Seeded Miso Sweet Potato Bread
This seeded miso sweet potato bread is a one-bowl quick bread that balances caramel-like sweetness from roasted sweet potatoes with savory umami depth from white miso paste. The result is an incredibly moist, tender loaf topped with a satisfying crunch of mixed seeds — perfect for breakfast toast, snacks, or alongside soups and salads. No kneading, no proofing, just simple wholesome ingredients baked to golden perfection in about an hour.
Equipment
- 9x5-inch loaf pan
- Large mixing bowl - Two needed
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Baking sheet - For roasting sweet potatoes
- Parchment paper - Optional, for easy removal
- Cooling rack
- Fork or potato masher - For mashing sweet potatoes
- Small bowl - For tossing seeds with oil
- Toothpick or cake tester - For testing doneness
- Instant-read thermometer - Optional, for checking internal temperature
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour - 250g
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed roasted sweet potato - 240g; about 1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 2 tbsp white miso paste - Shiro miso; yellow miso can be substituted
- 1/3 cup olive oil or vegetable oil - 80ml
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey - 80ml
- 2 large eggs - At room temperature
- 1/4 cup milk or plant-based milk - 60ml
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
For Topping
- 1/4 cup mixed seeds - 40g; combination of sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, and flax seeds
- 1/2 tsp olive oil - For tossing seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Pierce 1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes with a fork, place on the oven rack, and roast for 45–60 minutes until very soft. Let cool, scoop out the flesh, mash until smooth, and measure out 1 cup (240g).
- Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan, line with parchment paper leaving an overhang on the long sides, then dust lightly with flour and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt for 30 seconds until evenly combined. Set aside.
- In a second large bowl, whisk together the mashed sweet potato and miso paste until smooth, then whisk in the oil, maple syrup, eggs (one at a time), milk, and vanilla until the mixture is glossy and completely homogeneous.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold gently with a spatula just until no large pockets of flour remain — do not overmix; a few small lumps are fine.
- Toss the mixed seeds with ½ tsp olive oil; reserve 2 tablespoons for topping, then fold the rest into the batter. Pour batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with reserved seeds, pressing them lightly to adhere.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 55–60 minutes, without opening the oven for the first 50 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs (internal temp 200–205°F/93–96°C). Tent with foil if browning too quickly.
- Cool the bread in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then lift out using the parchment overhang and cool completely on the rack for at least 45 minutes before slicing with a serrated knife.
Notes
- Roast, don't boil: Roasting sweet potatoes concentrates their natural sugars for deeper flavor; boiling adds excess moisture and dilutes sweetness.
- Measure after mashing: Pack mashed sweet potato into the measuring cup and level off — different packing methods can cause 20–30% variation in amount.
- Room temperature eggs: Cold eggs don't incorporate smoothly and can cause the batter to curdle; let them sit out for 30 minutes before mixing.
- Don't overmix: Fold just until no large streaks of flour remain; overmixing develops gluten and creates a tough, dense loaf.
- Miso substitutions: White miso is mildest and recommended; yellow miso adds more savoriness; red miso is very bold and salty — reduce to 1–1.5 tbsp if using red.
- Toast the seeds: Toast seeds in a dry skillet for 2–3 minutes before tossing with oil to enhance nutty flavor and aroma.
- Vegan adaptation: Replace each egg with a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water, rested 5 min); use plant-based milk and maple syrup instead of honey.
- Gluten-free option: Substitute a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend containing xanthan gum; add 1 extra tablespoon of milk if the batter seems too thick.
- Storage: Wrap tightly at room temperature for up to 5 days, refrigerate for up to 8 days (toast before serving), or freeze individual slices for up to 3 months.
- Cool completely before slicing: Cutting into warm bread compresses the crumb; fully cooled bread slices cleanly with a serrated knife.