Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls
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A yeasted dough recipe that yields light and fluffy dinner rolls made with mashed sweet potatoes.
It is one of those sweet potato recipes that everyone seems to love.
I make these a lot. They are very versatile and my family really enjoys them. They also freeze well, so when they are completely cooled, I like to cut some of them in half and freeze them for later.
How to make sweet potato dinner rolls
Here you will find a list of tools, a troubleshooting section and answers to common questions. You’ll find a short video and the full recipe card with step-by-step instructions at the bottom of this post.
Tools:
- Measuring spoons and cups, or a kitchen scale
- Stand mixer with dough hook
- Ceramic or glass oven dish, about 9×13 inches (23×33 centimeters)
- Chef’s knife or dough cutter
- Small bowl and pastry brush, for brushing the tops before or after baking
- Small saucepan, for heating up the milk
Troubleshooting
My dough is too dry or too wet.
If the dough feels dry and crumbly and does not want to come together, add a splash of milk (about a tablespoon at a time) and mix again. Let the mixer run for a minute or two before you decide to add more. If the dough is too wet and sticky, do the same but with flour.
My dinner rolls turned out dense.
This is most likely caused by using too much flour. If you are not sure, use a scale. Other possible reasons are underproofed dough or not kneading the dough long enough.
My dough did not rise.
The yeast might have been too old, the room too cold, or the dough simply needed a longer proofing time.
How do I know the dough is ready for proofing?
When you touch it, it should feel soft and smooth and it should not stick to your finger.
Recipe Q&A
I like to use a glass or ceramic oven dish. Both heat more gently and evenly than a metal pan, which means no very dark base or crispy sides. They also keep the rolls warm for longer.
You should get about 14 to 15 rolls, each weighing around 50 to 55 grams.
Place cooled rolls in a freezer-friendly resealable bag and freeze them for later.
Use them instead of buns for homemade burgers. Turn them into breakfast sandwiches or mini sliders.
Serving suggestions
Serve these sweet potato rolls with your Thanksgiving dinner, simply with butter or with any main that has a lot of sauce or gravy, like skillet pork chops.
They are also nice with soups and stews. Try them with my broccoli and cheese soup.
For a little treat, I like to spread some cinnamon honey butter on them while they are still warm.
My tips
Make a double batch of mashed sweet potatoes and use the extra to make sweet potato flatbread. It is a nice treat with curries and other saucy dishes.
Never overfill your cups when measuring. One cup should be level unless the recipe says otherwise.
I use instant yeast in most of my bread recipes, including these rolls. It works well without proofing in warm liquid and is the same as quick-rise yeast. If you only have active dry yeast, you need to dissolve it in warm liquid for about 5 to 10 minutes first. If it looks bubbly on top, you can use it. If not, discard it as it is too old and will not work.
If you are new to baking with yeast, I recommend this helpful guide to baking with yeast. It explains the basics in a simple way.
If you end up with slightly more than ½ cup of mashed sweet potatoes, you can still use it all, but do not add all the milk at once. Let the mixer work for a while. If the dough comes together nicely and there are no crumbs at the bottom of the bowl, there is no need to add the rest of the milk.
Planning to serve these sweet potato rolls for Thanksgiving or a family dinner? I would love to hear how they turned out for you.
Watch these sweet potato dinner rolls come together
More bread recipes you might like
- Potato Bread – our classic all year round, which we like to alternate with dinner rolls.
- Easter Bread – a soft, pillowy sweet bread that is perfect for spring holidays.
Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup sweet potato cooked, mashed, see note 1
- 3 cups bread flour 420 grams, plus extra for dusting
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast 7 grams
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup milk lukewarm, 120 milliliters
- 1 large egg
- ½ stick unsalted butter softened, 55 grams
- 2 teaspoons oil for greasing, see note 2
Instructions
- Preparing the dough: To a bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and stir well with a spatula. Add mashed sweet potatoes (at room temperature), milk, egg and softened butter and stir again.
- With the dough hook, mix on medium speed (Kitchen Aid, speed 5) for about 5 minutes. It should no longer stick to the sides and when you poke it with your finger, it will not stick to your finger.
- If you see the dough is very crumbly, add a splash of milk and mix again. If too wet, add a tablespoon of flour (or less), mix and see. Repeat until you see nice dough forming.
- 1st proofing: Use the same bowl of your mixer for proofing. Simply lift the dough with one hand, pour in oil with another and spread it around. Place the dough back in, cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let sit in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1½ hours.
- Shaping: Take the dough out and knead on a clean worktop lightly dusted with flour. Divide into 3 equal pieces. Then divide each into 5. Take each piece of dough, make a ball out of it, pinch together any loose ends and roll on a worktop until nice, smooth and holding its shape. Transfer them into a well-oiled ceramic/glass 9×13 dish (23×33 centimeters).
- 2nd proofing: Cover the rolls with a clean kitchen towel and let them proof for 1 hour.
- Baking: Remove the kitchen towel and place the baking dish in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 20 minutes or until nicely browned.
- Optional Glaze: Melt a tablespoon of butter in a saucepan and brush it with a pastry brush over hot dinner rolls. Or, add a teaspoon of honey to melted butter, then brush with a pastry brush.
- Let them sit for 20-30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- For ½ cup of mashed sweet potato, you will need about 1 small to medium sweet potato weighing about ½ pound (220 grams). It takes about 12 minutes to cook diced sweet potato in a small saucepan on the stove.
- You can use mild olive oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil or an oil spray for greasing.
- This recipe yields 14 to 15 dinner rolls, depending on their size. When using a scale, go with 50 grams per roll (15 rolls) or 55 grams (14 rolls).
- You might need a little more flour or milk. Each flour absorbs liquid differently. Have both on hand, but add only if really needed, a teaspoon at a time.
- In a very cold room it can take up to 2 hours for the dough to rise.