Potato Rolls

Ingredients

• 2 medium Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes
• 1 cup milk, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tbsp butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
• 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp melted butter, for brushing
• 1 tsp kosher or coarse ground sea salt, for sprinkling

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash potatoes...: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash potatoes thoroughly in cold water and dry. Poke each potato all over with a sharp knife, about 8-12 times. Drizzle each potato with about 1 tsp of olive oil and rub the oil over the potato to coat completely. Lay the potatoes on a baking sheet and cook for about 1 hour, until a fork poked into one of the potatoes goes in easily. Cool completely before preceding with the recipe.

2. 2

   Add the milk, yeast and sugar to the...: Add the milk, yeast and sugar to the bowl of a standing mixer and stir to combine. Let sit until the yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes.

3. 3

   Scrape the the cooled potato flesh out of...: Scrape the the cooled potato flesh out of their skins into the bowl along with the eggs, butter, and 1 1/2 cups of the flour. Beat with the paddle attachment on high speed for about 2 minutes to break up the potatoes and incorporate them into the batter.

4. 4

   Remove the paddle attachment and replace it with...: Remove the paddle attachment and replace it with the dough hook. Add 2 more cups of flour to the dough and knead on low to incorporate. Continue to knead the dough for at least 10 minutes, adding enough additional flour, about 1/4 cup at a time, to create a soft, tacky dough that clears the sides of the bowl, but sticks slightly to the bottom. Once enough flour has been added to create a smooth, cohesive dough, sprinkle in the salt and continue to knead for at least 1 minute longer to incorporate.

5. 5

   Brush a large bowl with butter, or spray...: Brush a large bowl with butter, or spray with non-stick spray. Turn the dough out into the bowl and cover with a piece of plastic wrap that has also been brushed with butter or sprayed with non-stick spray. Let sit until it doubles in bulk, about 45 minutes.

6. 6

   Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper.

7. 7

   Turn the dough out onto a clean work...: Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a ball by pulling your thumbs down over the sides of the dough and pinching the dough together at the bottom. Lay 6 balls of dough on each baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart. Flatten each into a disk of dough that's roughly 3 inches in diameter.

8. 8

   Brush the rolls with 4 tbsp melted butter...: Brush the rolls with 4 tbsp melted butter and sprinkle each with a bit of salt. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 20 minutes.

9. 9

   Coat a 9x13 baking dish with melted butter...: Coat a 9x13 baking dish with melted butter or spray with non-stick spray.

10. 10

    Turn the dough out onto a clean work...: Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a ball by pulling your thumbs down over the sides of the dough and pinching the dough together at the bottom.

11. 11

    Place the balls of dough into the pan....: Place the balls of dough into the pan. Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with salt. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature until the rolls have doubled in bulk, about 20 minutes.

12. 12

    While the dough rises, preheat the oven to...: While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. When the rolls have risen, bake hamburger buns for 16-18 minutes and dinner rolls for 20-25 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a meat thermometer into the bottom of a hamburger bun or the center of the dinner rolls. The temperature should register at at least 190 degrees.

13. 13

    If using as hamburger buns, allow the rolls...: If using as hamburger buns, allow the rolls to cool completely before slicing. If serving as dinner rolls, allow to cool at least 10 minutes before serving.