Saturday, January 14, 2012

Recipe Review: Sweet Potato Bread

I've never been much of a cook - Matt is definitely the expert in that area.  But I've always enjoyed baking. Although it's been a remarkably mild winter here in Sacramento, it still gets a little chilly, and when it's cold, nothing warms the kitchen better with baking bread.

So when I found this recipe for Sweet Potato Mini-Loaves with Orange Cinnamon Honey Butter from the blog Lauren's Latest, I imagined my apartment filled with warmth and the sweet scent of baking dessert bread. I decided to adapt the recipe slightly - my version is egg- and dairy-free, and since I don't have mini-loaf pans, I made one big loaf.

1 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon sugar
2/3 cup mashed sweet potato (I used about 1/2 of a large sweet potato - I boiled the sweet potato until soft, then mashed it with a potato masher.)


Substitution for 1 egg - 1 tbsp water, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, 2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup vegan margarine - I use Smart Balance with Flaxseed Oil, but Earth Balance is another good option
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger (the recipe called for nutmeg, but I didn't have that on hand)
4 cups bread flour


Follow the direction on Lauren's Latest Blog.  When you get ready to bake the dough, instead of dividing it up  into mini-loaves, flatten it into a rectangle.  It should be about as wide as the length of the pan.  Roll the rectangle into a loaf shape and seal the seams.  Place in an oiled loaf pan with the seam facing the bottom.  Cover it and let it rise for another hour in the loaf pan.



When it's time to bake, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Slice the top of the loaf with a paring knife to give the crust space to expand.  Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. It will appear golden brown, but since the color starts off pretty orange, that turned out not to be the best indicator - I left it in for 40 minutes, and it probably could have used another 5.


Let the loaf cool for about 20 minutes before slicing.


We have a batch of honey that Matt's aunt and uncle sent us for Christmas, so we kept it simple by toasting it and enjoying with some Smart Balance and a tablespoon of honey.

1 comment:

  1. This looks really great. Going to have to give it a try. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete