Sourdough sweet potato rolls are the best thing to make with your sourdough starter for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
These rolls are perfect as a side with dinner or use them to make sliders with leftover cranberry sauce, holiday ham or turkey!

If you're looking for a new recipe for the holidays, you've found it. This recipe for sourdough sweet potato rolls is one of the easiest sourdough recipes you can make!
This recipe makes 12 jumbo sized sourdough sweet potato rolls that are soft and delicious.
Jump to:
Sample baking schedule
- 8 PM: Feed sourdough starter.
- 8 AM: Prepare sweet potatoes and mix the dough.
- 9 AM: Knead the dough and lest rest until risen about 75%.
- 5 PM: Place dough in the fridge.
- 2 PM: Shape rolls and let rise.
- 5 PM: Bake.
Ingredients needed
- sweet potatoes
- sourdough starter
- all-purpose flour
- butter
- milk
- egg
- light brown sugar
- salt
Step by step instructions
You are going to love how easy this sourdough recipe is. There is very little hands-on time and you can choose to shape and bake the rolls after the first rise or let the dough ferment in the fridge until you're ready to bake!
Feed your sourdough starter
If you plan on mixing the dough first thing in the morning, you'll want to have your sourdough starter active and bubbly.
Before you go to bed, add 15 grams of sourdough starter, along with 50 grams of all-purpose flour and 50 grams of water to the bowl you plan to mix the dough in.
Cover the bowl with a silicone lid or plastic wrap and leave it on the counter overnight.
The next morning, the starter should be bubbly on the surface and sides of the bowl.
Prepare the sweet potatoes
Scrub the outside of the sweet potatoes to remove any dirt and debris. Use a fork to poke holes through the skin. This will allow steam to escape from the sweet potato as they cook.
Place the sweet potatoes on a microwave-safe plate, along with microwave-safe cup filled halfway with water. The water in the cup will produce steam as they cook and keep the sweet potatoes from drying out.
Microwave on high until a fork easily pierces into the flesh of the sweet potatoes. This usually takes about 10 minutes, but it could more or less depending on your microwave.
Once the sweet potatoes are cooked through, remove them from the microwave and allow them to cool enough to handle without being burned.
Remove the skins and place the flesh into a bowl. If you have a potato ricer, press the sweet potatoes through it to create a smooth consistency.

This is the best option for getting the sweet potatoes to incorporate into the dough more smoothly without there being many chunky pieces in the final roll.
If you don't have a potato ricer, you can use a hand mixer or an emersion blender to help get the smoothest consistency possible.
Cut the butter into small pieces and add them to the sweet potatoes while they are still warm.

Use a spatula to mix the two together. The heat from the potatoes will melt the butter.
Stir until they are fully incorporated and set aside.
Mix the dough
Now it's time to add all of the ingredients to the bowl of sourdough starter. I like to add the liquid ingredients first to help distribute the sourdough starter more evenly in the dough.
Add the milk and the egg to the bowl of starter and use a spatula to mix until it is smooth. Next add the sweet potatoes and brown sugar and stir again until well combined.
Add the all-purpose flour and use the spatula to mix the dough. You may need to switch to your hands to make sure all of the dry bits left in the bowl are incorporated into the dough.
Cover the bowl and let it rest on the counter for 1 hour.
Knead the dough
Once the dough has had a chance to rest and the flour has now absorbed the liquid, it's time to give the dough a short knead outside of the bowl in order to make sure the ingredients are well combined.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead the dough for about 30-60 seconds or until the dough comes together into a smooth ball.
First rise
Place the dough back into the bowl, cover it and allow it to rest at room temperature until it has risen about 75% in size. In my 68°F (20°C) kitchen, this takes about 8-9 hours.


