Potato Rolls

Do you ever have a recipe that just works perfectly? One where every step of the way looks exactly like the directions say and there are no problems? Well, that happened for me with this recipe. Not that I normally struggle, but truth be told I just wing it a lot of the time and hope for the best. This method normally works just fine, but it was cool to get exactly what I was looking for every step of the way. 

And these rolls were tasty. They also used up the last potato that was sitting in my cupboard. I found this recipe at just the right time. 

If you are in need of a dinner roll, hit these babies up. You won't be disappointed (at least I wasn't!).

Recipe:

Yield: 12-16 rolls

1 Potato (I have made them using both a russet and a golden potato, they both worked fine)

1/3 cup butter, softened

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1/2 cup milk, warmed

1 1/8 tsp yeast

1/4 cup reserved potato water, still barely warm, with 1 tsp sugar added to it

2 1/2-3 cups flour

Boil the potato until tender. Drain the cooking water, reserving 1/4 cup for later use. Mash the potato and measure out 1/2 cup. Let the potato cool to room temperature. 

Combine the yeast with the potato water and allow it to dissolve and swell (about 5 minutes). In a large bowl, mix together the mashed potato, butter, sugar, honey, salt, and egg. Add the warm milk to the potato water/yeast mixture then add all to large bowl and mix until incorporated. Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time until a soft dough forms. Knead for about 5 minutes (dough hook on stand mixer, or by hand are both acceptable), adding more flour if necessary to achieve a soft dough that is slightly tacky but not sticky. Transfer the dough to a slightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to double in size, about 60-90 minutes.

Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and punch down. Separate into 16 pieces (or whatever looks most feasible with your dough) and shape into rolls. Place on a prepared baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. Cover with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise again until the rolls have grown into each other, about 30-45 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, bake for 12 minutes until golden.

Source: slightly adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from The Boastful Baker