Breads (Sourdough) - Soft Loaves
Orange Sweet Potato Soft Sourdough Bread
January 13, 2021
| Recipe by Bake with Paws
Updated: May 2025
By Bake with Paws
Orange Sweet Potato Soft Sourdough Bread
A naturally sweet, moist and fluffy sourdough bread using real sweet potato
Introduction
Looking for a soft and naturally sweet sourdough bread that stands out in both flavor and nutrition? This Orange Sweet Potato Soft Sourdough Bread is just the one! Made with mashed orange sweet potato, this bread is moist, tender, and mildly sweet with a golden crumb and soft texture that stays fresh for days—without needing commercial yeast or dairy.
It’s ideal for toast, sandwiches, or simply enjoying with a pat of butter. And the best part? It's naturally leavened with a stiff sourdough starter and has no tangy flavor, making it kid-friendly too.
In this post, I’ll share:
- The benefits of adding orange sweet potato to sourdough bread
- How a stiff starter shortens proofing time and boosts rise
- A detailed step-by-step guide with timeline
- Tips, FAQs, and storage advice
Why Use Orange Sweet Potato in Bread?
Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are not only beautiful and full of nutrients—they're a game-changer in sourdough bread baking.
Benefits include:
- Natural sweetness and rich color
- Moisture retention for a softer, longer-lasting loaf
- Nutritional boost from fiber and beta-carotene
- Subtle earthy flavor that pairs well with sourdough
What Makes This Recipe Work
✅ Sweet Stiff Starter (50% hydration): Gives a strong rise and gentle fermentation with very little sourness.
✅ No Commercial Yeast: 100% naturally leavened.
✅ Soft & Moist Crumb: Thanks to sweet potato and egg.
✅ Simple Method: No tangzhong, no Yudane, no complicated techniques.
✅ Beginner-Friendly Timeline: Manageable even for home bakers new to enriched sourdough.
If you have any questions regarding this recipe or any other post, please leave me a comment in the “LEAVE A COMMENT” link and I will reply you as soon as possible. Do tag me on Instagram @Bakewithpaws if you attempt on this recipe.
How To Make Orange Sweet Potato Soft Sourdough Bread
Baking Timeline Example
(Day 1)
5.00 PM - 6.00 PM - Refresh Liquid Starter
11.00 PM - Feed sweet stiff starter
(Day 2)
7:00 AM - Mix dough and knead
8:30 AM - First Proofing
10.00 AM - Shape and final proof
1.00 PM - 2.00 PM - Bake
INGREDIENTS (Yields: 1 Loaf)
Sweet Stiff Starter:
56g sourdough starter (100% Hydration), use at its peak
172g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)
72g water
28g sugar (I used organic brown sugar)
Main Dough:
130g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)
115g mashed orange sweet potato (about 200g potato - peeled, sliced, steamed and mashed)
115g mashed orange sweet potato (about 200g potato - peeled, sliced, steamed and mashed)
All the sweet stiff starter
10g brown sugar
10g brown sugar
1 tsp salt
50g milk (Reserved 10g and add in all if needed. I used total 50g. The amount of liquid also depend on the hydration of mashed sweet potatoes and also the flour type)
40g whisked egg (from 1 large egg and keep the balance for egg wash)
30g butter
Egg Wash:
Balance of the egg wash + 1/2 tsp water
Tools You’ll Need:
450g loaf pan (21.3 X 12.2 X 11.5 cm / 8.4" X 4.8" X 4.5")
Stand mixer or strong hands for kneading
Kitchen scale (recommended for accuracy)
STEP-BY-STEP METHOD:
- Sweet Stiff Starter
- In a bowl of stand mixer, dilute starter with water, stir in sugar and add in bread flour. Mix with paddle attachment until well mixed and all come together. It can be done by hand mixing too.
- Cover and let it ferment until tripled. I prepared a night before and leave it in aircond room (approximately 24 - 25C room temperature) overnight until tripled. It took about 8 - 9 hours depending on your starter. It should take around 4 - 6 hours to get triple at room temperature at 28C - 30C.
- Main Dough:
- Put all ingredients (except butter) into a bowl of stand mixer. I usually slightly torn the stiff starter dough first.
- Slightly combine the mixture by hand with the paddle attachment before turning on the machine so that the flour will not splash out. Using the paddle attachment, mix for 2 minutes or until all incorporated. This step is critical to prevent an uneven mixed dough as the stiff starter is rather hard and a dough hook may not be able to mix it well enough.
- Change to hook attachment and knead for another 3 minutes or until the dough comes together. 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.
- First Proofing/Resting The Dough:
- In the same bowl, let the dough rest for 45 - 60 minutes.
- This dough I rested for 45 minutes at 29C - 30C room temperature and the dough rose slightly.
- To shape:
- Punch down the dough to release the air. Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface. You can divide the dough into 2 or 3 equal portions if you like.
- Flatten with rolling pin into a big dish.
- Fold right to centre and fold left to meet in the centre. 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 a loaf pan.
- Final Proofing:
- Let it proof at warm place until the dough reaches the height of the pan. This one took approximately 2 1/2 hours at room temperature of 28C - 29C. The duration of proofing depends on your ambient temperature and starter.
- To bake:
- Preheat the oven at 190C (top and bottom heat) or 170 (fan-forced mode) 10 - 15 minutes before baking.
- Brush with egg wash.
- Bake at preheated oven for around 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove bread from oven and let it cool completely on rack before slicing.
