Cordellia Ann’s Potato Dinner Rolls

Friends, I have a last minute holiday offering for you. Oh just the most pillowy-soft, tender sweet baby angel, carb-on-carb dinner roll recipe.

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.

This dinner roll recipe 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 whether it’s with this dinner roll recipe or these Sweet Potato Biscuits.  If you don’t – heck, take it easy and just enjoy a rest.

Photos with Jon Melendez.

Cordellia Ann’s Potato Dinner Rolls

★★★★★ 5 from 8 reviews

• Author: Joy the Baker
• Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
• Yield: 16 rolls 1x

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Description

Pillowy soft dinner rolls perfect for fall and winter holidays, made extra tender with smashed potato.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

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

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Instructions

1. 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. 
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Place the dough in a large, lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 60 minutes.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Serve rolls warm or at room temperature. Store rolls, well wrapped in plastic at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage.

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