Sweet Potato Biscuit Recipe That Did Not Work

[BakerAunt]

I picked up the new Bake from Scratch (January 2017) at the end of last week, and I saw a recipe for "Sweet Potato Biscuits." As we had leftover mashed sweet potato, I thought it would go well with the pot roast. I should have read the recipe over carefully before starting, because I suddenly realized that it used baking soda, baking powder, and active yeast. I went ahead and made it, substituting in 1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour, and using 1 tsp. salt rather than 2 tsp. kosher salt.
The recipe called for putting the active yeast in with the dry ingredients. It seemed questionable to me, but I went ahead. I ended up with flat, but edible biscuits. I will not make the recipe again. I should have trusted my instinct: weird instructions without explanation as to why, usually end in not good results.

Here is the list of ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour (I substituted in 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour)
1 Tbs. baking powder
2 tsp. kosher salt (I used 1 tsp. regular)
1 tsp. active dry yeast
6 Tbs. butter
1/2 cup cold whole buttermilk (I used the only kind of buttermilk I can get)
1/4 cup honey
1 cup mashed sweet potato chilled (I used scant 1 cup that had a bit of cinnamon in it)

Now, I know the baking soda is there to offset the acidity of the sweet potato and buttermilk, but it seems odd to use the yeast with the baking powder, and to mix it in with the dry ingredients rather than activating it. The butter is cut in. The buttermilk and honey are mixed, then added. After mixing those, the sweet potatoes are added. It is then patted out, biscuits cut out, and baked.

Mine look nothing like the tall little biscuits in the picture. Of course, I cut out squares from a rectangle with my bench knife rather than using a 2-inch round cutter, and I probably got the dough less than one inch. There was not much rise. The biscuits are edible and the taste is fine, although rather heavy on the honey.

Next time, I will read a recipe carefully--before I plan to bake it, and will pay attention to red flags.

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[Mike Nolan]

I'm skeptical of any recipe that calls for yeast but doesn't include significant rising time.

[BakerAunt]

I agree. I started the recipe, then suddenly hit where it specified yeast, and I felt at that point I had to see the recipe through. As far as I can tell, the yeast contributed nothing, because it would not have had the chance to contribute anything before being exposed to 425F. I sent a question to their website. I'll share the answer, if I receive one.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by BakerAunt.

[aaronatthedoublef]

I have a whole wheat bread recipe some place (I'll look for it) that swear has yeast and baking powder. But, as you say, the yeast is activated and mixed with the dry and then everything is leavened.

[Italiancook]

The "Yeast Dinner Muffins" (WSJ that Mike sent our way) has yeast without requiring a rise. They rose nicely and tasted good, except I'll use a little less sugar next time.

[BakerAunt]

Italian Cook--I looked at the Yeast Dinner Muffins recipe again (copied to my files), and it at least activates the yeast in water before proceeding. The Sweet Potato Biscuit recipe, however, neither activates the yeast with water nor allows for a rising time.

[Author]

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