Sweet Potato Bread – Soft, Fluffy & Naturally Sweet Homemade Recipe
Sweet Potato Bread — Soft, Fluffy & Naturally Sweet
Looking for a soft, fluffy bread with a hint of natural sweetness and beautiful golden color? This Sweet Potato Bread is exactly what you need! Made with mashed sweet potatoes, it’s moist, tender, and packed with nutrients — perfect for breakfast, snacks, or even sandwiches.
In this post, I’ll guide you through the recipe, share useful tips, explain the baking science, and answer common questions — all to help you bake your best loaf and boost your baking confidence.
🌟 Why You’ll Love This Sweet Potato Bread
✅ Soft, fluffy crumb with a light sweetness
✅ Beautiful golden color from sweet potatoes
✅ Stays moist and fresh for days
✅ Perfect for breakfast, toast, or sandwiches
✅ Beginner-friendly and easy to make
What Is Old Dough & Why I Use It
In this recipe, I use the old dough method — an old-fashioned but powerful baking technique that improves bread in several ways.
Old dough (also called pâte fermentée) is a portion of dough that’s usually saved from a previous bake, allowed to ferment, and then added into a new dough. However, I don’t keep old dough on hand — instead, I make a fresh batch whenever I want to use it in a recipe.
Why do I use it in this Sweet Potato Bread? Because it:
✅ Boosts flavor — the fermentation adds subtle complexity and aroma to the bread
✅ Improves softness — the crumb stays tender and moist
✅ Extends shelf life — the bread stays fresh longer, even without added preservatives
✅ Strengthens the dough — helps with better rise, texture, and oven spring
This little twist gives the bread a beautiful bakery-style result that’s hard to achieve with a straight dough method alone.
Why I Use Orange Sweet Potato
I specifically use orange sweet potatoes in this bread for a few delicious reasons:
✅ Natural sweetness — they add a gentle, earthy sweetness without overpowering the bread
✅ Beautiful golden-orange color — the crumb turns out naturally vibrant, making the bread visually appealing
✅ Moisture and nutrition — orange sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene, vitamins, and fiber, which improve both the bread’s texture and its nutritional value
You can experiment with other sweet potato varieties (like purple or white), but orange sweet potatoes give the best balance of color, sweetness, and softness in this recipe.
How To Make Orange Sweet Potato Bread
Ingredients You'll Need (Yields: 1 Loaf)
Step-by-Step Guide
- Old Dough
- Combine milk, yeast and sugar in a mixing bowl. Then add in bread flour and knead with your hand until smooth and all incorporated. Roll into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover with cling film and let it proof 1 hour in room temperature (28C).
- After 1 hour, place into the refrigerator overnight for at least 12 hours or up to 16 hours. Fridge temperature 2C - 4C. The next morning, take out the old dough from refrigerator to return to room temperature 30 minutes before using. You can also use directly from the fridge if you forget to take out earlier.
- If you don't plan to bake the next day, after 1 hour fermentation, shape it into a ball and wrap it in cling wrap or place it in a ziplock bag. Store it in the freezer for 1-2 months. Take it out 30 minutes before using to defrost.
- Mashed Orange Sweet Potato:
- Wash, peel, cut and steam the sweet potatoes for about 20 minutes. Mash with potato riser. Set aside to cool.
- Kneading Main Dough:
- Put all ingredients (except butter) including all the old dough into a bowl of stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix for about 3 minutes or until dough comes together and elastic.
- Change to hook attachment. Add in butter and continue knead for 10 - 12 minutes or until reach window pane stage. During the whole kneading process, I stopped few times to scrape down the dough from the hook to be sure it is evenly kneaded and also to prevent the motor from overheating.
- 1st Proofing:
- Let the dough rise in a warm place for 45 to 60 minutes or until double in size in a large greased bowl, covered with cling film or kitchen towel.
