Soft Potato Dinner Rolls
Extra-soft dinner rolls made with mashed potato for a tender crumb that stays fresh longer.
- Measurements grams + cups
Why You'll Like This Recipe
- Potato starch keeps these soft for days longer than an ordinary roll.
- A good use for leftover mashed potato.
- Twelve pull-apart rolls from one dish.
Extra-soft dinner rolls made with mashed potato for a tender crumb that stays fresh longer.
Recipe
Soft Potato Dinner Rolls
Extra-soft dinner rolls made with mashed potato for a tender crumb that stays fresh longer.
Ingredients
Ingredients scaled. The method below still refers to the original quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1. Combine the warm milk, sugar, yeast, egg, and mashed potato.
- Step 2. Add the flour and salt and mix until a soft dough forms.
- Step 3. Knead 4 minutes, then add the softened butter and knead another 5 to 6 minutes.
- Step 4. Cover and rise 60 to 75 minutes, until doubled.
- Step 5. Divide into 12 equal pieces and shape into smooth balls.
- Step 6. Arrange in a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Cover and rise 30 to 40 minutes.
- Step 7. Bake at 190 C / 375 F for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden.
- Step 8. Brush immediately with melted butter and cool 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use plain mashed potato with no garlic or cheese. Leftover potato works well if it is not heavily seasoned.
- The potato starch is what keeps these soft for days longer than a plain roll.
- Potato dough is softer and stickier than a plain roll dough. Resist adding much flour — that softness is what you are after.
- Arrange them touching in the dish. The contact keeps the sides pale and soft, which is what makes them pull apart.
Soft Potato Dinner Rolls — Simple Table Recipes · https://simpletablerecipes.com/recipes/soft-potato-dinner-rolls/
Ingredient Notes
- Plain mashed potato
- Plain means plain — no garlic, cheese, cream or heavy seasoning, all of which come through in the finished roll. Cooled, not warm, or it will affect the yeast.
- Butter added after kneading starts
- Added once the dough has come together rather than at the beginning, so the gluten has a chance to develop before the fat coats it.
Equipment
- 9 x 13 inch baking dish
- Pastry brush
Substitutions
- Mashed potato
- Instant mashed potato, made up and cooled, works surprisingly well. Sweet potato works too and gives a slightly sweeter, more orange roll.
- Milk
- Potato cooking water is traditional and adds a little more starch. Plain water works too.
Storage & Freezing
Storing: Keep covered at room temperature for up to 3 days — noticeably longer than a standard roll before they stale.
Freezing: Freeze baked and cooled rolls for up to 2 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why put potato in dinner rolls?
Potato starch holds water in a way wheat starch does not, so the rolls stay soft for days rather than firming up overnight. It also gives a slightly finer, more tender crumb.
Can I use instant mashed potato?
Yes. Make it up according to the packet, let it cool completely, and use the same weight. Avoid anything with added butter, garlic or cheese in it.
Why is my dough so sticky?
Potato dough is naturally softer and stickier than a plain roll dough. That is correct — adding flour until it feels normal gives you an ordinary, firmer roll and loses the point.
Can I use leftover seasoned mash?
Only if it is lightly seasoned. Garlic, cheese and heavy cream all carry through into the finished roll, which is not necessarily bad but is not what the recipe intends.
Can I make these ahead?
Shape them into the dish, cover and refrigerate overnight. Take them out an hour before baking so they can finish rising at room temperature.
Did you make this?
Let other people know how it went. One tap, nothing to fill in.
Thanks — that helps.
