by Meg 10 Comments
These perfectly soft potato rolls are the stuff of legends. With a convenient make-ahead option, they’re perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just your every-day meal.
It’s been awhile since I shared a recipe with you all, but this one cannot be contained. You need these rolls in your life. They aremy family’s go-to recipe for dinner rolls. We make them every year for Thanksgiving, usually for Christmas as well, and whenever else we feel like it the rest of the year.
My parents, siblings, and I don’t often get to gather all together around a table together for holidays (we’re spread across the country from California to New Hampshire). However, we still find ways–sometimes a little unique–to celebrate together. Like last Thanksgiving, when we had a running group text of us all making our own batches of these potato rolls.
“Have you started yours?” came the message, along with a picture of silky dough sitting in a mustard yellow bowl that I recognize as having belonged to my grandmother.
I smiled over the next several hours as my phone continued to ding with pictures of potato rolls in various stages of completion. It’s how we roll. (Feel free to groan. I blame my father.)
Needless to say, these rolls are legendary. really. We still talk about the year that my friend Dustin ate NINE of these when our families had Thanksgiving together. They arethat good. I love them so much that when I go to other people’s houses for Thanksgiving, I offer to bring the rolls. I just can’t live without them.
Have I built up the hype enough? I hope so. Because I know these beauties will live up to whatever expectations I just created. Make them, share them, give thanks for them, and ENJOY!
Yield: about 40 rolls
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
These perfectly soft potato rolls are the stuff of legends. With a convenient make-ahead option, they’re perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just your every-day meal.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups warm water (ideal temp for water is 110-120 degrees, but I usually wing it)
- 1 package dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2/3 cup butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup lukewarm mashed potatoes (*see note)
- 6-7 cups flour
Instructions
- Place warm water in a liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle yeast over the top, and stir to dissolve. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until you can see the yeast growing.
- In a large bowl, combine sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and potatoes. Stir well. Add yeast mixture and mix.
- Add flour two cups at a time until a soft dough is formed. Turn dough onto a lightly floured board. Knead until smooth and elastic.
- Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. At this point, you can place the dough in the refrigerator overnight or choose to bake them the same day.
To use the refrigeration method:
- If refrigerating, remove the dough from the fridge about two hours before baking, and immediately shape the dough into balls the size of a small egg. Place on greased pans about an inch apart (I do 20 rolls per pan (4×5) on my large cookie sheets).
- Cover with a tea towel and let rise until double, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Bake at 375 degrees for about 12-15 minutes, or until light golden brown on top.
To bake immediately:
- You can skip the refrigeration stage and just let the dough rise on the counter for an hour.
- Then shape the dough into balls the size of a small egg. Place on greased pans about an inch apart (I do 20 rolls per pan (4×5) on my large cookie sheets).
- Cover with a tea towel and let rise again for 30-60 minutes.
- Bake at 375 degrees for about 12-15 minutes, or until light golden brown on top.
Notes
This recipe is pretty much the ONLY time I use instant mashed potatoes. If you have leftover real mashed potatoes, those work great, too. However, I usually don't, so I just make "fake" ones from the box, and they are just as good in this recipe with much less work.
Source: My mom, who learned to make them from my grandmother (my dad’s mom)
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Reader Interactions
Comments
The rolls look amazing!!! 🙂 I definitely will try them out with my family.
Thanks for sharing.Reply
These look awesome! I will have to try them out this Thanksgiving!
Reply
These would be perfect for my family Thanksgiving! Its so fun to make foods from scratch and cannot wait to try out this recipe. Thanks girl 🙂
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MegAgreed, Amy. I love to cook from scratch. Crazy life doesn’t always allow for homemade rolls, but there are few cooking tasks I enjoy more than kneading bread by hand. Enjoy!
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This would be a hit at our house!
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This sounds delicious, yummm!!
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can only imagine how my son would love these he adores potato bread and this would be a delicious treat with winter soup or casseroles
come see us at http://shopannies.blogspot.comReply
- Melissa
I’m so glad you posted this! I loved Grandma’s rolls, but didn’t have the recipe. They are rising right now! I’m pretty excited. 🙂
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- Meg
I’m so glad you found this, then! They really are so good. I have a batch rising right now, too. Hooray for early Thanksgiving. 🙂
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