Preview: These Bread Machine Sweet Potato Rolls are mixed on the DOUGH cycle, then baked in your oven. The glaze is scrumptious but optional.
Sweet potato lovers listen up! Adding sweet potatoes to this bread machine dough will make you a rock star at Thanksgiving. Top with an optional honey-butter glaze for some of the best dinner rolls you’ve ever eaten.
Directions for making these rolls by hand or with a stand mixer are listed in the notes at the end of the recipe.
These rolls are on our Thanksgiving menu…and I can’t wait!
The secret to their tenderness, Hawaiian-bread-like color, and lasting freshness, is the sweet potatoes. Don’t worry. No one will ever guess it because you can’t taste the potatoes.
Check out the video to see how to make perfectly round rolls.
Make them into balls or go all fancy and make crescents.
Ingredients and substitutions:
- EGGS: I use large-sized eggs in all my bread recipes.
- SWEET POTATO: Microwave or bake a medium-sized sweet potato and peel. Smash the potato before adding it to the pan. Leftover mashed sweet potatoes work perfectly as long as there are no conflicting flavors added.
- SUGAR: Use granulated sugar (not powdered sugar). Brown sugar could be substituted.
- SALT: Table salt or sea salt is recommended. Use 1/4 teaspoon more if using Kosher salt
- BUTTER: Be sure to use room-temperature butter, not melted or icy-cold butter. Substitutes include shortening and margarine although I wouldn’t recommend either.
- MILK: Milk contributes to a tender crumb. The more fat in the milk, the richer the roll. Whole milk would be my first choice. 2% is my second choice and what I usually use since that’s what I keep on hand.
- CINNAMON: It’s optional, but I implore you to try it. Your tastebuds won’t be able to call it by name, but they will recognize something special. It all just goes together.
- BREAD FLOUR: You can substitute all-purpose flour if that’s what you have. Bread flour will give you a better rise.
- BREAD MACHINE OR INSTANT YEAST: Yes, you can use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast but it is slower acting. Give the dough more time to rise or add 1/4 teaspoon of extra yeast.
- HONEY: Maple syrup is a possible substitute. It will change the flavor slightly.
How to make crescent-shaped Sweet Potato rolls:
A note about the Honey Butter Glaze:
The sticky sweetness of the Honey Butter Glaze makes these rolls totally irresistible. However, I recommend glazing only those that will be eaten straight out of the oven as they will become even stickier after sitting a few hours.
Sugar attracts moisture. A quick pass of butter when hot out of the oven, or just plain naked still makes a scrumptious roll.
IF… you have any leftover rolls, they make perfect slider buns or containers for my Poppy Seed Chicken Salad. Better make a bunch if that’s your plan because it’s easy to eat a whole pan of these without even realizing it.
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Ingredients
Dough
- 1 egg (50 gr)
- 1/2 cup mashed sweet potato (see notes) (100 gr)
- 1/4 cup sugar (48 gr)
- 1 teaspoon salt (6 gr)
- 1/4 cup butter (57 gr)
- 2/3 cup warm milk (151 gr)
- Dash of cinnamon
- 3 cups bread flour ((360 gr)
- 2 teaspoons bread machine or instant yeast (6 gr)
Honey Butter Glaze
- 1 egg white, stirred with a fork (35 gr)
- 2 tablespoons honey (21 gr)
- 1 tablespoon butter (14 gr)
- 3 tablespoons sugar (36 gr)
Instructions
- Add ingredients listed to the bread machine pan in the order listed.
- Run the DOUGH cycle.
- Remove dough from your bread machine to a floured surface. I like to use a silicone baking mat so I can throw the whole mess into the dishwasher.
- See the directions below to form dough into the shape of your choice. Cover with a tea towel.
- After rolls have almost doubled in size, brush with honey butter glaze if using.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.
- Remove from the pan or cookie sheet to allow cooling. (If you leave them in the pan too long, they will get soggy on the bottom.)
How to make balls:
- Divide dough in half, then half again making four sections. Divide each of these sections into 4 pieces of dough which should leave you with 16 little dough balls. Form into round balls.