Preparing Sweet Stiff Starer
Pro Tips for Success Bread
- Sourdough Starter:
- A healthy starter is essential for successful bread baking. To ensure your bread rises well, it's important to feed your starter regularly and use it (the levain) at its peak. A consistently fed starter will be more active and reliable. If the mother starter isn’t strong, the dough may still struggle to rise properly, even if the levain is used at its peak. For more information, click the links: "How To Make Sourdough Starter" and "Sourdough Maintenance".
- Gluten Development:
- Essential for soft, airy bread, gluten is created when flour hydrates. To develop it, use techniques like autolyse or kneading. The windowpane test checks readiness—dough should stretch thin without tearing. From my experience, high hydration dough with high percentage of fat will be easy to stretch and achieve a 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.
Storage Tips
Store the cooled loaf in an airtight bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, wrap in plastic wrap or foil and freeze.
To serve, thaw at room temp or toast from frozen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use purple sweet potato?
Yes, but it may change the texture and the crumb will have a denser, starchier feel.
Q: Can I make it egg-free?
Yes, substitute the egg with 30g - 40g milk. The crumb may be slightly less soft but still delicious.
Q: Can I use a liquid starter instead?
You can try, but the proofing time will be longer and the flavor may be tangier. The stiff starter works best for this soft-style loaf.
Tried This Recipe? I’d Love to Hear From You!
If you made this Orange Sweet Potato Soft Sourdough Bread, I’d truly appreciate it if you could leave a comment or rating below. Your feedback helps others and motivates me to keep sharing recipes. Share a photo on Instagram and tag @Bakewithpaws—I'd love to see your version!
Orange Sweet Potato Soft Sourdough Bread
Yield: 1
Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 11 H & 30 MTotal time: 12 H & 30 M
The texture is especially soft and moist on the first day and it lasts very well for 2 - 3 days. I could not taste any sourness of this bread.
I was so happy with how my Sourdough Shokupan using the sweet stiff starter turned out. So, I am on a journey of rebaking my old recipes using a sweet stiff starter method instead. With this sweet stiff starter, I found that the bread proofs noticeably faster. I use a high percentage of stiff starter that help to cut down proofing times and make the bread rise faster.
Ingredients
SWEET STIFF STARTER
MAIN DOUGH
EGG WASH:
UTENSIL:
Instructions
SWEET STIFF STARTER
- In a bowl of stand mixer, dilute starter with water, stir in sugar and add in bread flour. Mix with paddle attachment until well mixed and all come together. It can be done by hand mixing too.
- Cover and let it ferment until tripled. I prepared a night before and leave it in aircond room (approximately 24 - 25C room temperature) overnight until tripled. It took about 8 - 9 hours depending on your starter. It should take around 4 - 6 hours to get triple at room temperature at 28C - 30C.
MAIN DOUGH
- Put all ingredients (except butter) into a bowl of stand mixer. I usually slightly torn the stiff starter dough first.
- Slightly combine the mixture by hand with the paddle attachment before turning on the machine so that the flour will not splash out. Using the paddle attachment, mix for 2 minutes or until all incorporated. This step is critical to prevent an uneven mixed dough as the stiff starter is rather hard and a dough hook may not be able to mix it well enough.
- Change to hook attachment and knead for another 3 minutes or until the dough comes together. 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.
FIRST PROOFING/RESTING THE DOUGH
- In the same bowl, let the dough rest for 45 - 60 minutes.
- This dough I rested for 45 minutes at 29C - 30C room temperature and the dough rose slightly.
SHAPING
- Punch down the dough to release the air. Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface. You can divide the dough into 2 or 3 equal portions if you like.
- Flatten with rolling pin into a big dish.
- Fold right to centre and fold left to meet in the centre. 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 a loaf pan.
FINAL PROOFING
- Let it proof at warm place until the dough reaches the height of the pan. This one took approximately 2 1/2 hours at room temperature of 28C - 29C. The duration of proofing depends on your ambient temperature and starter.
TO BAKE
- Preheat the oven at 190C (top and bottom heat) or 170 (fan-forced mode) 10 - 15 minutes before baking.
- Brush with egg wash.
- Bake at preheated oven for around 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove bread from oven and let it cool completely on rack before slicing.
Labels:
Breads (Sourdough) - Soft Loaves,
Hi there! I have just finished baking this bread and it looks fantastic. Thank you very much for the recipe and the procedure. I will make other recipes as well. thanks again.
ReplyDeleteBest regards, Eduardo (Madrid, Spain)
Hi Eduardo,
DeleteThanks for trying this recipe and your kind feedback. I am so happy to hear that you like it. Looking forward to hear from you on your baking :)
Cheers :)
Hi, if I want to bake this in the closed lid, can I use the same weight?
ReplyDeleteHi, I think you can. Maybe your crumb will be abit tight or you may want to cut down all ingredients to 95.
DeleteCheers :)
Hi, can I replace milk powder instead the liquid in this recepi. If yes, what is the amount of milk powder and water to add in the dough. Thanks
ReplyDeleteHi, thank you for your interest in this recipe.
DeleteYou can add 15g of milk powder into the dough directly. Do not need to be diluted in the water. Please do not add all the water in one time, always reserve 10 - 20g aside and to be added in if needed.
You can also omit milk and milk powder, just use water if you don't have both.
Cheers :)
Hi, thanks for the clarification. Meaning the whole recepi, only 72g of water is using ( sweet stiff starter). The main dough no water is required. Please correct me if I am misunderstanding. Thanks
ReplyDeleteYou are most welcome. No, you need to replace 50g of milk in main dough with water. It is part of the liquid. But, please do not add all 50g of water at one time, always reserve some eg 10g - 20g first.
DeleteCheers :)