Why are my sweet potato rolls so dense?

These sweet potato rolls are made with an enriched dough. This means it contains a lot of heavy ingredients like cooked sweet potatoes, eggs, milk, and butter, all of which can slow down the yeast from rising. If you rush the rise, you'll end up with dense, heavy rolls. For fluffy rolls, it's really important to monitor how much the dough is growing and be patient, especially with the first rise.

What is the best type of yeast for sweet potato rolls?

We prefer to use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast for our roll recipes. They are both interchangeable, but instant yeast starts rising immediately. Active dry yeast can take about 20 minutes to really wake up. This is a better pace, especially for home bakers, and we find the dough tastes better when you give it time to rise slowly.

What's the difference between sweet potato rolls and regular rolls?

Although there are many different roll recipes out there, there's something so special about potato rolls, especially sweet potato rolls! The added moisture and sweetness from the sweet potatoes gives them a really soft, tender texture that can be hard to achieve in regular rolls. The recipe is much closer to brioche, especially this version that includes milk, eggs, and butter as well. They're a special option that's especially perfect for your Thanksgiving dinner or fall soups!

Sweet Potato Rolls

Description

These fluffy Sweet Potato Rolls are made with perfectly cooked sweet potato, which adds a tenderness and sweet flavor that takes them over the top! They're the perfect homemade rolls to serve with pot roast, your Thanksgiving turkey, or any recipe in between. They're also our favorite way to sop up a bowl of soup and taste like heaven with a pat of homemade honey butter. They're a family favorite!

Ingredients

1 medium sweet potatoes (about 1/2 pound), peeled and cubed into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 package active dry yeast (2 teaspoons)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt

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Instructions

Cook the sweet potatoes:

Place sweet potatoes in a large pot and cover with water by about an inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until tender and soft when you insert a fork, approximately 10-15 minutes.
Drain well and place the sweet potatoes back in the pot. Mash them using a potato masher (or a fork). Add butter and and milk. Mix well until smooth. Set aside and let cool completely, about 20 minutes.

Make the dough:

In a small mixing bowl, stir together water, sugar and yeast until fully dissolved. Set aside for 5 minutes until bubbles form on top.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, eggs, salt, mashed sweet potatoes, and yeast mixture. Mix well until it forms a shaggy dough, scraping down the sides of the bowl (there should be no dry flour particles visible).
Use your hands to knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until a smooth and soft dough ball is formed. You can also knead the dough in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment on medium speed for 5 minutes until smooth dough ball is formed.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. You can lightly oil the dough ball to prevent sticking.

Shape the rolls:

Deflate the dough and roll the dough into a log. Use a bench scraper to divide it into 15 equal pieces. Cover the dough with a damp cloth or plastic cling wrap to prevent it from drying.
Take one piece of dough at a time and shape into a smooth ball. Use the palms of your hands to flatten each dough, then fold and press all edges into the centre. Turn it over and cup the dough in the palm of your hand, making circular motions until you create a ball. It should take less than 30 seconds to roll each piece into a smooth ball.
Arrange the dough balls into a 9x13-inch baking pan, spacing them evenly into 5 rows and 3 columns. Cover the pan loosely with plastic cling wrap and let the rolls rise until almost doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Bake the rolls:

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Bake the sweet potato rolls for 22-25 minutes until golden brown.
Brush the top with some melted butter (if desired) and let the rolls cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

How to store: Store leftover rolls in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature. They'll stay fresh for 4-5 days.

How to reheat: There's nothing like a warm roll! Either microwave your roll for 15-30 seconds or bake them at 350 degrees F for 4-5 minutes until nice and warm.

How to freeze: Wrap the cooled rolls in several layers of plastic wrap, then store them in a freezer bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.

Prep Time: 3 hours
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Bread
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American