Sweet Potato Rosemary Milk Bread Rolls

Thanks, Bob’s Red Mill, for sponsoring this post!

How is Thanksgiving already a week away?! We are staying put for Turkey day this year, but it’s going to be more like pickle brined chicken day instead. I tested a bunch of Thanksgiving recipes last week, which was essentially a practice run for the real thing! I honestly wish we had more than 4 people at our table because I’m having a hard time finalizing what I want to make because I want to eat everything… cornbread, sourdough stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, scalloped potatoes, mac and cheese, biscuits… how can I choose just a few sides?!

One side that will absolutely be on the table are these Sweet Potato Rosemary Milk Bread Rolls. I know that’s a mouthful. These are a variation of the Mother of All Milk Bread recipe in my cookbook. I scaled up the recipe (for Thanksgiving portions), added sweet potato puree, and fresh rosemary. The creamy sweet potato somehow makes the softest bread in the world even softer and gives it a gorgeous orange color that’s perfectly seasonal. The rosemary is so aromatic and perfumes the whole bread with flavor. The rolls are soft, a little sweet, and compliment all those classic Thanksgiving flavors! I hope to see these perky buns on your table! Stay tuned for more exciting sides!

Sweet Potato Rosemary Milk Bread Rolls

serves 6 to 8

Tangzhong:

30g (3 tbsp) bread flour

150g (2/3 cup) milk

Dough:

75g (1/3 cup) scalded milk

1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (if using instant yeast, simple add directly to dry ingredients)

525g (about 4 1/4 cups) Bob’s Red Mill Bread Flour

75g (1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp) sugar, plus pinch in milk

1 tsp coarse salt

1 large egg

180g (3/4 cup) sweet potato puree *notes below for making yourself vs. canned | 160g peeled and raw (boiled for 20 minutes)

60g (1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp) olive oil, more for greasing the baking tray

3 sprigs rosemary, chopped

Egg wash:

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

Topping:

Flaky salt

1. Make the tangzhong: In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the flour and milk and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened to a paste, 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately transfer the paste into a small bowl, scraping the sides of the saucepan with a flexible spatula; let cool until warm, 5 to 10 minutes. Texture should resemble mashed potatoes.

2. Scald the Milk: In a clean or new small saucepan, scald the milk over medium heat, bringing the milk to a gentle simmer (watch carefully as milk tends to boil over). Pour milk into a small bowl and cool until warm to the touch (about 110°F). Stir in yeast and a pinch of sugar, and set aside until the surface of the mixture is foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Make the Milk Bread: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, salt, egg, sweet potato puree, olive oil, and rosemary. Add the tangzhong and milk and mix on low until shaggy. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to knead the dough until it is tacky and slightly sticky, 8 to 9 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Wet your hands to prevent the dough from sticking, pinch and pull the ends of the dough to form a smooth ball.

4. Coat a large mixing bowl with 1 teaspoon of oil. Add the dough to the bowl, gently turning it to cover with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot to proof until doubled in size, 2 to 3 hours (or place in the refrigerator to proof for at least 8 hours or overnight).

5. Assemble the buns: Lightly flour a work surface. After the first proof, punch down the dough to deflate. Transfer to the lightly floured surface and divide the dough into 20 equal pieces (use a digital scale if you have one). Pinch and pull each piece of dough into smooth balls.

6. Grease a 9x13-inch baking tray or dish with oil or butter. Arrange the buns in the tray, in 4 rows of 5. There will be space between each bun. Cover the tray with a clean kitchen towel and allow the buns to double in size in a warm space, 60 to 90 minutes (may take longer if the first proof was in the fridge).

7. Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. 

8. In a small bowl, whisk to combine egg and milk for the egg wash. Brush the tops of the buns with the egg wash and sprinkle a little flaky salt over each bun. Bake until golden brown, 27 to 29 minutes.

9. Allow the buns to cool for a few minutes in the tray before serving.

Recipe notes:

• If making homemade sweet potato puree, peel and cube sweet potato. Boil for 20 minutes until fork tender. Transfer to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

• I’ve made this recipe with both canned and homemade sweet potato puree. This recipe is written with homemade sweet potato puree. I’ve found that canned sweet potato puree is much more “wet” or higher in hydration, and the hydration varies by brand. So if using canned sweet potato puree, and you’re seeing that the dough looks a little too wet or sticky, add another 1/4 cup of flour to help compensate for the moisture. Avoid adding more than that though so your bread isn’t dense.