Second rise - cold ferment
Place the bowl of dough in the fridge and let rest until ready to bake the next day. The dough will continue to rise some in the fridge.
NOTE: If you'd like to bake the rolls on the same day, go ahead and continue with the next step which is shaping the rolls and then bake once they have risen.
Shape
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
About 3 hours before you are ready to serve the rolls, take the dough out of the fridge and turn it out onto a floured surface.
NOTE: As the dough comes to room temperature, it will become stickier and more difficult to work with. Don't be afraid to use enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands and the work surface.
Work quickly to divide the dough into 12 equal portions that weigh about 104g each.
Working with one portion at a time, use your hand to flatten the dough onto the work surface.

Pull the sides of the dough into the center, turn it over and use your hands to twist the dough on the surface to form a ball. Press the ball into into a disc shape.
Place 6 rolls onto each sheet, spacing them about 3" apart.

Third rise
Cover the dough with a clean towel and allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 2-3 hours or until they dough becomes puffy.

Bake
Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C).
Note: The rolls can brown very easily so keep an eye on them toward the end of the baking time. The bottoms will also be very dark, this is normal.
Bake one sheet of rolls at a time for 20-22 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

How to store and freeze
The sourdough sweet potato rolls will stay fresh at room temperature for about 2 days. Store them in a bread bag or plastic bag.
After 2 days, if you have any leftovers, place them in a freezer-safe container and store them in the freezer for up to 1 month.
When you'd like to serve them, take them out of the freezer and allow them to come to room temperature. You can reheat them in the microwave on 20 second intervals until warm.
More easy sourdough recipes
We've got so many sourdough recipes to make during the holidays! Make sure check them out. Here are a few of our reader favorites!
- sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls
- soft sourdough dinner rolls
- sourdough cinnamon rolls
- sourdough pumpkin bread
- sourdough hawaiian rolls
Do you like this recipe? Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter and we'll send you the latest and greatest!

