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Okinawan Sweet Potato Sugar Buns

There is nothing more cozy for breakfast than super-sized, fluffy, swirly buns oozing with spiced sugar and topped with gobs of sweet cream cheese frosting. Warming scents of cinnamon, ginger, and a hint of cardamon blend beautifully with golden notes of brown sugar. Okinawan purple sweet potatoes create a gorgeous pink color and beautifully shreddy, pillowy soft dough. Treat everyone to the best Okinawan sweet potato sugar buns this fall. They really are the ultimate cinnamon rolls!
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Ingredients
  

Dough

  • 1⅔ cup cooked Okinawan sweet potato You can easily substitute other purple sweet potato, normal sweet potatoes, or yams
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 cup softened butter
  • 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 drop blue food coloring (optional)
  • 1 drop red food coloring (optional)
  • 1 egg
  • 5½ cups bread flour (you might need 1/2 cup more depending on your dough)

Yeast Mixture

  • 1¼ cup scalded milk
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 2¼ tsp active dry yeast (not instant yeast)

Filling

  • 1 stick unsalted butter (browned and cooled)
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 1/8 tsp cardamon
  • pinch of salt

Frosting

  • 8 oz softened cream cheese
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 4-5 Tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt

Instructions
 

Dough

  • Cook and peel the purple sweet potato. In a mixing bowl, add the potato, milk and sugar. Use a hand mixer and blend til you have a smooth puree. You can also blend it in a blender.
  • In a Kitchenaid, set up the dough hook attachment. Combine the softened butter, sweet potato puree, 2/3 cup light browned sugar, salt, and food coloring (if using). Mix until just combined.
  • Meanwhile, scald your milk, and bring the temperature to 110℉. Add the active dry yeast and honey. Stir to combine. Let the yeast activate for about 5 minutes until the yeast is bubbly and frothy.
  • Add 1 egg, yeast mixture, and 4 cups of flour to the Kitchenaid. Knead on medium low for about 2-3 minutes til smooth. Slowly add remaining 1½ cups of bread flour til dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. This takes about 10-15 minutes. Do the windowpane test to make sure the gluten has developed.
  • Form the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled large bowl. Let the dough take a nap for 45 minutes to an hour.

Filling

  • Brown 1 stick of butter and let it cool completely. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamon, and a pinch of salt. Whisk to combine.

Shape the Rolls!

  • On a lightly floured surface, Roll the dough into a 14x18 inch rectangle. Spread 2/3 cup of the filling evenly over the rectangle. Spread the rest of the filling in the bottom of a 9x13 Pyrex baking pan. Starting at the long edge closest to you, rightly roll up the dough into a jellyroll. Gently cut the dough log into 12 even pieces using a serrated knife. Arrange the sugar bun rolls over the sugar mixture in the baking pan, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in the refrigerator overnight. If you are baking the rolls on the same day, let them rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.

Baking Time!

  • Preheat the oven to 350℉. If baking the next day, remove the rolls from refrigerator and let them rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 30-35 minutes. After 10 minutes, cover the sugar buns with foil to prevent them from over-browning.

Frosting

  • Whisk together cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt. When ready to serve, slather the frosting on top and serve warm! Enjoy!