Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls
If you’ve been following the blog for a while, then you know that sweet potato is one of my favorite ingredients to cook/bake with.
It’s delicious enough all on its own, but when it’s used as an ingredient it really shines.
Mashed sweet potato can be mixed into a lot of baked goods with stellar results.
I’ve found this out myself in number of recipes, like pound cake, biscuits, and gingerbread. Same thing for quick and not so quick breads.
Regardless of what you’re making, the mashed sweet potato gives them all amazing moisture, and color that white potatoes don’t have. I’ve also found that sweet potato has a subtle, but definite richer flavor than white or yellow potatoes. That richer flavor works well at this time of year when it’s still somewhat chilly outside, which is basically how we got here today with this recipe.
A few weeks ago, I was really in the mood for some beef sliders. Could I have just gone to the store and bought a pack of Hawaiian Rolls?
Sure. But anyone who knows me knows I wasn’t going to do that. Not when I could make them myself, exactly the way that I wanted to. That’s where these came in.
There’s a small ‘extra’ step in putting together this dough in comparison to most other breads, but it still comes together very easily, and it’s so worth it. I knew even as I was kneading and feeling it with my hands that the texture on these when finished was going to be fantastic. That’s how I knew the sweet potato was doing it’s magic.
One small note: I doubled the original recipe and as such, I had a pan of slider rolls AND a small loaf on the side. If you don’t want that much bread sitting around, you can feel free to halve everything you see written below in the recipe.
But trust me, you DO want that much of this.
You guys, the texture on these rolls is RIDICULOUS. They came out SO fluffy and chewy on the inside. One taste and I was obsessed. They satisfied my slider craving, and the leftovers made amazing small breakfast sandwiches. They were also absolutely delicious all on their own smeared with butter and preserves.
I’ll definitely be making these again.
Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls
Recipe Adapted from Bake From Scratch
Ingredients
- 5 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups mashed baked peeled sweet potato
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 4 teaspoons seed seasoning mixture (sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, or poppy seeds, whichever you prefer), for sprinkling
Directions
Sprinkle the active dry yeast on top of the warm water, the sprinkle the white sugar on top of that; allow to sit until proofed and frothy, about 10 minutes.
In a small saucepan, heat sweet potato, milk, butter, honey, and vanilla over medium heat until butter is melted and an instant-read thermometer registers 120°F (49°C) to 130°F (54°C).
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl), beat 2½ cups of the all-purpose flour, the whole wheat flour, and salt at low speed until combined. (You can also do this by hand with a fork.)
Whether you’re using a standing mixer or a hand held mixer, switch to the dough hook(s), and add yeast mixture and warm sweet potato mixture to the flour mixture, and beat at low speed until combined, about 1 minute.
Beat until a smooth, elastic dough forms, 12 to 13 minutes; adding as much of the remaining all-purpose flour as you need until the dough reaches the proper consistency. (After it comes together in one mass, I will typically turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface, and knead it by hand for the remaining time.)
Lightly oil a medium bowl. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Spray a 13 x 9 baking dish, and a 8 x 4 loaf pan with cooking spray.
Punch down dough, and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 12 portions. Shape into smooth rounds, and place in prepared 13 x 9 pan. If you have leftovers, shape the remaining dough into oblong, oval shapes and place in the loaf pan.
Cover both and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until doubled in size, 35 to 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
Lightly spray rolls with cooking spray, and sprinkle with desired seeds.
Bake until deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 200°F (93°C), 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm.
Sharing at Fiesta Friday #526, co-hosted by Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook.
Aren’t these beautiful! I’m on my way over.
Haha, Thank you Dorothy 🙂
WOW! these look delicious
Thank you! They really are 🙂