Last week in Tastes Like Home, I mentioned the making of Sweet Potato Bread. In the recipe I shared then, I used regular all-purpose flour. Given the excellent results of the texture, flavour and overall taste of the bread, I wondered how it would work with whole wheat flour (so too did my editor). Back to the kitchen it was.
With some recipes you can simply swap out one ingredient for the other and let everything remain the same, and others, adjustments need to be made throughout. I tested a couple of recipes by varying the quantities of ingredients and the oven temperature. The best results were yielded from the combination below.
If I have to eat bread, I prefer white bread but I have to tell you, after having this whole wheat version with the sweet potatoes, I can see myself eating and enjoying whole wheat bread. The texture was moist and tender even more than 24 hours later! Sweet potatoes are really a revelation when it comes to making breads. For me, it is quickly becoming a preferred way to making breads.
Tip: When you boil and mash the sweet potatoes and have extra after measuring for your bread, store the remainder in an airtight container in the refrigerator to use for your next batch of bread. The mashed sweet potatoes will keep well for 2 weeks.
To use the refrigerated sweet potatoes, remove the container from the fridge and bring it up to room temperature first before adding it to the dough.
Please read the recipe notes on preparing the sweet potatoes before making the dough.
Yield: 2 (9 x 5) loaves
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups whole wheat flour, plus extra for work surface
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons sugar (brown or white)
- ¾ teaspoon fine table salt
- 1.5 oz. (3 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter
- 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
- 1 – 1 ¼ cups room temperature water
- Oil for dough and baking pan(s)
DIRECTIONS
- Mix together in a large bowl – the flour, yeast, sugar and salt.
- Cut or rub in the butter to the flour mixture.
- Cut or mix in the mashed sweet potatoes to the flour.
- Add the water – starting with the 1 cup first – to make dough, if more water is need then add the remaining ¼ cup. When the dough comes together, turn it on to a well-floured work surface and knead for 15 minutes. You will need to intermittently add a light dusting of flour on the surface as you knead.
- Rub a large bowl with oil as well as oil all over the dough. Transfer the dough to the oiled bowl, cover and put in a warm place to proof for 40 minutes.
- While the dough is proofing, brush the pan(s) with oil and set aside.
- Turn the rested dough onto a work surface and cut in half if making 2 loaves, shape into loaves and place in greased pans. Cover loosely and put in someplace warm to rise for 40 minutes.
- After the first 20 minutes of rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- At the end of the 40 minutes, transfer the pan(s) to the oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until the bread in browned and hollow when tapped. Remove from oven and let cool for 6 – 8 minutes before removing from pan and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Use just as you would regular bread.
NOTES
- Drain the sweet potatoes well after boiling. Mash the potatoes and then spread it out along the bottom and sides of a bowl or in a large plate to cool completely. It must be cool and as dry as possible. Do not add it to make the flour if the sweet potatoes are warm.
- To measure the mashed sweet potatoes, be sure to pack the cup and half cup firmly.
- For this recipe I used the orange-flesh sweet potatoes but you can use the yellow, white or purple flesh ones to make the bread.
- Use all-purpose flour for dusting if you prefer rather than the whole wheat flour.
