Friends, I have a last minute holiday offering for you. Oh just the most pillowy-soft, tender sweet baby angel, carb-on-carb dinner rolls.
I don’t know what your Thanksgiving looks like this year, certainly different than we anticipated earlier this January.
I hope that you’re finding ways to be safe and enjoy a sweet meal with a few people you love. I’m of the philosophy that, even though the gathering may be small, it can still be special and supremely delicious.
Enter: my Aunt Cordellia’s Famous Potato Rolls. These rolls were high key coveted in the Wilson household and somewhere along the way, we fell off making them, the rolls went silent. I think a few too many people in the family started to think that they were too much work and, fair enough. But really all we need is a bit of smashed cooked potato in our enriched yeasted dough, and me to encourage you that it’s not that complicated.
Are you a person who squeezes grocery store bread before placing it in your cart? ME TOO. These rolls pass the squeeze test with flying colors.
Worth every bit of effort. Girl Scouts honor.
These rolls can be made by hand just as easily as they can be made in a stand mixer. If mixing by hand, just be conscious of how much extra flour you add by hand.
What I’m say is, mixer or no, these pillows of actual heaven can be yours. I want this for you.
Have a wonderful week, friends.
Whatever you’re pulling out of the oven this week, I hope you enjoy every bit of your time in the kitchen. If you don’t – heck, take it easy and just enjoy a rest.
Photos with Jon Melendez.
PrintCordellia Ann’s Potato Dinner Rolls
Pillowy soft dinner rolls perfect for fall and winter holidays, made extra tender with smashed potato.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
- Yield: 16 rolls 1x
Ingredients
For the Rolls:
- 2 ½ teaspoons (1 pack) active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons warm water (about 105 degrees) (cooled water that the potatoes were boiled in if possible)
- 1/3 cup (65 grams) plus a pinch granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature and lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into cubes, divided (have a little extra butter on hand to grease the pan)
- 1 cup (175 grams) unseasoned warm or room temperature mashed potatoes, lightly packed (about 1 medium to large potato)
- Scant ¾ cup lukewarm water (water that the potatoes were boiled in if possible)
- 4 ¼ cups (520 grams) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- First cook the potato. I find it easiest to peel, quarter and boil the potato to softened. Remove the potato pieces and mash while still warm. Reserve the cooking water.
- To make the roll dough, in a small bowl stir together yeast and warm water with a pinch of sugar. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes until the yeast foams and froths.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hood or in a large bowl to mix by hand combine the yeast mixture, eggs, 1/3 cup sugar, salt, 6 tablespoons butter cubes, mashed potatoes, water, and flour. Whether bringing together on a mixer or by hand, roughly combine the ingredients with a spatula.
- If using a mixer, place on low speed and knead together. If mixing by hand, begin to knead the dough until all the ingredients are cohesive and the dough begins to smooth. The dough should be soft, pliable, bounce, and rather smooth. If there are a few potato bits or chunks in the dough, don’t worry – they’ll bake to smooth.
- Place the dough in a large, lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 60 minutes.
- Place the dough on a clean counter, gently deflate, and divide the dough into 16 large or 24 smaller dough pieces. Roll each dough ball into a small round.
- Place rolls in a lightly greased 9×13-inch pan. Lightly cover the rolls with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and brush rolls before baking. Bake rolls for 20-25 minutes until. Remove from the oven, allow to rest for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
- Serve rolls warm or at room temperature. Store rolls, well wrapped in plastic at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage.
Carol
Made these Thanksgiving morning while making mashed potatoes. The were so easy and sooo delicious. I’m making them again for Christmas. Thanks, Joy!
★★★★★
Carol
Made these Thanksgiving morning while making the mashed potatoes. Very convenient and easy. DELICIOUS!
★★★★★
Veenas
A Very Yummy Wonderful and Healthy Recipe !!! WOW Nice Photos to See. I’ll Definitely Try it. Thank You For Sharing.
★★★★★
Laine
These rolls were so delicious and amazing. I believe I screwed up the recipe and put in a couple of extra tablespoons of butter, but they were none the worse for wear. So light, so pillowy, so fluffy! I will never buy King’s Hawaii rolls again.
★★★★★
LAURA
Thank You so much for the recipe. Just the recipe we were looking for Thanksgiving .
They turned out perfect. So look forward to you weekly posts. Thank You !
★★★★★
Julie
Really, really delicious and easy! Thank you!
★★★★★
Renee
Dough is rising now and it is soo pretty!! Looks like you used a rimmed cookie sheet to bake – is that accurate? I usually use a glass 9×13 for rolls but would much prefer a cookie sheet if that is an option!
Amelia
Have you watched Anne with an E on Netflix? Well Anne’s imaginary other self is Princess Cordelia. Made me smile when I saw this was Cordellia Ann’s recipe!
Katt
I immediately thought of Anne Shirley too! One of my COVID re-reads has been the entire series. <3
Patricia
They turned out great. Soft, buttery just like you promised!
★★★★★
Leanne
Thank you Joy! You must have been reading my mind, these rolls were exactly what I was looking for to make for Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Amit
Wow, It looks delicious.
Patricia
Hi Joy – I’m working on this recipe as I write. The dough was very wet. I had to keep adding teaspoons of flour because it did not want to become a cohesive ball. I stopped counting the teaspoons until it was at least less loose. I poured it into a bowl and am waiting out the hour to let it rise. I’ll keep you posted hopefully with a finished product I can be proud of to show you!
Brenda
Thank you, Joy! We have a restaurant nearby that makes these, but I’ve been unable to deconstruct them. I suspect these will do the trick. Question: do you think these can be used for turkey sandwiches or are they too delicate? Happy Thanksgiving to you, Tron and any other loved one that graces your welcoming table this week.
Vaughan
Oh good, so this gives me another excuse to make mashed potatoes (save a bit before I fat-them-up) and then make killer rolls.
Works for me!
Thanks Joy.
Try a little Greek Yogurt in your taters for a bit of tang, along with the butter of course.