To make sweet potato puree: Peel and chop 1-2 medium sweet potatoes. Boil or steam until very tender (about 15-20 minutes). Drain well, then mash with a potato masher or process in a food processor until smooth. Measure out 1.5 cups and set aside to cool.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan, or line with parchment paper leaving an overhang on the long sides.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, melted and cooled butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until well combined.

Stir in the cooled sweet potato puree into the wet ingredients until fully incorporated.

Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the dry ingredient mixture. Stir with a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few streaks of flour are okay. If using, fold in the chopped nuts and/or dried fruit.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly.

Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too quickly, you can loosely tent it with foil.

Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before carefully removing it from the pan. Allow it to cool completely on the wire rack before slicing and serving. This helps the bread set and prevents it from crumbling.