Browned-Butter Sweet Potato Buttermilk Buns
Here's a soft, pillowy dinner bun with the subtle taste of sweet potato - perfect for an autumn supper, found originally on tbsp. The buttermilk, egg and butter make it a pleasure to knead by hand. Watch the dough rise nice and high, then divide it into the size of bun you like best. Leftovers can be sliced up to make a flavourful toast the next day. These buns freeze well.
Another Pillowy Buttermilk Bun. Back to Yeast Breads.
Time: 2 hours (including 2 risings)
Yield: 16 large or 32 small buns
Ingredients
1 cup peeled, cooked and mashed sweet potato, cooled to room temperature
2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
1 egg, room temperature
1 / 2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus 2 tablespoons for browned butter
1 / 4 cup granulated sugar or honey
4 1/2 teaspoons yeast OR 2 packages dry yeast OR 1/10 lb. cake yeast
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
6-7 cups unbleached or all-purpose flour
Method
In a large bowl by hand or using a mixer, blend together the sweet potato, buttermilk, egg, butter, sugar and yeast until thoroughly combined.
Stir in one cup flour with the salt. Gradually add more flour, once cup at a time, until you have added 4-5 cups and the mixture turns into a soft dough.
Either by hand or using the dough hook on a mixer, knead the bread - 8-10 minutes by hand, 5-6 minutes with the mixer. Add in up to 7 cups of flour (often determined by humidity), kneading until the dough is smooth, elastic and slightly sticky, but not tacky.
Shape the dough into a round ball and place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled, about an hour.
To shape the buns: Punch down the risen dough and cut in half with a knife, pizza cutter or bench scraper. Keep dividing in half until you have 16 big pieces of dough, or 32 small ones. Alternately, for 18 buns, divide the dough into three, then divide each third into three parts and then each remaining section into halves.
Roll each piece into a ball, pulling the skin taut on the top so it's smooth and round. Either place side by side in a buttered 9X13 baking dish (use 2 baking dishes if you've divided the dough into 32) or on a buttered baking sheet or baking stone, about 1 inch apart. Parchment paper can be used on the baking sheet. Let the rolls sit, covered to rise for about 15-20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
While the oven is warming, brown the butter; Place 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Let the butter melt, stirring frequently, until it turns golden brown. Be careful not to let it burn. Remove from the heat and pour the butter into a small bowl to prevent it from cooking further.
If desired, gently press down the tops of the rolls to flatten them slightly (I like them round, so I did not do this). Using a pastry brush, wipe the tops of the rolls with the browned butter.
Bake the rolls for 20-30 minutes, depending on your oven, until puffed and lightly brown. Let sit on a cooling rack to cool.
Here's a soft, pillowy dinner bun with the subtle taste of sweet potato - perfect for an autumn supper, found originally on tbsp. The buttermilk, egg and butter make it a pleasure to knead by hand. Watch the dough rise nice and high, then divide it into the size of bun you like best. Leftovers can be sliced up to make a flavourful toast the next day. These buns freeze well.
Another Pillowy Buttermilk Bun. Back to Yeast Breads.
Time: 2 hours (including 2 risings)
Yield: 16 large or 32 small buns
Ingredients
1 cup peeled, cooked and mashed sweet potato, cooled to room temperature
2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
1 egg, room temperature
1 / 2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus 2 tablespoons for browned butter
1 / 4 cup granulated sugar or honey
4 1/2 teaspoons yeast OR 2 packages dry yeast OR 1/10 lb. cake yeast
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
6-7 cups unbleached or all-purpose flour
Method
In a large bowl by hand or using a mixer, blend together the sweet potato, buttermilk, egg, butter, sugar and yeast until thoroughly combined.
Stir in one cup flour with the salt. Gradually add more flour, once cup at a time, until you have added 4-5 cups and the mixture turns into a soft dough.
Either by hand or using the dough hook on a mixer, knead the bread - 8-10 minutes by hand, 5-6 minutes with the mixer. Add in up to 7 cups of flour (often determined by humidity), kneading until the dough is smooth, elastic and slightly sticky, but not tacky.
Shape the dough into a round ball and place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled, about an hour.
To shape the buns: Punch down the risen dough and cut in half with a knife, pizza cutter or bench scraper. Keep dividing in half until you have 16 big pieces of dough, or 32 small ones. Alternately, for 18 buns, divide the dough into three, then divide each third into three parts and then each remaining section into halves.
Roll each piece into a ball, pulling the skin taut on the top so it's smooth and round. Either place side by side in a buttered 9X13 baking dish (use 2 baking dishes if you've divided the dough into 32) or on a buttered baking sheet or baking stone, about 1 inch apart. Parchment paper can be used on the baking sheet. Let the rolls sit, covered to rise for about 15-20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
While the oven is warming, brown the butter; Place 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Let the butter melt, stirring frequently, until it turns golden brown. Be careful not to let it burn. Remove from the heat and pour the butter into a small bowl to prevent it from cooking further.
If desired, gently press down the tops of the rolls to flatten them slightly (I like them round, so I did not do this). Using a pastry brush, wipe the tops of the rolls with the browned butter.
Bake the rolls for 20-30 minutes, depending on your oven, until puffed and lightly brown. Let sit on a cooling rack to cool.