Roy Finamore'S Sweet Potato-Cornmeal Sandwich Loaf

1. 1

   Bring the milk, sugar, and salt to a boil in a small pot, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the butter and let it melt and then cool to room temperature. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.

2. 2

   Put the sweet potatoes in your bread bowl and whip them vigorously with a fork, or use a standing mixer with a whisk attachment. Add the liquids (milk and dissolved yeast) and stir, then add 5 cups of flour and the cornmeal. Beat well, using your hands or a mixer with a dough hook, until you have a fairly stiff dough, then dump it out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and glossy.

3. 3

   Put the dough in a well-oiled bowl, cover it, and leave it in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Punch it down, pull it out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide it in half. Roll each piece out into a rectangle about 8 inches wide and 12 inches long. Start at the narrow side and roll the dough lightly and put it, seam-side down, in small (about 8 x 5-inch) bread pans. (You can also use larger loaf pans, of course: the bread won't fill the pans, but it'll still rise enough to be a loaf.) Cover with a damp cloth and leave the loaves in a warm place to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Twenty minutes before baking, heat the oven to 400 degrees.

4. 4

   Bake for approximately 40 minutes, then remove from pans and cool on racks.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.