularly and use it (the levain) at its peak. A consistently fed starter will be more active and reliable. If the mother starter isn’t strong, the dough may still struggle to rise properly, even if the levain is used at its peak.  For more information, click the links: "How To Make Sourdough Starter" and "Sourdough Maintenance".
  2. Gluten Development: 
    • Essential for soft, airy bread, gluten is created when flour hydrates. To develop it, use techniques like autolyse or kneading. The windowpane test checks readiness—dough should stretch thin without tearing.  From my experience, high hydration dough with high percentage of fat will be easy to stretch and achieve a paper thin windowpane stage.
  3. Kneading: 
    • Please regard the timing provided as an indication only. It is only meant as a guide. Times vary by flour and mixer type. For higher fat dough, knead longer (18–20 minutes).
  4. Flour & Hydration: 
    • Use high-gluten flour for optimal texture. Always reserve some liquid to adjust dough consistency for best results.   If dough is too dry, add the reserve liquid one tablespoon at a time until the right consistency.
  5. Dough Temperature:
    • Maintaining the right dough temperature during kneading is crucial for a fine crumb. If the dough becomes too warm, the crumb will become too big and uneven. To prevent this, use cold water, milk, or eggs, and chill your mixing bowl or hook attachment in the freezer. Knead at low speeds, and if your kitchen is warm, rest the dough in a cooler spot. Proper dough temperature ensures a soft, fluffy bread with a fine, even crumb.
  6. Proofing:
    • Proofing time depends on your environment. Use the finger poke test to gauge readiness. To check dough readiness, lightly press the side with your finger:
      • If it bounces back instantly, it’s under-proofed and needs more time.
      • If the indentation stays, it’s over-proofed.
      • If the indentation slowly bounces back, it’s ready to bake.
      • There’s also a final rise called oven spring when the dough bakes, which adds to the bread’s height.
  7. Wrinkle Top or Shrinking: 
    • If your bread collapses or develops wrinkles on top after baking, it might be over-proofed during the second rise. Aim for the dough to rise to 80-90% of its final size or just below the rim of the pan to prevent this. Over-proofing leads to weaker structure, causing the bread to lose shape.
  8. Baking & Oven Temperarate:  
    • Do also note that the baking temperature and timing provided are what works for my oven and should also be regarded as a guide only. Every oven behaves a little differently, so please adjust accordingly for your oven.

Storage and Serving Suggestions


Storage: 

Once cooled, store the bread in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temperature for 2–3 days. For longer storage, slice and freeze, then toast or thaw at room temp before eating.

Serving: 

This bread is perfect on its own or with a spread of butter, jam, or kaya. The light flavor also pairs well with cream cheese, nut butters, or even a savory egg salad.

FAQs


Can I use fresh butterfly pea flowers?
Yes, you can! Just steep a slightly larger amount than dried ones to achieve a deep color.

Can I make this bread fully plant-based?
Yes. Replace the milk with non-dairy milk, butter with vegan butter or oil, and omit the egg or replace with a flax egg. The texture may differ slightly, but it still works well.

Will the color fade after baking?
The blue or purple tones from butterfly pea flowers do mellow slightly during baking, but you’ll still get beautiful, vibrant swirls or tones in the final loaf.

Tried This Recipe?


I’d love to see your bakes! Share your version of this Butterfly Pea Flower Soft Sourdough Bread and tag me on Instagram @Bakewithpaws. Your photos and feedback always inspire me and help others too. If you have any questions regarding this recipe or any other post, please leave me a comment.
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Comments

  1. Lisle31 July 2019 at 09:59

    Do you separate the flowers from the green base?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bake With Paws1 August 2019 at 07:25

      Hi, thank you for your question. Sometimes I do. But, sometimes I don't when I busy. I have seen some articles claimed that taking too much of the green base is toxic. However, there is no scientific proof yet.
      Cheers :)

      Delete
  2. Unknown10 February 2020 at 09:26

    Hi
    How to get this beautiful purple color! It always came blue!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bake With Paws12 February 2020 at 05:01

      Hi there, Thank you for asking. I used a lot of butterfly pea flowers to get this colour. Please add more flowers.

      Cheers :)

      Delete
  3. Anonymous4 May 2020 at 18:03

    This so beautiful! What are the dimensions of your bread pan?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bake With Paws5 May 2020 at 05:56

      Hi, thank you for your comment. Please refer to the utensil on the above post.

      Utensil:
      20 cm X 10 cm x 10 cm Pullman Loaf Pan

      Cheers:)

      Delete
  4. Glory6 June 2020 at 01:39

    Hi, I would like to bake a pandan soft sourdough loaf, do you think it is possible to replace the blue pea flower water in this recipe with pandan juice/paste?
    Btw, I did try the orange cranberry soft sourdough loaf the other day, other that underbaking it, we love the taste. Thanks for all the soft bread recipes using sourdough. I hope you will share more recipes in the future. :)
    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bake With Paws7 June 2020 at 05:30

      Hi, thank you for your question. Yes, it is good idea to make pandan bread. But, bear in mind sometimes Pandan may not work well with long fermentation. The smell will change to become like cheese.
      If you want to try, you can replace blue pea flower water with pandan juice except for the Yudane. Please use boiling water instead as Pandan juice will turn to brown colour when you boil it.

      Cheers :)

      Delete
  5. cat3 February 2021 at 17:34

    Hello! Right now, I don't live in an environment where I can start a sourdough starter (my house is too cold!!) and I was wondering if this can be adapted with yeast. If so, what would you recommend the measurements be? If it can't, no problem! Would love to make some of your sourdough soft bread recipes with yeast.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bake With Paws4 February 2021 at 05:57

      Hi, thanks for visiting Bake with Paws. I have plenty of yeast bread recipes in my blog too. Just search under categories.

      For this bread, please use this recipe and just replace milk or water with Butterfly Pea Flower Tea.

      https://www.bakewithpaws.com/2020/07/japanese-soft-white-bread-shokupan.html

      Cheers :)

      Delete
    2. cat8 February 2021 at 07:43

      Thank you so much!!! Very excited to try it.

      Delete
    3. Bake With Paws9 February 2021 at 03:59

      Happy baking and stay safe :)

      Delete

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