Purple Sweet Potato Sourdough Sandwich Loaf
I really am in love with Stokes purple sweet potatoes. I’ve used them to make purple sweet potato pancakes like latkes. And this week I made mashed purple sweet potatoes and banana. There was one baked sweet potato leftover from that night, so I used it for this purple sweet potato sourdough sandwich loaf.
I’ve previously made another sweet potato sourdough that is a variation of my cheater sourdough (i.e. it uses a bit of commercial yeast). That one has bacon. Yes, bacon. This purple sourdough sandwich loaf is not as decadent, and it’s much prettier.
Tips and tricks for this recipe
– The amount of water or flour you will need will vary based on your levain (I use a 100% starter – equal amounts of water and flour – in a small volume levain), your sweet potato, etc. Please don’t think of my amounts as law. You want to end up with a sticky ball of dough at the end of mixing.
– I bake bread in order to have an easy-to-slice loaf of bread for sandwiches. But you can shape this in any way that makes you happy. I’m jealous of all of those pretty boules out there.
FAQs about this purple sweet potato sourdough
I make a cheater sourdough bread using ¼-1/2 teaspoon of instant yeast so that I can finish the loaf in one day. Feel free to omit the commercial yeast if you are a purist.
I have acquired the belief, true or not, that you shouldn’t add salt to bread until well after the process has started for fear of direct salt effect on the yeast and bacteria (that whole osmosis and cell wall thing). This is probably overkill, but it is something I always do (i.e. delay adding salt).
It is the Italian Bread Loaf pan from Emile Henry.
Yes, and please see my note above re: water and flour. Purple sweet potatoes are slightly drier than white- and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, so you might need to adjust.
I wrote a few sentences a week or so ago to answer this question about the difference between purple sweet potatoes and purple yams (ube). Spoiler: the only thing they share in common is their color!
If we are not going to eat the loaf within a few days, I slice the bread and put the slices in a freezer bag in the freezer to extend the life of the loaf.
The King Arthur website has a great list of sourdough discard recipes. The crackers have been my favorite so far.
Related recipes
Check out other breads for sandwiches.
Or here are a few of my other recipes for purple sweet potatoes:
mashed purple sweet potato with banana
purple sweet potato pancakes (latkes)
loaded purple sweet potatoes
Purple Sweet Potato Sourdough
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed purple sweet potato
- 1 cup (125 grams) whole wheat flour
- 3 cup (375 grams) bread flour plus more as necessary
- ¼ teaspoon instant yeast optional
- 127 grams levain (sourdough starter)
- 1 cup (250 grams) lukewarm water plus more as necessary
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- butter or oil for greasing, if using a loaf pan
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the sweet potato, flours, yeast (if using), levain/starter, water, and maple syrup, initially with a spoon or spatula and then by hand. The mixture should be somewhat sticky, so add small amounts of flour or water as needed. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 20 to 30 minutes.1 cup mashed purple sweet potato, 1 cup (125 grams) whole wheat flour, 3 cup (375 grams) bread flour, ¼ teaspoon instant yeast, 127 grams levain (sourdough starter), 1 cup (250 grams) lukewarm water, 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- Add the salt to the bowl and knead until incorporated. Form into a ball and lightly oil the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm location – the microwave or a 85 to 90°F oven works well here.1 teaspoon salt
- Every 20 to 30 minutes for 2 to 3 hours, reshape the dough into a ball. Do not stress if it's shorter or longer than 20 to 30 min intervals. Because of the stickiness, you might need to wet your hands for the first one or two of these. It should double in size and get more pliable.
- Shape and let rise in a greased bread loaf baker or dutch oven. I really love my bread loaf baker, which gives a great crust and that loaf shape that I need. Let it rise until doubled in size – how long will depend on whether you were using a well-fed or un-fed starter and/or the amount of commercial yeast.butter or oil for greasing, if using a loaf pan
- Preheat the oven to 450°F at least one hour before baking.
- Bake at 450°F in the dutch oven/baker for 30 min, then reduce the heat to 350°F, remove the lid and bake about another 15 minutes. When done, the internal temperature of the loaf should be 190 to 195°F, and it will sound hollow when the bottom of the loaf is thumped.
- Let cool for at least one hour before cutting.
Notes
Nutrition
What’s next?
If you make this purple sweet potato sourdough, please leave a comment or rating here.
Follow uglyducklingbakery on your favorite social media platform.
Instagram
Facebook
Pinterest
Looking for inspiration?
Sign up to get recipes full of kitchen tips and tricks.
