A few years ago I made Sweet Potato Yeast Rolls for Thanksgiving.  They’ve been requested every year since then.  The recipe doesn’t have much sweet potato in it, just enough to make it nicely orange and a little sweet.

sweetpotato rolls
I use my standard Aunt Eura’s Yeast Roll recipe with a few tweaks. This recipe will make about 3 dozen rolls.

 

 

 

Sweet Potato Rolls
3 pkgs yeast or about 7 teaspoons loose yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
2 c warm water
1/2 cup melted butter or shortening
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup pureed sweet potatoes
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (optional but very good)
6 c plain or bread flour

Place the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water with the teaspoon of sugar to get foamy.

In a large mixing bowl combine and mix:
Melted butter or shortening
cinnamon
salt
flour
sugar
sweet potatoes
eggs

Add yeast mixture and 2 cups warm water. Mix well and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. You may add a little flour if the dough is too sticky but in general you want your dough to be soft and pliable and a little sticky.

Cover and allow to rise until double.

Once dough is doubled in size, you can make 2 inch rolls. If you want the pumpkin shape, use a pair of clean, sharp scissors to cut the sides of each roll almost to the center of the roll. Use a piece of a pretzel stick for the stem of the “pumpkin”.

Need to see how to make rolls?  Here is my video about how to do that! 

Place prepared rolls on a lightly greased baking sheet in a warm, draft free area to rise until about double their size. Bake rolls at 400*F for about 18 minutes or until they are golden brown.

You can make these ahead or even freeze the dough. Check out the instructions here for refrigerated rolls and here for freezer rolls.