Moist Sweet Potato Bread Recipe with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

• Yield: 1 loaf (about 12 slices)
• Prep Time: 25 minutes (hands-on)
• Cook Time: 35–40 minutes
• Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes (includes rising and cooling)

Quick Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 g) mashed cooked sweet potato, cooled to room temperature
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) whole milk, warmed to 110°F (43°C)
• 2 1/4 tsp (7 g) instant yeast
• 3 tbsp (36 g) light brown sugar (packed)
• 4 tbsp (56 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 3 1/4 cups (390 g) bread flour, plus more as needed
• 1 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
• 1 tbsp milk + 1 tsp maple syrup or honey (optional, for brushing)

Do This

• 1. Mash cooked sweet potato and let it cool; warm milk to 110°F (43°C).
• 2. Mix milk, yeast, and brown sugar; rest 5 minutes.
• 3. Stir in sweet potato, butter, egg, flour, and salt; knead 8–10 minutes until smooth.
• 4. Rise covered in a warm spot until doubled, 60–90 minutes.
• 5. Shape and place in a greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan; rise 45–60 minutes until domed.
• 6. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 35–40 minutes (190°F internal); cool 1 hour before slicing.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Moist, tender crumb with natural sweetness and a gorgeous warm-orange color from real sweet potato.
• Soft sandwich-bread texture that toasts beautifully and stays fresh longer than many homemade loaves.
• Beginner-friendly enriched yeast dough with clear cues for doneness and rise.
• Versatile flavor: keep it classic, or add cozy spices, nuts, or a cinnamon swirl.

Grocery List

• Produce: 1 large sweet potato (enough to yield 1 cup mashed)
• Dairy: whole milk, unsalted butter
• Pantry: instant yeast, light brown sugar, bread flour, fine salt, ground cinnamon (optional), maple syrup or honey (optional)

Full Ingredients

For the Sweet Potato Bread Dough

• Mashed sweet potato: 1 cup (240 g) mashed cooked sweet potato, cooled to room temperature (see note below)
• Whole milk: 3/4 cup (180 ml), warmed to 110°F (43°C)
• Instant yeast: 2 1/4 tsp (7 g)
• Light brown sugar: 3 tbsp (36 g), packed
• Unsalted butter: 4 tbsp (56 g), melted and cooled 5 minutes
• Egg: 1 large, room temperature
• Bread flour: 3 1/4 cups (390 g), plus up to 1/4 cup (30 g) more as needed
• Fine salt: 1 1/2 tsp
• Optional spice: 1 tsp ground cinnamon (for a gently spiced loaf)

Optional Finish

• Brush before baking (shine): 1 tbsp milk
• Brush after baking (soft, lightly sweet crust): 1 tbsp milk mixed with 1 tsp maple syrup or honey

Ingredient Notes (Quick and Helpful)

• How to cook the sweet potato: Bake at 400°F (205°C) until very soft, 45–60 minutes, or microwave until tender. Scoop out flesh, mash smooth, then cool completely.
• Why cool matters: Hot sweet potato can melt the butter too much and over-warm the dough, which can weaken yeast performance.
• Bread flour vs. all-purpose: Bread flour gives a taller, sturdier loaf. All-purpose works, but the loaf may be slightly less lofty; hold back a bit of flour and add only as needed.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prep the pan and ingredients

Grease a 9 x 5-inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan with butter or neutral oil. Gather all ingredients and bring the egg to room temperature.

If your sweet potato mash is chunky, press it through a fine mesh sieve or mash until very smooth. Smooth mash helps the loaf rise evenly and slice cleanly.

Step 2: Warm the milk and wake up the yeast

Warm the milk to 110°F (43°C) (warm, not hot). Pour it into a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer). Whisk in the instant yeast and brown sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes.

You may not see dramatic bubbling with instant yeast, but the mixture should look slightly creamy and smell pleasantly yeasty.

Step 3: Build a rich, sweet-potato dough

Whisk the mashed sweet potato into the milk mixture until mostly smooth. Add the melted butter and egg and whisk again.

Add the bread flour, salt, and (if using) cinnamon. Stir with a sturdy spoon until a shaggy dough forms. If using a stand mixer, mix on low speed with a dough hook until combined.

Step 4: Knead until smooth and elastic

Knead by hand on a lightly floured surface (or with a dough hook on medium-low) for 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not wet.

Adjusting flour: Sweet potato moisture varies. If the dough feels sticky and loose after a few minutes of kneading, add extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 1/4 cup (30 g) total. Aim for a dough that holds its shape and pulls away from the bowl, but still feels soft.

Quick check: Press a finger into the dough; it should spring back slowly. If it tears easily, knead another minute or two.

Step 5: First rise (bulk fermentation)

Form the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a lid, plastic wrap, or a clean towel.

Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, 60–90 minutes (longer if your kitchen is cool). The dough should look puffy and airy.

Step 6: Shape the loaf

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Gently press into a rectangle about the width of your loaf pan (roughly 8 x 12 inches). Starting from the short end, roll up tightly into a log, pinching the seam closed.

Place the log seam-side down into the prepared loaf pan. Gently press the dough to even it out so it fills the pan from end to end.

Step 7: Second rise and bake

Cover the pan and let the dough rise until the top is nicely domed, about 45–60 minutes. When it’s ready, the dough should crown about 1 inch above the rim of the pan and spring back slowly when lightly pressed.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the center. If using, brush the top gently with 1 tbsp milk for a shiny crust.

Bake for 35–40 minutes. The top should be deep golden-brown and the loaf should sound hollow when tapped. For best accuracy, the center should read 190°F (88°C) on an instant-read thermometer.

Step 8: Cool completely for the best slices

Remove the loaf from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

If you’d like a softer, slightly glossy crust, brush the warm loaf with 1 tbsp milk mixed with 1 tsp maple syrup or honey right after it comes out of the pan.

Pro Tips

• Measure sweet potato mash correctly: Pack it lightly into a 1-cup measure, then level it. Too much mash can make the loaf heavy and gummy.
• Control stickiness with patience: Knead for a few minutes before adding extra flour. The dough often firms up as gluten develops.
• Rise by look, not just the clock: Cooler kitchens need more time. A slightly warm oven (turned off) with the light on can help.
• Prevent over-browning: If the top gets dark before the loaf is done, tent loosely with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.
• For clean slices: Let it cool fully and use a serrated bread knife with gentle sawing motions.

Variations

• Pecan-maple sweet potato bread: Add 3/4 cup (90 g) chopped toasted pecans during the last minute of kneading. Brush after baking with the milk-maple mixture.
• Cinnamon swirl loaf: After rolling the dough into a rectangle, sprinkle with 2 tbsp (25 g) sugar mixed with 2 tsp cinnamon, then roll up and bake as directed.
• Dinner rolls: Divide dough into 12 pieces (about 60–65 g each), shape into balls, rise in a greased 9 x 13-inch pan until puffy, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20–24 minutes.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Let the loaf cool completely, then store tightly wrapped at room temperature for 3 days. For longer storage, slice the cooled loaf, wrap well, and freeze for up to 2 months. Toast slices straight from frozen for an easy breakfast.

Make-ahead option: Prepare the dough through shaping, place in the loaf pan, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight (8–14 hours). The next day, let it sit at room temperature until domed (typically 60–90 minutes), then bake as directed.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate per slice (1/12 loaf): 190 calories, 5 g protein, 33 g carbs, 5 g fat, 2 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 240 mg sodium.