Sweet Potato Brown Butter Sage Rolls - Soft and fluffy rolls made with sweet potato, fried sage and brown butter! These will definately be a hit for your Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings!

These dinner rolls are seriously so amazing. They are the lightest and softest rolls ever and are so easy to make!

Ingredients

Whole Milk - The milk will need to be lukewarm, which is between 105ºF to 110ºF (40.5ºC to 43ºC).
Yeast - You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast for this recipe. Follow the recipe as written for either yeast.
White Sugar - The white sugar will feed the yeast and add a tiny bit of sweetness.
Sweet Potato Puree - Not only does the sweet potato add a bit of sweetness, it also makes the rolls so soft and moist.
Unsalted butter - We'll be browning the butter. It will be added to the dough and brushed on top after the rolls come out the oven.
Egg - Make sure it's at room temperature.
Bread Flour - I like to use King Arthur's bread flour. I have not tested these rolls with all-purpose flour.
Salt - Just a bit to round out the flavors.
Sage Leaves - We'll be frying fresh sage leaves in butter and adding it to the dough. If you're unable to find fresh sage leaves, you can use dried sage.

Instructions

Detailed instructions are in the recipe card below!

Step 1 - Fry your sage leaves and make your brown butter.

Step 2 - Meanwhile, clean, peel and dice your sweet potato and boil until fork tender. Drain well and finely mash your sweet potato with a pastry cutter, fork or potato masher and set aside.

Step 3 - In the bowl of your standmixer, add your warm milk, sugar and yeast. Allow to bloom for 5 to 7 minutes.

Step 4 - Add cooled brown butter, sweet potato puree, egg, salt, bread flour and chopped sage leaves.

Step 5 - Using the hook attachment, mix the dough on medium for 8 minutes. If the dough is still too wet, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time, but refrain from adding too much. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl, but it's okay if it sticks a bit to the bottom of the bowl.

Step 6 - Oil your hands and remove the dough from the bowl and shape into a ball. Oil the same bowl and place the dough back into the bowl. Cover with cling wrap and allow to rise in for 1 hour or until it doubles in size. It's okay if it takes a bit longer during the colder months.

Pro Tip - I like to heat my oven to the lowest setting for about 5 minutes, just enough to warm up. Turn the oven off and place the bowl in the oven and allow to rise for an hour or until it doubles in size.

Step 7 - Gently punch the dough down and portion into 12 equal pieces. I like to use a kitchen scale to help me divided it as evenly as possible.

Step 8 - Roll each piece of dough into a ball.

Step 9 - Place the rolls into a lightly buttered 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) pan, cover with a tea towel and proof for about 30 minutes.

Step 10 - Bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 16 to 20 minutes. Brush with reserved brown butter and flaky sea salt. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Expert Tips

Use a kitchen scale to weigh all your ingredients. It's the best and most accurate way to bake. You can read more about this below.
If you are not using a kitchen scale, measure your flour correctly. Fluff and aerate your flour first, then spoon into your measuring cup and finally level off with the back of a butter knife. Do not pack it in as it will add too much flour.
Make sure your yeast is fresh.
Try not to add too much flour as it can make these rolls tough. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl, but it's okay if it sticks to the bottom of the bowl.
Place your dough in a warm area to rise and proof. I like to heat my oven to the lowest setting for about 5 minutes, just enough to warm up.
Feel free to add other herbs such as, thyme, rosemary or oregano.

📖 Recipe