- To shape:
- Punch down the dough to release the air. Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface then divide into 3 equal portions. About 224g per portion.
- Form each portion to a ball. Rest for 10 minutes to relax.
- Flatten with rolling pin.
- Fold right to centre and fold left overlap it.
- Roll out with rolling pin into long rectangle shape.
- Roll up the dough like Swiss Roll until a small log is formed.
- Place all dough in the loaf pan.
- Final Proofing:
- Let it rise for another 30 - 45minutes or until the dough reaches about 1 cm below the rim of the pan.
- To bake:
- Preheat the oven at 190C (top and bottom heat) or 170 (fan-forced mode) for about 15 minutes.
- Brush with egg wash.
- Bake at preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove bread from oven and let the bread cool completely on a rack before slicing.
Top Tips for Best Results
- Gluten Development
- Gluten is key to creating soft, airy bread. It forms when flour is hydrated, giving the dough strength and structure. To encourage proper gluten development, use techniques like autolyse or kneading. You can check if the dough is ready with the windowpane test — the dough should stretch thin without tearing. In my experience, high-hydration doughs with a generous amount of fat are easier to stretch and can achieve an almost paper-thin windowpane stage.
- Kneading:
- Please regard the timing provided as an indication only. It is only meant as a guide. Times vary by flour and mixer type. For higher fat dough, knead longer (18–20 minutes).
- Flour & Hydration:
- Use high-gluten flour for optimal texture. Always reserve some liquid to adjust dough consistency for best results. If dough is too dry, add the reserve liquid one tablespoon at a time until the right consistency.
- Dough Temperature:
- Maintaining the right dough temperature during kneading is crucial for a fine crumb. If the dough becomes too warm, the crumb will become too big and uneven. To prevent this, use cold water, milk, or eggs, and chill your mixing bowl or hook attachment in the freezer. Knead at low speeds, and if your kitchen is warm, rest the dough in a cooler spot. Proper dough temperature ensures a soft, fluffy bread with a fine, even crumb.
- Proofing:
- Proofing time depends on your environment. Use the finger poke test to gauge readiness. To check dough readiness, lightly press the side with your finger:
- If it bounces back instantly, it’s under-proofed and needs more time.
- If the indentation stays, it’s over-proofed.
- If the indentation slowly bounces back, it’s ready to bake.
- There’s also a final rise called oven spring when the dough bakes, which adds to the bread’s height.
- Wrinkle Top or Shrinking:
- If your bread collapses or develops wrinkles on top after baking, it might be over-proofed during the second rise. Aim for the dough to rise to 80-90% of its final size or just below the rim of the pan to prevent this. Over-proofing leads to weaker structure, causing the bread to lose shape.
- Baking & Oven Temperarate:
- Do also note that the baking temperature and timing provided are what works for my oven and should also be regarded as a guide only. Every oven behaves a little differently, so please adjust accordingly for your oven.
🙋♀️ FAQs
1. Can I use purple sweet potatoes?
Yes! They’ll give the bread a beautiful purple color and slightly earthier flavor.
2. Can I freeze this bread?
Absolutely — wrap tightly and freeze for up to one month. Thaw at room temperature or rewarm in the oven.
3. Can I make this dairy-free?
Yes — use plant-based milk and a dairy-free butter substitute.
4. Can I make this into rolls?
Yes! Shape the dough into small balls and bake as soft dinner rolls.
💬 Final Thought
This Sweet Potato Bread is more than just a loaf — it’s a celebration of natural sweetness, beautiful color, and bakery-quality texture at home. Thanks to the old dough method and the vibrant orange sweet potatoes, you get a soft, fluffy bread that stays fresh and flavorful for days. Whether you enjoy it plain, toasted, or with a smear of butter or jam, it’s sure to become a family favorite!
🍽 Have You Tried This Recipe?
If you’ve made this Sweet Potato Bread, I’d love to hear from you!
