Sourdough Sweet Potato Rolls

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
• Ingredients needed
• Step by step instructions
• How to store and freeze
• More easy sourdough recipes
• Sourdough Sweet Potato Rolls

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

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