Recipe · Rolls & More

Fresh Milled Sweet Potato Pecan Biscuits

Tender sweet potato biscuits made with freshly milled soft white wheat and toasted pecans, finished with salted maple brown butter. A few gentle folds create layers, and cutting the dough into squares means there are no scraps to reroll.

Prep time: 2 hours · Bake time: 16–22 minutes · Yields: 12 square biscuits

Ingredients

For the Biscuits

350 g finely milled soft white wheat flour (approximately 3 cups, loosely spooned and leveled)
12 g double-acting baking powder (approximately 1 tablespoon; see high-altitude note)
6 g fine sea salt (approximately 1 teaspoon)
2 g ground cinnamon (approximately ¾ teaspoon)
0.5 g ground nutmeg (approximately ¼ teaspoon)
70 g light brown sugar (approximately ⅓ cup packed)
113 g cold unsalted butter, cubed (½ cup / 1 stick)
75 g pecans, weighed before toasting, then finely chopped (approximately ⅔ cup chopped)
300 g plain roasted sweet potato mash, chilled (approximately 1¼ cups), from 2 medium sized sweet potatoes
60 g cold buttermilk or plain, unsweetened milk kefir (¼ cup)
Up to 30 g additional cold buttermilk or kefir, as needed (up to 2 tablespoons)
4 g vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)

For Brushing

15 g buttermilk or plain kefir for brushing (approximately 1 tablespoon)

For the Salted Maple Brown Butter

42 g unsalted butter (3 tablespoons)
40 g pure maple syrup (2 tablespoons)
0.5 g fine sea salt (a generous pinch)

Instructions

Prepare the Sweet Potato
Bake whole orange-fleshed sweet potatoes at 400°F for approximately 45–75 minutes, until completely tender. Scoop out the flesh and mash until smooth. Weigh out 300 g and refrigerate until cold.
The mash should be thick and scoopable, without liquid pooling around it. Do not add butter, milk, or sugar. This step can be completed the day before.
Toast the Pecans
Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly browned. Cool completely, then chop finely without grinding them into meal.
Prepare the Flour and Oven
Mill the soft white wheat finely, keeping the bran. If the flour feels warm, spread it in a shallow dish and refrigerate until cool.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a light-colored baking sheet with parchment rated for that temperature.
Combine the Dry Ingredients
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Break up any sugar lumps.
Cut In the Butter
Add the cold cubed butter. Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work it into the flour, leaving some pea-sized pieces and small flattened flakes of butter.
Stir in the cooled pecans. If the butter begins to soften, refrigerate the bowl briefly before continuing.
Add the Sweet Potato Mixture
In a separate bowl, stir together the cold sweet potato mash, 60 g buttermilk or kefir, and vanilla.
Add to the flour mixture and gently fold with a sturdy spatula until rough clumps form. If dry flour remains that will not stick when pressed, add the reserved liquid 15 g (1 tablespoon) at a time.
The dough should be soft and slightly tacky while holding its shape. You may not need all the additional liquid.
Refrigerate the Dough
Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes to allow the fresh flour to absorb moisture while keeping the butter cold.
After resting, press a small piece of dough together. If it still crumbles apart, gently incorporate a little of the remaining reserved liquid.
Fold the Dough
Turn the dough onto a lightly oiled surface and gently pat into a rectangle about 1 inch thick.
Fold into thirds like a letter, bringing one end over the middle and folding the other end over it. Turn the dough a quarter turn, gently flatten, and repeat the fold once more.
Handle gently and avoid kneading the dough smooth.
Cut into Squares
Pat the dough into a rectangle ¾ inch thick, gently squaring the edges with a bench scraper.
Lightly oil the scraper’s blade. Cut into 4 columns and 3 rows to make 12 roughly square biscuits. Press straight down with each cut, avoiding rocking or dragging the blade.
Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, leaving approximately ½ inch between biscuits. If the dough has softened, refrigerate the cut biscuits for 10–15 minutes.
Brush and Bake
Lightly brush the tops with buttermilk or kefir, keeping it from running down the cut sides.
Bake for 16–22 minutes, checking from 16 minutes, until the tops are golden, the bottoms are browned, and the centers are set.
If needed, split a biscuit to check the center. It should be moist and tender without wet, pasty dough.
Make the Salted Maple Brown Butter
While the biscuits bake, melt the butter in a small, light-colored saucepan over medium-low heat.
Continue cooking, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom, until the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty. Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl, including the browned bits.
Let cool for a minute or two, then carefully whisk in the maple syrup and salt. Stir again before using, as the mixture can separate.
Finish and Serve
Let the baked biscuits rest for 5 minutes, then lightly brush with the warm maple brown butter, including some browned butter bits on each biscuit.
Serve warm with any remaining maple brown butter alongside.

Baker's Notes

Flour: Soft white wheat gives these biscuits a tender texture. Weigh the flour for the most consistent results; its volume varies with milling and how it is measured.

Sweet Potato Moisture: Roasted sweet potato varies in moisture. Start with the listed 60 g of buttermilk or kefir and adjust according to the dough’s consistency.

Storing and Freezing

Storing

Cool completely before placing in an airtight container. Keep at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Freezing

Wrap completely cooled biscuits individually and place in a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or unwrap and reheat from frozen.

Reheating

Place in a 300°F oven, loosely covered with foil, until warmed through, approximately 10–15 minutes from room temperature or 20–25 minutes from frozen. Uncover briefly at the end if desired.

Nutrition Facts — Estimated

About 12 servings per recipe · Serving size: 1 biscuit with maple brown butter

Calories: 295

Total fat: 16 g
Saturated fat: 7 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 30 mg
Sodium: 360 mg
Total carbohydrate: 36 g
Dietary fiber: 4 g
Total sugars: 10 g
Added sugars: 8 g
Protein: 4 g

Nutrition estimates include all of the maple brown butter, 90 g buttermilk in the dough, and the brushing liquid. Dusting flour is excluded. Values vary with ingredient brands and the amount of reserved liquid and topping used.