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Orange Sweet Potato Bread
Ingredients
Instructions
- Combine milk, yeast and sugar in a mixing bowl. Then add in bread flour and knead with your hand until smooth and all incorporated. Roll into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover with cling film and let it proof 1 hour in room temperature (28C).
- After 1 hour, place into the refrigerator overnight for at least 12 hours or up to 16 hours. Fridge temperature 2C - 4C. The next morning, take out the old dough from refrigerator to return to room temperature 30 minutes before using. You can also use directly from the fridge if you forget to take out earlier.
- If you don't plan to bake the next day, after 1 hour fermentation, shape it into a ball and wrap it in cling wrap or place it in a ziplock bag. Store it in the freezer for 1-2 months. Take it out 30 minutes before using to defrost.
- Wash, peel, cut and steam the sweet potatoes for about 20 minutes. Mash with potato riser. Set aside to cool.
- Put all ingredients (except butter) including all the old dough into a bowl of stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix for about 3 minutes or until dough comes together and elastic.
- Change to hook attachment. Add in butter and continue knead for 10 - 12 minutes or until reach window pane stage. During the whole kneading process, I stopped few times to scrape down the dough from the hook to be sure it is evenly kneaded and also to prevent the motor from overheating.
- Let the dough rise in a warm place for 45 to 60 minutes or until double in size in a large greased bowl, covered with cling film or kitchen towel.
- Punch down the dough to release the air. Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface then divide into 3 equal portions. About 224g per portion.
- Form each portion to a ball. Rest for 10 minutes to relax.
- Flatten with rolling pin.
- Fold right to centre and fold left overlap it.
- Roll out with rolling pin into long rectangle shape.
- Roll up the dough like Swiss Roll until a small log is formed.
- Place all dough in the loaf pan.
- Let it rise for another 30 - 45minutes or until the dough reaches about 1 cm below the rim of the pan.
- Preheat the oven at 190C (top and bottom heat) or 170 (fan-forced mode) for about 15 minutes.
- Brush with egg wash.
- Bake at preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove bread from oven and let the bread cool completely on a rack before slicing.
Notes
The exact amout of liquid (milk) is very much depend on your flour, because each flour absorbs liquid and hydrates differently. You may also add 1 teaspoon of milk at a time during kneading if the dough is too dry, when you see that the dough doesn't stick to the bottom at all. We want the dough to clear from the sides of the bowl with only a small part of the bottom sticking to the base of the mixer bowl. You should hear a slapping sound of the dough hitting the sides of the mixer bowl.
Hi the sweet potato weight is after or before steaming?
ReplyDeleteHi Evelyn,
DeleteThank you for asking. It's after peeling and steaming.
Cheers:)
Hi.. thank you for this recipe.
ReplyDeleteCan i use the yudane methode for this potato bread recipe ?
Hi, thanks for asking. Yes, I think you can. But, I am not sure if necessary to use Yudane method because potato starch also absorbs more water than wheat starch and this makes the bread more moist and have better shelf live.
DeleteI just concerned the texture will be too wet and heavy.
But, you can try and I am curios to know too.
Cheers :)
hi. can i use the usual potato instead of sweet potato?
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for reading this recipe. Yes, you can. But, take note of the hydration. Please don't all milk in one time. Reserve 10 - 20g and added in later if needed. Or you may end up using more than in the recipe. It is much depend on the liquid in mashed potatoes.
DeleteCheers :)
Hi can I use sweet potato powder? I bought from Chang tung today. Too excited, I bought pumpkin& beetroot powder haha😄
ReplyDeleteAnis ramli
Hi, thanks for reading. Yes you can. But, I do not know how much to use as never used sweet potato powder before.
DeleteCheers :)
Hi, can I add all ingredients in my breadmaker and let it baked as loaf ?
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for reading this recipe. I guess you can although I have not tried with bread maker machine. But, you need to prepare the old dough separately.
DeleteCheers :)