Seeded Miso Sweet Potato Bread
This Seeded Miso Sweet Potato Bread is a moist, golden quick bread that brings together the natural sweetness of roasted sweet potato and the quiet umami depth of white miso paste. Naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup, finished with a crunchy pepita topping, and made in just one bowl with no mixer required, it is an easy and genuinely special loaf that stays soft for days.
Equipment
- 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan Standard size is important for correct baking time and rise
- Large mixing bowl For combining wet ingredients and batter
- Medium mixing bowl For whisking dry ingredients
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula For folding batter and scraping the bowl
- Pastry brush For oiling the loaf pan
- Small bowl For tossing pepitas in olive oil
- Wire cooling rack For cooling the loaf after baking
- Fork or potato masher For mashing the roasted sweet potato
- Skewer or toothpick For testing doneness
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Serrated bread knife For slicing the cooled loaf cleanly
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed roasted sweet potato about 245g; from 1 medium sweet potato, roasted and flesh scooped out
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour 190g; spooned and leveled
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ cup pure maple syrup 120ml; Grade A dark robust recommended
- 2 tbsp white miso paste shiro miso recommended; do not substitute red or barley miso
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup olive oil 120ml, divided; plus 1 teaspoon reserved for greasing the pan
For the Seed Topping
- ½ cup pepitas 70g; raw pumpkin seeds
- ½ tsp olive oil for tossing with the pepitas before topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Pierce a medium sweet potato all over with a fork, place on a foil-lined baking sheet, and roast for 45–55 minutes until completely tender. Let cool, scoop out the flesh, and mash until very smooth. Measure out 1 cup (245g) and set aside.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). Brush the inside of an 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan thoroughly with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, making sure to coat the corners and all four sides.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and fine sea salt until fully combined with no clumps. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, white miso paste, and vanilla extract until the miso is fully dissolved. Add the eggs and ½ cup olive oil and whisk until glossy and combined, then fold in the mashed sweet potato.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold gently with a spatula just until no dry flour streaks remain — do not overmix. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- In a small bowl, toss the pepitas with ½ teaspoon olive oil until lightly coated. Scatter them evenly over the batter in the pan and gently press them down to adhere.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 55–60 minutes, until the top is deep golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil around the 40-minute mark.
- Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then remove and cool completely before slicing with a serrated knife — cutting too early can cause the crumb to compress and become gummy.
Notes
- Roast, don't boil: Roasting concentrates the sweet potato's flavor and keeps the flesh drier, which gives better structure to the batter. Boiling adds excess moisture.
- Use white miso only: White (shiro) miso is mild and slightly sweet. Red or barley miso is far more pungent — if you use it, reduce to 1 tablespoon.
- Dissolve the miso fully: Whisk the miso into the maple syrup thoroughly before adding eggs to prevent salty clumps in the finished loaf.
- Don't overmix: Fold the flour in with a spatula just until combined. Overmixing develops gluten and results in a dense, tough crumb.
- Room temperature eggs: Cold eggs can cause the olive oil to seize. Set eggs out 30 minutes before baking for smooth incorporation.
- Measure flour correctly: Spoon flour into the measuring cup and level it off — do not scoop directly from the bag, which packs the flour and can dry out the loaf.
- Storage: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 5 days, or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Toast refrigerated slices to refresh the texture.
- Freezing: Slice the cooled loaf, wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, and freeze in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Toast directly from frozen.
- Vegan adaptation: Replace the 2 eggs with 2 flax eggs (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water each, rested 5 minutes). The loaf will be slightly denser but still moist.
- Gluten-free option: Substitute a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend for the all-purpose flour. Increase baking time by 5 minutes and check with a toothpick.
Nutrition
Serving: 1SliceCalories: 210kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 4gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 135mgPotassium: 180mgFiber: 1.5gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 40IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 10mg
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