There’s something magical about baking fresh rolls from scratch, especially when they’re warm, and buttery. These Sweet Potato Parker House Rolls are my twist on a classic: soft, golden, and just slightly sweet, with a whisper of earthiness from mashed sweet potato in the dough. Whether you’re serving them at a holiday gathering or as part of a cozy weeknight dinner, these rolls are sure to bring comfort and compliments to the table. They’re perfect warm out of the oven, slathered with salted butter spread between the fold and exactly what you need to bake this weekend!
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These Rolls were made in partnership with the ASPMI on Instagram
Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls vs Sweet Potato Parker House Rolls
At first glance, dinner rolls and Parker House rolls might seem interchangeable: they’re both soft, pillowy breads served alongside a meal. But there are a few key differences that set them apart.
Dinner rolls are a broad category that can include any soft, fluffy roll served at the dinner table. They come in many shapes and flavors, and recipes vary widely. Some are round and simple, while others might include herbs, cheese, or whole grains. They have a tender crumb and are not always made with milk and eggs, though adding one or both really adds to a lovely texture and flavour. You can find my perfect dinner roll recipe here.
Parker House rolls, on the other hand, are a specific type of dinner roll that originated at the Parker House Hotel in Boston in the 19th century. They’re traditionally made by rolling the dough out, brushing with butter, cutting, and folding ovals or squares of dough in half before baking, which creates a distinctive crease. The texture is rich and buttery, and they often have a golden top from being brushed with melted butter before and after baking.
In my version, I gave these sweet potato Parker House rolls a glossy finish by brushing them with egg wash, which added a beautiful shine and helped the rolls achieve a more pronounced, golden crust, which pairs especially well with the natural sweetness of the sweet potato in the dough.
Ingredients and Substitutions
All Purpose Flour – I use all purpose flour in this recipe. It strikes the perfect balance between softness and structure, and has a high enough protein content to give the rolls a light, airy rise without making them chewy – resulting in a tender, fluffy texture that’s ideal for enriched breads like this.
Sweet Potatoes – the star of the show! Adding sweet potatoes provides both flavour and function. The mashed sweet potato adds natural sweetness and a subtle earthy depth, while its moisture and starch help create a super soft and tender crumb that stays fresh longer.
Whole Milk – Whole milk enriches the dough, adding fat and natural sugars that contribute to a soft, tender texture and a slightly sweet flavour. It also helps the rolls brown beautifully in the oven, giving them that classic golden finish.
Eggs – Eggs add richness, structure, and colour to the dough. they help bind the ingredients and contribute to the soft, pillowy interior while giving the rolls a more luxurious, bakery-style feel.
Substutions
Bread Flour vs All Purpose – If you prefer slightly chewier rolls, you can substitute bread flour for some or all of the all purpose flour. Bread flour has a higher protein content, which encourages more gluten development and can make the rolls a bit heartier. Start with 3 1/3 and as more as needed. Bread flour absorbs more liquid so you may need to add more – but do this slowly as we want a soft dough. I have not tested this recipe with bread flour.
2% Milk vs 3.25% – This recipe was tested with whole milk, which adds richness and softness to the dough. You can substitute 2% milk if that’s what you have on hand. The rolls will still be delicious, though they may be just very slightly rich and tender.
Fluffy Sweet Potato Parker House Rolls
Ingredients
- 3 1/3 to 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour about 500g total
- 1 1/3 cup mashed sweet potato, cooled (skin removed) 220g after removing skin
- 1 cup 3.25% milk, warm 225g
- 1 egg large
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp sugar 28g
- 2 tsp instant yeast 6g
- 1/4 cup salted butter 62g
Garnish
- salted butter for brushing the inside and top of rolls
- flaky sea salt for sprinkling over top of the baked rolls
- 1 egg + 1Tbsp water for egg wash
Instructions
- To a stand mixer add 3 cups of the flour, the milk, salt, egg, sweet potato and yeast. Do not add the butter just yet
- Mix on slow until the dough starts to come together, then on speed 2. The dough will be quite sticky at this point.
- Add in the butter, and mix on speed 2 to combine. I used my hands a bit to help the butter mix in (turn off the mixer when you're helping it out, of course)
- At this point, the dough will still be sticky. I prefer adding the remaining flour and kneading by hand on a clean surface. You may also slowly add the flour to the stand mixer, and mix on speed 1 or 2 until the dough starts to come together and no longer sticks to the edges of the bowl. Using the stand mixer method here, in my opinion, can be tricky and may result in adding more flour than needed to achieve a soft and smooth dough.
- If kneading by hand: sprinkle some flour onto a clean flat surface. Place the dough down, sprinkle with more flour over top.
- Using the ball of your hand, press down and away from you gently. The dough at this point will be quite sticky. Try to push away gently and fold back towards you. Rotate the dough ball and repeat until the dough starts to come together. Sprinkle and add flour as needed during this process.
- This process will take about five to ten minutes. My suggestion is to be patient and trust the process. Kneading by hand, stretching and folding, adds to the beautiful texture of these rolls 🙂
- I ended up using 3 1/2 cups total of flour. As you knead, add the flour in one tablespoon at a time so not to add too much. Please refer to my instagram reel for a visual of what the dough will look like once it's done.
- Place the bowl back into your greased stand mixer bowl. Cover and set aside to double in size for about one hour.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and place it onto a lightly floured surface.
- Preheat your oven to 350F, let it preheat for at least half an hour.
- Roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 3/4 of an inch thick.
- Cut the dough into 16 smaller rectangles and brush each one with salted butter.
- Fold each smaller rectangle in half, and place into a greased 9×13 dish. Let this rest for 15 minutes.
- Gently brush with the egg wash mixture.
- Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes, depending on your oven, or until lightly golden brown
- Brush the soft rolls with melted butter (I prefer salted), and a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
- Best served warm, enjoy!
Notes
- These rolls can be made the day before. Â Simply reheat in the oven for a few minutes on 350F, or even in the microwave for a few seconds.
- Every oven is different, please be mindful of the bake time and start watching the rolls at 20 minutes for a lightly golden top.
- If you prefer a more traditional crusty top, skip the egg wash before baking.
- Please be patient with bringing the dough together. Â Making dough, for me, is a therapeutic experience and can really vary depending on your location. Â You may need more or less flour, I strongly recommend referring to the video on Instagram for insight on what the dough will look like when it’s ready to rise.
