Sweet Potato Apple Caramel Rolls

I do like basic cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting or icing. They are a classic after all. But my heart belongs to gooey caramel rolls. When I make them I like to use the sweet potato dough recipe found in the following link. It not only has a pretty color, but the addition of the sweet potato makes great camouflage for whole grain flour. (In case you have some picky eaters. My husband is fine with whole grain baking, but this is the only way I can get him to eat sweet potatoes without complaining.) This particular version also combines a few favorite fall/winter ingredients, and while they are great for breakfast or brunch, don’t be afraid to make them for other meals or special occasions. I’m a firm believer in changing things up a bit. Why not have caramel rolls for dessert after a holiday meal? Or make mini versions to serve at parties or buffets?

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/4862/sweet-potato-rolls

The author of this recipe included photos, in case you would like visual assistance.

Depending on your bread making experience, you may want to try the original recipe a few times as written before making changes to it. Get acquainted with its look and feel. Ready to change some of the flour to whole grain? Do the following. When I use whole wheat, the sweet potato and liquids get blended first. Even though I use instant yeast for my bread baking, I like to soften it in the liquid for this recipe, before adding any flour. Then the whole wheat flour is stirred in. Since I’m doing a mostly ½ & ½ whole wheat to white ratio, I use 2 cups. Let the mixture sit until it becomes bubbly. This technique is called making a sponge. Because of the bran in whole grain flour, it’s a beneficial step. It will soften the bran and jump start liquid absorption in the flour itself. Whole grain flours generally require a higher ratio of liquid, so you may find that a smaller amount of white flour is needed while mixing and kneading the final product. Instead of 2 full cups, you may only need 1 ½ c. When whole grain is added, keep your dough softer and stickier to the touch. It results in bread with a tender interior.

This is a recipe you can stretch out over a couple of days. One of the best features of instant yeast is its tolerance to a wide range of temperatures, from freezer storage to 120°F. I usually make my bread dough with room temp. liquids, then let it rise slowly in the refrigerator at least overnight. (Unbaked dough can be refrigerated up to 4 days.) Depending on your schedule, you can make dough one day, shape the rolls the next, and bake on a third day. But if you’re going to stretch the process out, do your best to keep the dough cool while shaping the rolls. Instant yeast is highly active, and as your dough warms up it will start to rise, which can make rolling it with the filling a bit tricky. Before baking, warm the rolls to room temp. for at least an hour.

Is your dough ready? Let’s make some caramel rolls.

Before beginning prep of your rolls, ready your 9.5" x 11" baking pan.

The following ingredients will make the caramel while rolls bake.

Up to 1/4 c. melted unsalted butter, 1/4 c. boiled apple cider, 1/4 c. cane syrup (such as Steen's),

and nuts of your choice (optional). I used pecan pieces.

For those not familiar with it, boiled apple cider is a syrup made of reduced apple cider.

It's tart, and if you want to increase the zing just use 1/2 c. of it, no cane syrup.

It can be found in some specialty markets, but I order it from King Arthur Flour.

Don't let the price scare you. A little goes a long way. I've had my bottle more than a year.

Let the kneaded dough have it's first rise in a greased bowl covered with plastic wrap.

If you want make your rolls in 2 days, let the dough rise until double in a warm place after kneading.
Then roll the dough into a rectangle 1/4" thick. Remember, this dough is a bit sticky.
You will need additional flour to keep your fingers and rolling pin from wearing it.
Instead of sprinkling flour on my work surface, I cheat and place my dough in the flour container.
After it's coated, it goes to the mat.
Please note this trick may not work well if you have a tall, round flour canister
with a narrower opening.
I keep my flour in large, rectangular Rubbermaid containers that can hold up to 10 lbs. of flour.

Spread the dough with 1/4" c. soft butter.

Cover the butter with brown sugar and cinnamon. No, I don't measure the amounts.

Just don't be too stingy.

Sprinkle one diced apple, dried cranberries and currents on top.
Several varieties of crisp, tart apples are suitable, so use your favorite.
Since the apple is cut into very small pieces, don't bother peeling it.
It can also be prepped while the dough is rising. Coat with lemon juice to prevent browning.

Start on a short side and roll in the long direction. You want lot's of layers.

A bench scraper is a handy tool for assisting the process when working with soft dough.

All rolled up &  ready to cut.

To make one dozen rolls, start by cutting in half.

Cut the halves in half, then into thirds.

 Place the rolls into your prepared pan.

Cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying out while rising.

If you're doing an over-night rise in the refrigerator, using the lid of your pan on isn't going to hurt.

But it's OK if you don't have one.

The next morning the rolls have risen and are ready for the oven.

While they're warming to room-temp, heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. The rolls should be golden-brown on top.

After removing from the oven, allow to cool for up to half an hour.

It's gives the bread a bit of time to set further, and you don't want anyone

to burn their mouth with hot sugar.

Caramel rolls are served just like an upside down cake.
Remove from the pan and flip over so the caramel side is on top when serving.

 A brief note about The Fresh Loaf: It’s a bread bakers’ forum for avid amateurs and often visited by some well known professionals, too. I’ve read some contributions from Peter Reinhart. If you want to expand your bread baking repertoire this is the place to do it. I highly recommend you purchase a good quality digital kitchen scale that has more than one mode, including metric. Recipes found at The Fresh Loaf are contributed from all over the world, and most from outside the US are written in metric weights. A scale will open up your bread making opportunities dramatically. Scales that include volume measurements can also improve accuracy for any baking recipe found in the US. You won’t have to wonder if you over- or under-filled your measuring cups. Be sure to get a scale with a tare function. You can place your mixing bowl on it and zero out after each ingredient added. No need to break out the measuring utensils. Yeah! Fewer dishes to wash. Sounds like a win-win to me.

The Project Queen