SWEET POTATO-CINNAMON SWIRL BREAD

1-pound sweet potato

Cooking spray

1/2 cup whole milk at between 110 and 115-degrees F

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1/3 cup + 1 tsp sugar, divided

1 large egg

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp kosher salt

3 3/4 cups flour, spooned and leveled + more for work surface

Filling:

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

4 tbsp (1/2-stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 large egg

Make the dough: Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Prick potato several times with a fork. Wrap in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake until very tender, 1 to 1 1/2-hours. Cool completely. Peel the potato and discard the skin. Transfer the flesh to a food processor and process until very smooth (2 to 3 minutes). You need 1 cup of puree.

Lightly grease a bowl. Combine milk, yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in a bowl. Let sit until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes (if mixture doesn't foam, discard and start again). Beat egg, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, sweet potato puree, and remaining 1/3 cup of sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Add yeast mixture, flour and salt. Beat with the dough hook on medium-low speed until a smooth dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer dough to prepared bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Make the filling and assemble the bread: Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Lightly grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the long sides. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll into a 9-by-18-inch rectangle. Brush butter on dough, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Starting a one of the short ends, roll dough into a tight log and pinch ends closed. Transfer to the prepared pan, seam side down. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until almost doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon water in a bowl. Lightly brush on the dough. Bake until top is set and golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

recipe and photo, Country Living 2025