Soft and Fluffy Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls

These soft and fluffy sweet potato dinner rolls are sure to delight your family and friends at your next dinner party!  I just love how soft and fluffy they are.  Plus, the cloverleaf shape is easy to make, and is a lot of fun to pull apart.  As an added bonus, it creates more areas to spread the salted butter!

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Questions

What are sweet potato dinner rolls?

These rolls have some mashed sweet potatoes mixed into the dough.  This adds a little bit of healthy vegetables, flavor, and color to the dough.  I shaped them in a cloverleaf shape for a prettier presentation.

Can I make them ahead of time?

I'd recommend two things: make the dough the day before and bake fresh the next day, or bake them completely and freeze until ready to use.  It's best not to freeze raw dough.

Can I freeze them?

Yes, you can freeze the baked ones in a zip-top freezer bag for up to 1 month.

How to Make

• Measure out the ingredients.
• Melt the butter and milk together in a saucepan and heat until it's 115 F on a thermometer.
• Place the flour in a bowl and add the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl, then mix them in.
• Add the sugar, cinnamon, mashed sweet potatoes, and the milk mixture and mix to form a dough.
• Gradually add the water if needed to finish picking up the flour from the bowl.
• Knead until the dough is smooth and stretchy, about 10 minutes.
• Place in a buttered bowl, cover, and prove until at least doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours.
• Punch down the dough, shape into rolls, and place in a muffin pan.
• Cover and let them prove until they are springy to the touch, about 45 minutes.
• Bake them at 375 F for 10 minutes, then bake at 325 F for another 10 minutes.
• Let them cool briefly, then enjoy with butter.

Pro Tips

• Be sure to use bread flour.  All-purpose flour doesn't have the protein content necessary for high rising, fluffy bread.
• Want to make these ahead?  Mix and knead the dough ahead of time and let it do its first rise in the fridge overnight.  Proceed with the recipe the following day.
• Make sure the sweet potatoes are free from lumps for a smooth textured bread.
• Weigh the dough pieces when shaping the buns to ensure they're the same size.
• Don't know when they are done?  Check them with a thermometer; they should have an internal temperature of at least 190 F.

Other Dinner Rolls To Try

• Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
• Ciabatta Rolls
• Milk Bread Rolls
• Waterford Blaa Buns
• Pretzel Buns

The pleasure of a 5-star review would be greatly appreciated.

Recipe

Soft and Fluffy Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls

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5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Emma
• Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: 12 large rolls 1x

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Description

This easy recipe for soft and fluffy sweet potato dinner rolls will be hit at family dinners and holiday parties! You don't need a mixer to make these delightful buns. With a hint of cinnamon, these rolls taste fantastic with some butter.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• ½ cup whole milk (118 ml)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (43g)
• ¼ cup water (60 ml)
• 5 cups bread flour (500g)
• 2 teaspoons fine salt (10g)
• 4 ½ teaspoons fast-action yeast (14g)
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar (66g)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
• ¾ cup mashed sweet potatoes (181g)
• 2 large eggs

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Instructions

Making the Dough (30 min + 1 hr proving)

1. Put the milk and butter in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until the butter is melted.  Let the mixture cool to 115 F then warm the water to 115 F.
2. Place the flour in a large mixing bowl and add the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl.  Stir in each with your finger.  Add the sugar and cinnamon and mix with your hand until well blended.
3. Dump in the mashed sweet potatoes, eggs, and milk mixture.  Stir and crush the mixture with your hand to bring the dough together.  Gradually add the water if needed to form a soft, somewhat sticky dough.  Make sure all the flour is picked up from the sides of the bowl.
4. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes.  The dough should no longer be as sticky, and should be smooth and very stretchy.
5. Shape the dough into a ball, place in a large buttered bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Let the dough prove for 1 to 1 ½ hours in a warm place.

Shaping (30 min + 45 min proving)

1. Lightly butter a dark colored, 12-cavity muffin pan and set aside.
2. Turn out the dough onto a very lightly floured surface and punch it down all over to knock out large air pockets.
3. Divide the dough into 36 equal pieces, using a kitchen scale for accuracy, then roll each piece into a tight ball.  Place three balls in each cavity of the muffin pan.
4. Place the muffin pan inside of a large, clean garbage bag.  Inflate the bag so the plastic doesn't stick to the dough, then tuck the ends under the tray to seal.  Let the dough prove for about 45 minutes, until the dough springs back quickly when gently prodded with a fingertip.
5. About 15 minutes before the dough is done proving, preheat the oven to 375 F.

Baking (20 min baking + 10 min cooling)

1. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 F, then lower the temperature to 325 F and bake for another 10 minutes, until well browned.  Check for doneness by inserting a meat thermometer into the center of one of the rolls.  The temperature should be 190-200 F.
2. Brush the top crust with soft butter and remove them from the pan to cool a little on a wire rack.  Serve warm with butter.

Notes

• Use bread flour.  All-purpose flour doesn't have the protein content necessary for high rising, fluffy rolls.
• Want to make these ahead?  Mix and knead the dough ahead of time and let it do its first rise in the fridge overnight.  Proceed with the recipe the following day.
• The proving times for the dough will vary a good deal depending upon the temperature of the room.  Warm temperatures will make the yeast work more quickly, while cool temperatures slow it down.
• Don't know when the rolls are done?  Check them with a thermometer; they should have an internal temperature of at least 190 F.
• Have leftover rolls?  Place them in a zip-top plastic bag and store in the freezer.  Take them out as needed.

• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Bread
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: sweet potato dinner rolls, savory sweet potato dinner rolls