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A baking sheet filled with dinner rolls.
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4.58 from 7 votes

Sweet Potato Rolls

These perfectly tender and buttery Sweet Potato Rolls will add a special touch to your holiday menu. Adding sweet potato to yeast dough creates these fluffy dinner rolls with gorgeous golden color.
Prep Time2 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time18 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time2 hours 48 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24
Calories: 101kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 (.25) ounce packet active dry yeast  (not rapid rise)
  • ¼ cup warm water (between 95 F and 115 F)
  • ½ cup plus ½ teaspoon sugar divided
  • 1 cup warm milk
  • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons melted butter divided
  • ½ cup cooked mashed sweet potato
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 ½ to 4 ¾ cups all-purpose flour divided
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten

Instructions

Proof the Yeast

  • Combine the yeast with warm water (95F to 115F) and ½ teaspoon sugar in a small bowl and stir to combine. Let it stand for 15 minutes or until the yeast has proofed and is bubbly.

Mix the Dough

  • Add the warm milk, ½ cup melted butter, remaining ½ cup sugar, sweet potato, and 1 teaspoon of salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix for a minute or two on LOW speed (speed 2 on the KitchenAid) until well combined. Add 2 cups of flour and mix again to combine. Add the lightly beaten eggs and the proofed yeast mixture and beat on MEDIUM speed (speed 4 on the KitchenAid) for a couple of minutes until smooth. Add in just enough of the remaining 2 ½ to 2 ¾ cups flour, until the dough comes together but is still very thin and sticky.
  • Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook and set the mixer on LOW speed and continue to mix for 3 to 4 minutes, until smooth. A good portion of the dough should begin to cling to the dough hook. If it is too thin, add a very small amount of flour, in increments, until it does. Some of the dough will still be at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Pull the sticky dough together with floured hands and transfer it to a floured board. Work in just enough of the remaining flour until the dough is smooth and elastic and you are able to form it into a soft ball. It will still be quite sticky.

The First Rise

  • Place the dough ball in a large bowl that you've greased with softened butter or nonstick cooking spray and turn once to grease the surface of the dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
  • Meanwhile, coat a 12- x 17-inch rimmed baking sheet or two 13- x 9-inch baking dishes with nonstick cooking spray. If your baking sheet is dark I highly recommend lining it with parchment paper instead to avoid over-browning the rolls.

Shape the Rolls and Rise Again

  • Punch the dough down to deflate it and transfer it to a floured cutting board. Use a sharp knife to divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, pinch off 6 equal sized pieces from each quarter of dough (for 24 rolls in total), roll them into smooth balls, and transfer them to the prepared rimmed baking sheet (or baking dishes).
  • Cover with clean kitchen towel(s) and allow the rolls to rest in a warm place for about an hour for their second rise.

Bake the Rolls

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the rolls for about 16 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. If you are using a metal baking sheet I recommend rotating it halfway through the baking time to ensure even browning. Remove from oven and brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter. Serve warm.

Overnight Method

  • Once the dough has risen for the first time, punch it down to deflate it as directed above and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
  • The next morning, remove the bowl from the refrigerator and allow the dough to rest on your kitchen counter for 30 minutes or so, just to take the chill off. Remove the plastic wrap, punch down the dough once more (it will have risen again while chilling in the fridge) and proceed with shaping the rolls and follow the remaining recipe as directed.

Notes

You can cook your sweet potato days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
How to Cook and Mash Sweet Potato
Place one small unpeeled sweet potato in a good sized pot and cover it with water. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for about 4o to 45 minutes, or until you can easily pierce through the sweet potato with the tip of a sharp knife.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sweet potato to a cutting board and let it rest until cool enough to handle. Use paper towels to remove the skin and then mash the sweet potato flesh with a fork.

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll | Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 142mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 541IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg