A cinnamon roll recipe uses sweet potatoes and self-rising flour. Can I use AP flour and yeast instead of the self-rising flour?
Not without changing the ratios.
Self-rising flour Has a protein content of around 8.5% – 9%. AP flour has a protein content of 10% – 11.5% depending on brand.
The higher the protein content, the liquid it absorbs.
The recipe with self-rising flour will require less liquid than than a recipe made with AP flour. So a 1:1 substitution will result in a dough that is too dry.
The use of potato in dough is to increase the starch. Higher starch content makes for a more tender dough. Sweet potato is not a potato, but it contains starch. It starch content is lower than a potato. A low protein flour like self-rising flour has a higher starch content, so you would want to use less starch. So sweet potato makes more sense. With the higher protein, AP flour, you would need more added starch, like that of a potato.
So to make substitutions, you would have to adjust the liquid levels and the amount of added starch in the form of the sweet potato and or using an actual potato.
You might be better off, looking for a yeast dough recipe that uses potato for added starch.