- Arrange balls into two round (or square) 8 or 9-inch greased pans.
- Cover rolls loosely with a tea towel to rise.
How to shape crescents:
- Divide dough in half and form each half into a ball. Roll to approximately 10 inches in diameter. Use a knife or pizza cutter to create 8 triangles (see picture). Roll each triangle starting from the wide end and finally, tucking the small end under so it will not pop out when baked. Place on a greased cookie sheet.
- Cover rolls loosely with a tea towel to rise.
Honey Butter Glaze
- Combine all ingredients and brush carefully over each roll just before popping them into a preheated oven. Try not to let the glaze touch the cookie sheet.
Notes
Preparing Sweet Potatoes:
Boil or bake fresh sweet potatoes, or reserve 1/2 cup portions from your leftover Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole as long as it hasn't been adulterated by extras like pineapple or other fruit. Just be sure the sweet potatoes are mashed to a silky smooth texture so they won't be recognized in the rolls.
Alternate Mixing Instructions:
Directions for making bread with a stand mixer or by hand:
- To make this recipe in a heavy-duty stand mixer, add ingredients to the bowl in the same order. Turn on low to mix until all ingredients are moistened. Using a dough hook, turn speed to 2 or 3 and continue beating/kneading until dough becomes smooth and elastic (about 5-10 minutes). Cover and allow to rise in a warm place. Deflate dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
- If making by hand, combine all ingredients into a shaggy ball in a large bowl. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead with your hands until dough becomes smooth and elastic, a process that will likely take 10-20 minutes depending on your experience. Place the dough ball into a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise until double. Deflate dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
How to substitute active dry yeast for bread-machine yeast or instant yeast:
If you substitute regular yeast for instant or bread-machine yeast, you must dissolve it first before adding to the dry ingredients. Stir it into about 1/4 cup of the lukewarm liquid called for in the recipe. Let sit for about 10 minutes. Add to other wet ingredients and then add dry ingredients. Proceed as directed to knead and shape the dough.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 177Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 181mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 4g
Krestena Sullivan
Thursday 2nd of April 2020
This question may seem silly but I'm guessing that the ingredients for the honey butter glaze begin with the fork beaten egg and everything above that is for the rolls. Is that correct? The recipe says to add all ingredients and maybe it's supposed to be obvious to stop at the yeast.
Paula
Thursday 2nd of April 2020
Hi Krestena,
That is not a silly question. I have already fixed it. Thank you for writing. Hope you love the rolls as much as we do.
Elina
Monday 3rd of December 2018
Thank you Paula! These rolls are wonderful! i was too lazy to cook potatoes so i used pumpkin pure instead. By the end of the day only one roll was lef. i am glad i found your site!
Paula
Tuesday 4th of December 2018
Elina, I'm so glad you wrote. I have never tried pumpkin in these rolls but figured it would probably work. Good to know! Thanks for writing.
Elly
Wednesday 22nd of April 2015
Hi Paula. Love ur homemade bread recipes. I tried several recipes including this n really satisfied. Do u have a recipe italian herb bread? Contains rosemary, thyme n parmesan? Thank u :)
Paula
Monday 27th of April 2015
Hi Elly, I do not have one like that. Will work on it. :-)
Nike
Monday 24th of November 2014
Hi Paula, Can I save the leftover glaze to use in 3 days? Doing a test run on these rolls today and will be making them again on Thansgiving.
Thank you!
Paula
Monday 24th of November 2014
I haven't tried it but I would think so--as long as you keep it in a sealed container so it won't dry out.
Torn
Saturday 16th of February 2013
This looks lovely!
I found this site about yams against sweet potatoes. Is it accurate, i would not want to buy the wrong stuff?
http://easyguyevo.hubpages.com/hub/Difference-Between-Yams-And-Sweet-Potato
Paula
Sunday 17th of February 2013
Hi Torn, I'm afraid I don't really know. I buy whatever is available in my local grocery store and it has always turned out just fine.