REFRIGERATOR POTATO ROLLS

This recipe, from a cookbook that I bought as a young bride almost 50 years ago, is still one of my favorites. In the 60’s, I made it by hand, but now I have a Cuisinart to do the hard work. The ingredients mix up quickly in the food processor and do a slow rise in the fridge. When I take the dough out and shape it, they do their second rise and then go into a hot oven to produce the fluffiest, moistest, absolutely best rolls you could ever eat. I’ve made this recipe using instant mashed potato flakes, also, but I prefer using fresh potatoes. Either way, these rolls belong on your holiday table.

Refrigerator yeast dough is a little different from a regular yeast dough, in that you don’t mix the yeast with warm ingredients. You start out with lukewarm water to just soften the yeast. It won’t bubble up. The goal is to gently wake the yeast up, but not to get it going on all engines, because you want it to slowly rise in the cold refrigerator. The food processor and the fridge are the workers here, and I guarantee they’ll make you look like a star if you make these rolls.

Refrigerator Potato Rolls Adapted from Meta Given’s Encyclopedia of Cooking Rating: 10 out of 10 PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS: 1/2 pkg. (1-1/8 tsp.) Active Dry Yeast 2 Tbsp. lukewarm water (not hot, not cold) 3 Tbsp. sugar, divided use 1-1/4 tsp. sea salt 1/2 cup milk, sour cream, yogurt or buttermilk 1/2 cup cooked potatoes, mashed, riced or grated 1 large egg 1/3 cup melted butter or margarine + 1 Tbsp. to brush tops of rolls up to 3-1/8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour In work bowl of 11-cup or larger food processor, dissolve yeast in 2 Tbsp. lukewarm water. Add 1/2 tsp. of the sugar and pulse once; let soften 10 minutes. Add remaining sugar, salt, milk, and potatoes; process till smooth. Add egg and butter; process again till smooth. (Don’t be afraid to process – yeast likes to be worked, so go ahead and hit that pulse button!) Add flour, about 1 cup, or a little less, at a time and process till smooth after each addition. Only add enough flour to make a soft, almost sticky dough that just comes together, and aim for about 3 cups or a little less. Feel it with your fingers. It should almost stick to your fingers, but not quite. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead it for about 5-10 minutes, till it’s soft and supple, adding flour only if the dough is sticking to your fingers. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning it once to bring the greased side up. Grease the inside of a lid that fits the bowl; place lid on top, then wrap in a damp cloth and place in fridge overnight, or up to 48 hours, no longer. When ready to make rolls, take all or part of dough from fridge. Let rest 15 minutes on a floured board, then roll dough out in a squarish shape, about 1/2” thick. Divide into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece in your hands to make a ball. Place in a greased 9x9” pan. Brush tops with 1 Tbsp. melted butter. Cover with damp towel and let rise in warm place about 1 hour or till light (when the tips of your fingers make a dent that remains). (I usually put rolls in the microwave and shut the door, because it’s free of drafts and usually a little warmer there. Top of refrigerator works too.) In the meantime, heat the oven to 400F for shiny or glass pans, 375F for dark or coated pans. Bake rolls 12-15 minutes, till tops are nicely browned. Turn out immediately onto wire rack, or place in bread basket and serve. (If you leave them in the pan, they’ll get soggy.) Yield: 16 dinner-size rolls