+SF
When I was growing up, my aunt made these fluffy yeast rolls for every holiday dinner. I was amazed when she told me her secret was mashed potatoes and the water she cooked them in. My recipe uses whole-grain flours, and with the potatoes they are just as moist as the original. It also uses an ingredient that may be new to some of you: aquafaba. Though it sounds like a fancy name, chances are good you already have some in the pantry. It’s Latin for bean water. If you have a can of chickpeas, just put a strainer over a bowl, pour out the contents and the liquid you have is aquafaba. It takes the place of eggs in baked goods. You can even make vegan meringues with it! —KH
MAKES 8 ROLLS
¾ cup (158 g) mashed Idaho potatoes
½ cup (120 ml) potato cooking water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp (30 ml) aquafaba
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 cups (250 g) spelt flour (or substitute whole wheat flour)
1 cup (125 g) whole wheat flour, plus more to use on the cutting board
Make sure the potatoes and potato water have cooled to room temperature so they’re not so hot that they kill the yeast.
Add the mashed potatoes, potato cooking water, sugar and yeast to the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix well with the paddle attachment and let sit for about 10 minutes, or until the yeast begins to bloom. (This may take longer on cold days.)
Add the aquafaba, olive oil, salt and spelt flour, and mix well. Remove the paddle and replace with the dough hook. Add the whole wheat flour and knead on low for 8 minutes.
If your dough is too wet and doesn’t form into a ball, you may need to add extra flour. Add ¼ cup (30 g) at a time until the dough firms up and forms a ball around the dough hook.
You can use any slow cooker, though I prefer to use a round one. I made one batch in a 3-quart (2.8-L) and another in a 4-quart (3.8-L) slow cooker, and both worked fine.
Prepare your slow cooker by lining it with parchment paper so the rolls will be easy to lift out.
Sprinkle some flour on a cutting board and put the kneaded dough on it. Divide into 8 even pieces and roll into balls.
Place these in the lined slow cooker. Cover the top of the crock with a clean dish towel or a few paper towels under the lid. This keeps the condensation from dripping onto your rolls and making them soggy.
Let them rise in the slow cooker by cooking on low for 45 minutes. Then cook on high for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The tops won’t brown like they would in the oven, but you can tell if they are done by looking at how brown the sides are.
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