Sunday, April 19, 2009

Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

3 1/2 tsp yeast
1/4 cup warm water
drizzle of honey

1/3 cup honey
1 cup warm milk
2 TBSP soft butter
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato or yam
1 tsp salt

1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup gluten (optional)
5-6 cups whole wheat pastry flour (regular whole wheat will work but will be heavier)

Filling:
1/2 - 3/4 cup softened butter
1/4 - 1/2 cup maple syrup
cinnamon

Combine yeast, warm water and a drizzle of honey and set aside to proof.  Combine honey, milk, butter, sweet potato, and salt, then add yeast mixture and stir until smooth.  Add wheat germ, gluten, and 4 cups of flour and stir until combined.  Turn out onto a floured surface and knead, adding flour as needed until dough is smooth and no longer sticky.  Place in a greased bowl in a warm place and let rise about one hour, or until doubled.

Roll dough out into a large rectangle.  Combine 1/2 cup softened butter and 1/4 cup maple syrup and spread over dough.  Sprinkle with cinnamon to taste.  Roll dough up into a cylinder shape and cut.  Place rolls in 2 greased 9 x 13 pans and allow to rise again for about 30 minutes. 

Bake at 350˚ for 20-25 minutes.  Serve plain or with a glaze of your choice.

*Optional alternate version: For richer, gooier rolls, spread with a filling of 3/4 cup softened butter and 1/2 cup maple syrup and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Reserve some of the filling and brush it on as a glaze when the rolls are done baking.

2 comments:

BCab said...

Have you tried this with regular flour - non whole wheat? And what purpose does the gluten serve? How do they taste w/out it?

Jamie said...

I have not tried it with white flour, but it should work if you're careful not to overmix it. The added gluten works with the yeast to rise the dough taller...if you use regular whole wheat flour the gluten is not as essential, but with the softer whole wheat pastry flour it would be better to add it than not. As gluten changes the texture of the bread, not the flavor, I assume they would taste the same with or without the added gluten.

Oh, and by the way, I'd suggest making the optional alternate version first. :)