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