Fluffy Sweet Potato Rolls (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Main Dough

01 - 1 medium sweet potato (around 250-290g), peeled and cut into chunks
02 - 3/4 cup whole milk, heated to approximately 110°F
03 - 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (one standard packet)
04 - 1/3 cup honey, separated
05 - 2 large eggs, brought to room temperature
06 - 5 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
07 - 1 3/4 teaspoons fine salt
08 - 5 1/2 cups bread flour (measured by spooning into cup), plus extra for dusting

→ Optional Topping

09 - 2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing
10 - Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

# Instructions:

01 - Add your chopped sweet potato pieces to a medium pot and cover them with water. Heat on high until boiling, then lower to medium-high heat. Let the pieces simmer for 10-12 minutes until they're completely soft when pierced with a fork. Drain away the water and mash the sweet potato well—a few tiny lumps won't hurt. Measure out exactly 1 cup of the mashed sweet potato and let it cool slightly before using.
02 - In your stand mixer bowl, combine the warm milk, yeast, and 2 tablespoons of the honey. Whisk everything together, then cover the bowl and let it rest for 5 minutes to wake up the yeast. If you don't have a stand mixer, a large mixing bowl works perfectly—you'll just mix with a strong wooden spoon or spatula in the following steps.
03 - Pour in the rest of the honey, both eggs, softened butter, your cup of mashed sweet potato, salt, and 1 cup of the flour to the yeast mixture. Using the dough hook or paddle attachment, mix on low for about a minute. Scrape the bowl sides down, then add all the remaining flour. Increase to medium speed and let it mix for 3 minutes until the dough pulls cleanly from the bowl sides. If your dough feels too wet to work with, add more flour one tablespoon at a time until it's manageable. The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky but easy enough to handle with lightly floured hands.
04 - Keep the dough in your mixer with the dough hook attached and run it on low speed for a full 5 minutes. Alternatively, turn it out onto a lightly floured counter and knead by hand for 5 minutes. If it gets sticky while kneading, sprinkle a teaspoon of flour on the dough or your work surface. When you're done, the dough should feel smooth and spring back slowly when you poke it. You can test if it's ready by stretching a small piece thin enough to see light through without tearing—that's the windowpane test.
05 - Lightly oil a large bowl and place your dough inside, turning it so all sides get coated. Cover it up and set it somewhere at room temperature for 1-2 hours until it doubles in size. On most countertops, this takes around 90 minutes.
06 - Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with butter or cooking spray and set it aside.
07 - Once your dough has doubled, punch it down gently to release the air bubbles. Divide the dough into 20 equal portions—each piece should weigh roughly 65-75 grams, but precision isn't critical here. Roll each portion into a smooth ball shape and arrange them in your prepared pan.
08 - Cover the shaped rolls loosely and let them puff up for 30-45 minutes until they look nice and puffy.
09 - Position your oven rack toward the bottom and heat the oven to 350°F. Baking on a lower rack prevents the tops from browning too quickly.
10 - Slide the pan into the oven and bake for 25 minutes, turning the pan halfway through, until the tops turn golden brown. The internal temperature should reach 190°F if you check with a thermometer. If the tops start browning too fast, loosely cover the pan with foil around the 20-minute mark. When done, brush the hot rolls with melted butter and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let them cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before digging in—they taste even better after cooling a bit.

# Notes:

01 - These rolls stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerated for a full week.
02 - You can freeze unbaked rolls after shaping them. Just place them in the greased pan, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, let them thaw and rise for 4-5 hours before baking.
03 - Already baked rolls freeze beautifully too. Cool completely, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months, then reheat in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes.
04 - For overnight preparation, you can refrigerate the shaped rolls for up to 15 hours. Remove them 3 hours before baking and let them rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
05 - Regular white potatoes work perfectly as a substitute for sweet potatoes with no other changes needed.
06 - Avoid using canned sweet potato as it's typically too thin and will make your dough too wet.
07 - All-purpose flour can replace bread flour if needed. Bread flour gives a chewier texture, but both produce soft, fluffy rolls.
08 - Active dry yeast works in place of instant yeast—just expect slightly longer rise times.

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