Sweet Potato Rolls

By Jrhayashi

This was adapted from 'Beard on Bread' by James Beard.

This is so good...it reminds me of the hawaiian sweet bread

Ingredients

• 1 8 oz sweet potato
• 4 1/2 tsp (about 2 packets) active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tbsp melted unsalted butter, plus enough to grease pans
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 - 3 1/2 cups flour, plus more for the work surface
• Oil

Preparation

Step 1

1. Prick the sweet potato all over with a fork and microwave on high for 5 minutes or until soft. Let cool, then peel and mash it until smooth. you should 1/2 cup of flesh

2. Combine the yeast with 1 tablespoon sugar and the warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer: proof for 5 minutes, until the yeast bubbles and foams.

3. Add 2 eggs and beat on low speed, then add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, the butter, and salt. Beat on low speed for about 2 minutes, then add sweet potato and beat for about 1 minute. Add 1 cup of the flour at a time, beating to form a sightly stiff dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl; add more as needed.

4. Lightly flour a work surface. Transfer the dough to the prepared surface; knead for 2 to 3 minutes, adding only enough flour to prevent the dough sticking to the countertop. it should still be tacky to the touch but should not stick to your hands. When it is smooth and springy, shape in to a ball.

5. Lightly oil the inside of a large bowl, then place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat evenly. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let the dough rest for about 1 hour or until it has doubled in size. The dough will be ready when you can push 2 fingers into it and the indentations remain.

6. Use a little melted butter to lightly grease the inside of 2 glass pie plates or round 9-10 inch cake pans. Punch down the dough and divide it into 3 equal pieces. Divide each piece into 8 golf ball size pieces, for a total of 24. Roll into balss, then arrange them in the prepared pie plates. Cover with plastic wrap; let the rolls rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until double in size.

7. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Beat the remaining egg, then brush it on the rolls. Bake them for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are a deep golden brown on the top and bottom. Let cool slightly in the pie plates, then cover loosely with aluminum foil and serve warm, letting diners pull them directly out of the plates.

Note: you can make these rolls up to 2 weeks ahead of time by baking them 10 to 12 minutes, until fully puffed but just starting to turn a pale golden color. Let cool to room tempature in the pie plates, then wrap the rolls and plate in a double layer of plastic wrap. Wrap in 2 layers of foil; then freeze. To serve, take rolls out of the freezer at least 2 hours ahead of time and let them come to room tempature, then unwrap and bake for 5 to 10 more minutes or until they are a deep golden brown