Sourdough Sweet Potato Rolls
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients to make ½ cup (100g) of Active Sourdough Starter
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) sourdough starter
- â…“ cup + 1 tablespoon (50 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 ½ tablespoons (50 g) water
Dough Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) mashed sweet potatoes (about 2 large sweet potatoes)
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) melted butter
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons (10 g) salt
- ½ cup (120 g) milk
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (100 g) active sourdough starter
- 4 â…“ cups plus 2 tablespoons (540 g) all-purpose flour
INSTRUCTIONS
Feed your sourdough starter
- 12 hours before you plan to mix the dough, add the ingredients to make ½ cup (100 g) of active sourdough starter to a clean jar. Stir until combined, loosely cover the jar and let the starter rise at room temperature. (Or you can mix this in the bowl you plan to mix your dough in.) The sourdough starter is ready to use when it has doubled in size and there are plenty of bubbles on the surface and sides of the jar.
Prepare sweet potatoes
- Wash the sweet potatoes and pierce the flesh with a fork in several places. Place the sweet potatoes on a microwave-safe plate along with a cup filled halfway with water. Microwave on high until the flesh is easily pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skins and mash the flesh. I used a potato ricer to get a smooth consistency. Add the butter to the sweet potatoes and stir to melt the butter and bring down the temperature of the potatoes.
Make the Dough
- Mix the dough. To a large mixing bowl, add the active sourdough starter, milk, egg, salt, light brown sugar and mashed sweet potatoes. Use a stiff spatula to mix the ingredients until well combined. Add the flour and mix it into the wet ingredients. You may need to switch to your hands to make sure all of the dry bits left in the bowl are incorporated into the dough. Cover the dough and let rest for one hour.
Knead the dough and first rise
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead it for about 30-60 seconds or until the dough comes together into a smooth ball.
- Place the dough back into the bowl, cover and allow it to rest at room temperature until risen 75% in size. (In my 68°F (20°C) kitchen, this takes about 8-9 hours. Adjust rising time according to your kitchens temperature. Cold temps need longer to rise, warmer temps need less time to rise.)
Second rise in fridge
- Place the bowl of dough in the fridge and let chill until ready to bake the next day. (The dough can be shaped and baked at this point if you do not wish to ferment longer in the fridge. Please note that the dough will be a little stickier to work with if it is not cold.)
Shape and final rise
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Divide the dough. About 3 hours before you are ready to serve the rolls, take the dough out of the fridge and turn it out onto a floured surface. Work quickly to divide the dough into 12 equal portions that weigh about 104g each.
- Shape each portion into a ball. Working with one portion at a time, use your hand to flatten the dough onto the work surface. Pull the sides of the dough into the center, turn it over and use your hands to twist the dough on the surface to form a ball. Press the ball into into a disc shape.
- Final rise. Place 6 dough balls onto each sheet, spacing them 3" apart. Cover with a clean towel and allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 2-3 hours or until the dough becomes puffy.
Bake
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Bake one sheet of rolls at a time for 20-22 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve warm.
KIM-MARIE H MEREDITH says
I love these! And so does everyone that eats them. Soft and subtly sweet. I you these for sandwiches, burgers, or just warmed and pulled apart. Delicious! I've made these several times and they always come out perfect.
Mary Beth says
Loved your soft sourdough dinner rolls, love these even better! Thank you for all your wonderful sourdough recipes
Noriko says
Oh, I love you coming up with this recipe and sharing with us with clear instructions! OMG, this is the best sourdough roll, very tender, moist, sour and sweet😋
Vivien says
I agree Alison B. The recipes are clear, detailed, and the end products taste wonderful. This is my go-to site when I bake with anything sourdough including discard recipes.
For the sweet potato rolls recipe, I didn't have enough sweet potatoes so I used pumpkin puree. I tried to get as much liquid as I could remove, and the recipe still worked. It just tasted more like pumpkin, but there's nothing wrong with that.
Tessa says
These are terrific. I have made a very good James Beard yeasted sweet potato roll for years, and these have a much better texture and flavor, plus the added benefit of it not mattering if I forgot to buy yeast or if my yeast is not active.
Alison B. says
These are amazing!! The flavor, the texture, and the color are all stunning! I made these for our Thanksgiving dinner and my husband has deemed these a new traditional food. I’m still new to sourdough, but every recipe from this blog has been a hit. Love the detailed descriptions, pictures, and time samples.
Deborah Burages says
Amy I love every recipe you have created!I have somewhat mastered the sourdough challenge thru you!
I would love a Cookbook of your recipes to add to my favorites.I plan on passing these Cookbooks on to my daughter! Any plans for one???
Amy says
Hi Deborah! We have been thinking about putting together a cookbook for about a year now. It's a little harder than I imagined but I'm still working on it. I will send out an email once we get something put together. Thank you so much 🙂
Karly G says
I am new to sourdough and I just found your page! As I was looking through I was just thinking how I would love to buy a cook book from you! I love your content so far and Can't wait to see what you do next!
Amy says
Hi Karly! We've talked about a cookbook but we haven't started it yet. I'll send out an email if we do! 🙂
Colleen says
hi .. I want to know about the sling purse that you use to hold your puppy while you are baking. it matched your sweater so most people would not notice the dog .. but in a dog person. love your recipes. Colleen
Amy says
Hi Colleen! I purchased it on Amazon. Type this into the search bar Cuby Dog and Cat Sling Carrier to find one 🙂
Kim-Marie says
Holy Cow! These are amazing! Soft, a delicate sweetness. And they're beautiful. Thank you for this delicious recipe!
Amy says
Glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Norine says
Instructions say to add salt but no salt listed in ingredients...? Looking forward to making these but unsure how to proceed.
Amy says
it is 10 grams. The ingredients list has been updated!
Debe Loeber says
Did you use sweet potatoes or yams? Is there a taste difference between the two? About how big was your sweet potato - I know they can really vary in size. Thanks. Can't wait to try this recipe!
Amy says
You can use either. I used two very large sweet potatoes!