Soft, tender, and full of homemade goodness, this braided sweet potato bread gets its rich texture from mashed sweet potatoes. A yeast dough comes together easily, with a quick rise before you shape it into a beautiful braid. It’s not overly sweet, making it perfect for slathering with honey butter, or sneaking a warm piece straight from the oven.
In a small bowl combine yeast with ¼ cup warm water. Let it sit for 5 minutes until it is frothy.
Add milk, sugar and salt to a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30-60 seconds until the sugar has dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and oats.
Add cooked sweet potatoes and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until smooth. Add the dissolved heat and milk mixture, mix to combine.
With the dough hook in a stand mixer add the dry ingredients, kneading until smooth and satiny, about 5 minutes.
Place in an oiled boil, cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour until double in size. Punch down and divide in two.
Cut each half into 3 equal pieces and roll into a 10 inch rope. Braid and tuck the ends under the braid. Cover and let rise until double, about an hour.
Preheat the oven to 400º. Place rolls on a baking sheet covered with parchment. Bake for 20 minutes, remove and brush with a mixture of 1 egg and 2 tablespoons milk. Continue to bake for 10 minutes for a total of 30 minutes.
Barbara's Notes + Tips
Make sure the yeast is activated and frothy before adding it to the other ingredients.
Allow the milk to cool down so that it doesn't kill the yeast.
Allow the bread to rise in a warm place until just doubled in size.