Recipe: James Beard's Sweet Potato Rolls or Bread

Sweet Potato Rolls or Bread
From: Beard on Bread by James Beard
Makes 24 rolls or 2 loaves

2 packages active dry yeast
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup warm water (100 f to 115f)
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon salt
3 eggs
3 to 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup mashed sweet potatoes or yams (if canned, drain all liquids first)
2 tablespoons cream

Combine the yeast with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and the warm water in a mixing bowl and let proof for 5 minutes.

Add the rest of the sugar, the butter, salt and 2 of the eggs to the yeast mixture, and stir to blend. Stir in the flour, 1 cup at a time, then stir in the sweet potatoes. Turn out on a lightly floured board and knead for 2 or 3 minutes, adding only enough flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the board. (The dough will be soft, so do not knead too heavily.) When the dough is smooth and springy to the touch, shape it into a ball. Put in a buttered bowl and turn to coat the surface with butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch the dough down, then shape it into a ball and let rest for 2 minutes.

For rolls:
Pull off equal pieces about the size of golf balls and shape into balls--about 2 dozen of them. Place them on a buttered cookie sheet about 2 inches apart or, if you want the rolls joined, about 1/4 inch apart. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk. Beat the remaining egg with the cream and brush this onto the rolls. Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for about 20 minutes, or until the rolls sound hollow when tapped on the bottom and are a rich brown color.

For bread:
After the dough has had its first rising, punch down, let rest for 2 minutes and then turn out on a floured board. Divide in half, shape into loaves and place in two buttered 9 X 5 X 3 inch loaf pans. Let rise until almost doubled in bulk. Bake at 375 F for 40 to 45 minutes.