Mom's Favorite Potato Rolls

[Lee & PJ Newland]

Petra requested a potato roll recipe - this is one my mother has used for
many years:

Mom's Favorite Potato Rolls

1 pkg. dry yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp.)
1 1/2 cup warm water (potato water is best)
2/3 cup sugar (can use less, if desired)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup margarine, melted
2 eggs
1 cup lukewarm mashed potatoes
7 - 7 1/2 cup flour
1 egg + 1 Tbsp water, for glaze (if desired)

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of the warm water, add a pinch
of sugar and a tablespoon or so of flour and let it proof until foamy. In
a large bowl, stir together the rest of the warm water, sugar, salt,
margarine, eggs, potatoes and 4 cup of the flour. Stir in the proofed
yeast mixture. Beat dough until smooth. Stir in enough of the rest of the
flour to make the dough easy to handle (dough should be pulling away from
the sides of the bowl). Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and
knead until smooth and velvety. This will take 7 to 10 minutes. Wash your
mixing bowl in hot water, dry and then grease generously with margarine.

To use a heavy duty mixer: Proof the yeast as above. While yeast is
proofing, measure 7 cups of the flour, sugar and salt into mixing bowl.
Give a little stir with a spoon or spatula (just so one ingredient doesn't
get clumped together when you start adding the liquids). In a medium
saucepan melt the margarine, then stir in the mashed potatoes, balance of
the water and the eggs (they don't have to be beaten first - you're just
getting the "wet" ingredients in one container). Put your bowl on the
stand; attach the dough hook and raise the bowl. Turn the mixer on to the
lowest setting and slowly pour the wet mixture into the bowl. Once the
flour mixture is moistened turn the speed up to 2 and allow the mixer to
knead the dough for about three minutes (it may start to "climb" the dough
hook) dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl, if it doesn't add
the last 1/2 cup of flour a couple tablespoons at a time. Grease the top
of the dough with margarine and then place it in a large greased bowl,
leaving the margarine covered side of the dough up.

Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours or
overnight. It will rise quite a bit. (Dough can be kept up to 5 days,
refrigerated.) When ready to bake, take out of refrigerator. Punch down
and let warm for several hours, then shape. For plain rolls, tear or cut
pieces of dough off and form into balls about 1 - 1 1/2" across. (Through
the years I have found that it's easiest to cut the dough up, then round
into balls. It's easier to control the number of rolls that way - I
usually divide first by the number of pans, then each piece by the number
of rolls per pan; a 9 x 13" pan will hold 20 rolls.) Place balls in baking
pan which has been sprayed with cooking spray. This recipe will make 3 1/2
dozen rolls (which will fill two 9 x 13" pans). Let rise until doubled
(about 1/2 - 1 hour depending on how much the dough has warmed up before
shaping). Just before baking brush tops with a wash made of 1 egg and 1
Tbsp. water; whisked together until frothy. Bake at 400 F for 15 - 25
minutes, until deep golden brown.

Note: You can shape rolls as soon as you take them out of the
refrigerator, but it's much harder to work with the cold dough; the rising
time will then be about 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

To make 5 dozen rolls:
2 pkg. yeast
2 1/4 cup warm water
1 cup sugar
2 1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup margarine, melted
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup lukewarm mashed potatoes
10 1/2 - 11 1/4 cup flour

Follow directions for single batch, except when first mixing in flour, use
6 cup instead of 4.
Be sure you have a big bowl.

--
Rec.food.recipes is moderated; only recipes and recipe requests are
accepted for posting. Please send recipes, requests, questions or
comments to Moderator Patricia Hill at rec...@swcp.com
Please allow several days for your submission to appear.