This is for my cinnamon lovers! A spiced sweet potato dough with layers of buttery cinnamon-sugar, that results in a soft, pull-apart bread drizzled with vanilla glaze. The perfect loaf to share with family and friends.
Equipment
- Mixer with dough hook attachment
- Spatula
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Parchment Paper
- Pizza Cutter or Knife
- Mixing Bowls
- 9”x5” loaf pan
- Small pot
- Whisk
- Fine Mesh Sieve
- Pastry Brush
Ingredients
SWEET POTATO DOUGH
- ¾ cup milk
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast 1 packet
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup mashed sweet potato about ½ medium-sized sweet potato
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 large egg for egg wash
CINNAMON-SUGAR FILING
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
GLAZE
- 1 tbsp butter melted
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- Dash salt
- 1 ½ tbsp milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Start by making a tangzhong. To a small pot, add ¼ cup of your milk and 2 tablespoons of your flour. Place on the stove over medium-low heat and whisk constantly until a thick paste forms. Remove from heat and set aside
- Warm your remaining ½ cup of milk in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds. It should be warm when you touch it with your finger but not hot. If it’s too hot, you might kill the yeast!
- Pour your warmed milk into the bowl of your mixer and sprinkle your yeast over the top. Give it a light stir and allow it to sit for 5 minutes to activate your yeast and get a little frothy
- Add in your tangzhong, sugar, sweet potato, melted butter, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and remaining 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons of flour. Fit your mixer with the dough hook attachment and mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms
- Scrap down the sides and bottom of your bowl, then increase your mixer to a medium speed for 5-10 minutes until your dough is smooth and elastic. To check if your dough is ready, pull off a piece of dough and gently pull it very thin. You should be able to hold it up and see light through the dough without it tearing
- Lightly grease a large bowl and place your dough inside. Cover with a clean towel and place in a warm spot to rise for 60-90 minutes, or until doubled in size. If your kitchen is warm, it might rise faster, if cooler, it might rise slower. I highly recommend taking a picture of your dough before covering it to compare!
- While your dough is rising, make your cinnamon-sugar filling. Simply mix together your brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl, set aside, and place your softened butter in another small bowl - you want it spreadable but not melted
- Grease and line a 9”x5” loaf pan with parchment paper
- When your dough is ready to shape, punch it down to release the air, turn it onto a lightly floured surface, and roll it to a 12”x16” rectangle
- Spread your softened butter evenly over the dough before sprinkling over your cinnamon sugar. Use your fingers to gently rub your cinnamon sugar into the butter, to help it stick and form a sort of paste
- Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, slice your dough vertically into three equal strips and then horizontally into 5 equal strips. You should have 15 squares of dough
- Dough side down (cinnamon-sugar side up) stack your dough so the bottoms match up. Then carefully place (bottom edge down) in your loaf pan. They should fit fairly snuggly, with a little room to grow
- Cover with your clean towel and let the dough rise in a warm sport for another 30-45 minutes, until it has puffed and filled the pan
- Preheat your oven to 350°F
- In a bowl whisk together your egg and a splash of water or milk, to make an egg wash. Brush over the top of your dough, to get that beautiful golden brown bake
- Bake for 30-45 minutes on the middle rack, removing from the oven at the 15-minute mark and covering with foil to prevent the top of your loaf from burning. Insert a digital thermometer into the middle of your dough; once it reads 192°F - 195°F, remove it from the oven
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing and placing on a wire rack to cool for another 20 minutes
- To make your glaze, add your melted butter to a bowl and sift in your powdered sugar. Then add in your salt, vanilla, and milk, and whisk until a smooth glaze forms
- Drizzle your glaze over the top of your warm bread and leave to set for 15 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
*To mash your sweet potato, peel and cut it into 1-inch cubes. Place into a pot and cover with cold water before bringing to a boil on the stove. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10-12 minutes. You should be able to smoothly stick a fork through one when they’re done. Drain and immediately mash until there are no chunky bits left
*If you do not have a mixer, you can form your dough by hand. Whisk together your wet ingredients once your yeast and milk have bloomed before stirring in your remaining flour. Then knead your dough on a lightly floured surface until it passes the windowpane test mentioned above. Making bread by hand will take a little more time and arm strength, but you can do it!
*Make sure your butter for the filling is room temperature, not melted. You want to be able to easily spread it over the rolled-out dough, without tearing it, but have it thick enough (not running off) that you can massage your cinnamon sugar mixture into it.
*Take a picture of your dough before each rise! This will help you compare how much it has grown ahead of both shaping and baking.
