sweet potato yeast rolls

i ate three of these while they were still warm from the oven, and my mouth is still watering looking at these pictures.

these things are so damn good... i'm proud of myself for demonstrating enormous self-control by not eating the entire batch. honestly, truly, unequivocably, you really need these in your life. they're sweet, they're complex, and they taste like something you'd go to a restaurant regularly for because you can't get the taste out of your head.

and can i address the elephant in the room? they're this unbelievably gorgeous golden color. orange-golden. you can tell just by looking at them that they're something special.


this was posted on a bread message board called The Fresh Loaf. The message string can be found here. I used one Red Garnet sweet potato, the ones with the red skins and orange insides, not the ones that look like regular potatoes.

Sweet Potato Rolls
makes 12 to 18 rolls

1 sweet potato, baked
1 cup milk
1/2 cup white or brown sugar
3-4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Bake the sweet potato for approximately 45 minutes at 375. Remove the oven and let cool.

Combine the sweet potato, sugar, and milk and stir to make a paste. Mix in 2 cups of the flour, the salt, the yeast, and the spices until thoroughly combined. Add more flour a quarter cup at a time. Mix in after each addition until you have a dough that is tacky but which you can handle with wet hands. When you hit the proper consistency, remove from the bowl and knead by hand for 5 to 10 minutes.

Set the dough aside to rise in a covered bowl for 45 minutes to an hour. Divide into a dozen or so pieces, shape, and then again allow to rise until they have roughly doubled in size, another hour or so.

Bake at 375 for approximately 20 to 25 minutes until they are beginning to turn brown.

i made a couple of light adjustments, like instead of roasting, i steamed a medium yam in the microwave with a little butter, salt dashi stock, and rosemary, and i used the liquid that was created as part of the milk measurement. i also brushed with an egg wash and sprinkled with grated parmesan.

If i could do something different with these buns i would try a double batch, or just make two batches simultaneously. seriously, it's going to be embarrassing tomorrow when i freeze one and a half rolls and then wonder why my new pants shrunk.