Sweet Potato Buns
4 servings
20 minutes
Sweet potato rolls are tender, airy products with a light sweetness and velvety texture due to the addition of sweet potato puree. Inspired by American culinary traditions, they combine the softness of yeast dough with the nutritional properties of sweet potatoes. Historically, such recipes emerged as a way to diversify bread baking by adding natural sweetness and moisture to the dough. Their flavor is a refined balance of creamy tenderness, light honey sweetness, and rich aroma of toasted crust. The rolls are perfect for breakfast with butter and jam or for dinner as an accompaniment to main dishes. With various toppings like sesame seeds, nuts, or seeds, each roll gains a unique taste and texture. These rolls are a cozy delight that brings the warmth of home baking and the aroma of fresh bread.
1
Boil (or steam) the peeled sweet potato and make a puree.
- Sweet potato: 66 g
2
Whisk the egg and divide it into two parts. One half will be added to the dough, and the other will be used to brush the buns before baking.
- Chicken egg: 1 piece
3
Mix flour, yeast, salt, sweet potato puree, water, cream, honey (or maple syrup), and half an egg in a mixing bowl. Stir with a spoon. Attach the dough hook and knead at medium speed for 5 minutes.
- Wheat flour: 280 g
- Dry yeast: 3 g
- Salt: 1 teaspoon
- Sweet potato: 66 g
- Water: 60 ml
- Heavy cream: 60 ml
- Liquid honey: 2 tablespoons
- Chicken egg: 1 piece
4
Add softened butter to the mixer bowl. Continue kneading for another 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth. If the dough is too wet and continues to stick to the bowl after 3-4 minutes of kneading, slowly add flour, one tablespoon at a time, scraping the dough from the sides of the bowl. At the end of kneading, the dough may still stick to the bottom of the mixer bowl and be very soft.
- Butter: 20 g
5
Grease the bowl and hands with butter. Remove the dough from the mixer and shape it into a smooth ball. Place it in the greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise until doubled — about 1 hour, depending on room temperature.
- Butter: 20 g
6
When the dough doubles in size, roll it out and flip it onto a well-greased work surface. Shape the dough into a large square measuring 25x25 cm. Divide it into three equal parts. Then cut each part into four equal pieces, resulting in a total of 12 pieces. Each piece of dough should weigh 43 g.
7
Shape the round buns and place them on a baking tray greased with oil or lined with parchment. Cover the tray with plastic wrap for 30-45 minutes and let the buns rise about 1.5 times in size. While the buns are rising, preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- Butter: 20 g
8
Prepare the syrup: mix 2 teaspoons of water and 1 teaspoon of honey in a small bowl until the honey dissolves. Divide into 2 parts.
- Water: 60 ml
- Liquid honey: 2 tablespoons
9
Prepare the egg wash: add half of the syrup to the remaining half of the egg and mix.
- Chicken egg: 1 piece
- Liquid honey: 2 tablespoons
10
When the rolls have fully risen, carefully brush them with the egg syrup mixture. Optionally sprinkle the rolls with sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, crushed nuts, or poppy seeds. Bake at 180 degrees for 20-25 minutes until the rolls are golden brown. Immediately brush the finished rolls with the remaining syrup.
- Chicken egg: 1 piece
- Liquid honey: 2 tablespoons
- Sesame: to taste
- Pumpkin seeds: to taste
- Almond: to taste