MAKES 12 ROLLS
If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can mix the dough by hand following the instructions. Don’t salt the cooking water for the potatoes. A pound of russet potatoes should yield just over 1 very firmly packed cup (½ pound) of mash. To ensure optimum rise, your dough should be warm; if your potatoes or potato cooking water are too hot to touch, let cool before proceeding with the recipe. Bread flour is best for this recipe; do not attempt to substitute all-purpose flour. This dough looks very dry when mixing begins, but resist the urge to add more cooking water; the dough will soften as mixing progresses. If you prefer, you may portion the rolls by weight in step 5 (2 ounces of dough per roll).
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1 |
pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces |
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2 |
tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces |
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2¼ |
cups (12⅓ ounces) bread flour |
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2 |
teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast |
|
1 |
tablespoon sugar |
|
1 |
teaspoon salt |
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2 |
large eggs, 1 lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water and pinch salt |
1. Place potatoes in medium saucepan and add water to just cover. Bring to boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Transfer 5 tablespoons potato cooking water to bowl to cool; drain potatoes. Return potatoes to saucepan and place over low heat. Cook, shaking pot occasionally, until any surface moisture has evaporated, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Process potatoes through ricer or food mill, or mash well with potato masher. Measure 1 very firmly packed cup potatoes (8 ounces) and transfer to bowl. Reserve any remaining potatoes for another use. Stir in butter until melted.
3. Combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in bowl of stand mixer. Add warm potato mixture to flour mixture and mix with your hands until combined (some large lumps are OK). Add 1 egg and reserved potato cooking water; mix with dough hook on low speed until dough is soft and slightly sticky, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Shape dough into ball and place in lightly greased container. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature until almost doubled in volume, 30 to 40 minutes.
5. Turn out dough onto counter, dusting with flour only if dough is too sticky to handle comfortably. Pat gently into 8-inch square of even thickness. Using bench knife or chef’s knife, cut dough into 12 pieces (3 rows by 4 rows). Separate pieces and cover loosely with plastic.
6. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time and keeping remaining pieces covered, form dough pieces into smooth, taut rounds. (To round, set piece of dough on unfloured work surface. Loosely cup your hand around dough and, without applying pressure to dough, move your hand in small circular motions. Tackiness of dough against work surface and circular motion should work dough into smooth, even ball, but if dough sticks to your hands, lightly dust fingers with flour.) Arrange rolls on prepared sheet. Cover loosely with plastic and let rise at room temperature until almost doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes. While rolls rise, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
7. Brush rolls gently with egg wash. Bake rolls until deep golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer sheet to wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Transfer rolls from sheet to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.