High Altitude Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls

High altitude tested, soft and fluffy sweet potato dinner rolls, with a hint of cinnamon, allspice and cardamom, and a touch of sweetness from pure maple syrup. The perfect easy dinner rolls for your Thanksgiving dinner!

You might also love these high altitude recipes for Parker House rolls, cheesy garlic herb bread rolls, and cinnamon honey whole wheat dinner rolls.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Soft for Days. Sweet potato dinner rolls are incredibly soft, pillowy and fluffy, even days after baking. So while it may seem strange to add pureed sweet potatoes to yeast dough, they serve an important role. The starch in the potatoes absorbs moisture, keeping the rolls softer for longer than most yeast rolls. The subtle sweet potato flavor is nicely complemented by the sweetness of the maple syrup and warm fall spices.

Perfect for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving and Christmas are definitely occasions that call for the extra effort of making homemade bread. Enjoy hot buttery rolls with Thanksgiving dinner, and then make a fabulous sandwich the next day with leftover rolls, maple butter, turkey and whole grain mustard.

High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude. When working with yeast dough, the main adjustment for various altitudes will simply be how long it takes the dough to rise, since dough rises faster at higher altitudes.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

• Sweet Potato. You’ll need one large or two medium sweet potatoes, boiled until tender. Rather than hand mashing the potatoes, which can leave some stringy fibers, I recommend pureeing them in a food processor.
• Flour. Use bread flour, not all purpose flour. Bread flour has a higher percentage of protein, giving a chewier texture to these potato rolls.
• Yeast. The yeast is what leavens the dough and makes it rise. I love this Red Star Platinum Instant Yeast with dough enhancers.
• Salt. Coarse Kosher salt in the dough adds flavor. Flaky finishing salt on top of the rolls is a good finishing touch.
• Spices. A blend of cinnamon, allspice, cardamom and vanilla extract adds warmth and flavor.
• Butter. Adds richness, flavor and moisture. I use unsalted butter in the dough, a little butter for greasing the baking dish, and more to brush over the top of the baked rolls.
• Eggs. Gives the dough structure, strength and richness.
• Maple Syrup. Adds a touch of sweetness. You can also use honey or granulated sugar.
• Water. You’ll need warm water to moisten the dough. For more sweet potato flavor, use the starchy boiling liquid from cooking the potatoes.

Instructions

Make the Sweet Potato Puree.

• Peel the sweet potato, and give it a rough chop. Place the chopped sweet potatoes in a saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer the potatoes over medium heat until fork tender, about 15 minutes.
• Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the sweet potato water to use in the dough. Use a food processor to puree the sweet potatoes until perfectly smooth, and measure out 1 cup of the puree to use. If you have leftover puree, you can freeze it and save it for another recipe.
• Set the pureed sweet potatoes aside to cool for several minutes until no longer piping hot. Let the sweet potato water cool to between 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit.

Note: You can also use canned/cooked sweet potatoes, or even canned pumpkin. In this case, simply use plain water instead of the sweet potato water.

Make the Dough.

• In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the flour, yeast, salt, spices, butter (6 tbsp), eggs, maple syrup/sugar, vanilla and sweet potato puree (1 cup). Add the warm sweet potato water, and stir into a shaggy dough.
• With the dough hook attachment, knead the dough on medium low speed for 10 minutes. The dough will be much smoother now, but will still be soft, sticky and loose, and will not form a firm dough ball.

• Scrape the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size.
• If your oven has a “bread proof” setting, you can use that to let your dough rise. This should take anywhere from 45-90 minutes, depending on the brand and freshness of your yeast, your altitude, and the temperature of your kitchen. At 5280 feet, and using my oven bread proof setting, my dough is nearly always doubled in about 40-45 minutes.

Shape the Rolls.

• Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, sprinkle the top of the dough with a little more flour, and gently press the air out of the dough.
• Use a bench scraper or sharp chef’s knife to cut the dough into 12 equal sections.
• Shape each section of dough into a ball by pinching the dough together on one side, so that the dough cupped against your hand is smooth and taut.
• Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with butter, and arrange the rolls smooth side up in the dish. Set aside in a warm place for about 20-30 minutes, until the rolls are puffy, filling the dish, and starting to puff above the pan.

Bake the Rolls.

• Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
• Bake the rolls for about 30-40 minutes, until golden brown on top, and a digital instant read thermometer inserted into the center reads between 190-195 degrees Fahrenheit.

• For a pretty shine, brush the tops of the hot rolls with a little more butter, then sprinkle with flaky salt.
• Let them cool for about 15 minutes, then pull the rolls apart and serve warm.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I store leftover rolls?

Let the rolls cool completely before storing in an airtight container or freezer bag at room temperature for up to 3-5 days.

What’s the best way to reheat sweet potato dinner rolls?

You should reheat individual rolls in the microwave for about 45 seconds at 50% power for a soft, just baked texture.

Can the baked rolls be frozen?

Yes, you can freeze the baked rolls. Let them cool, then seal them in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3-6 months.

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