Homemade Potato Rolls, So Soft and Buttery

Instructions

BAKE THE POTATOES:

1. 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 teaspoon 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.

MAKE THE DOUGH:

1. 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.
2. Scrape the the cooled potato flesh out of their skins into the bowl along with the eggs, butter, and 1 ½ 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.
3. 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 ¼ 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.
4. 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.

TO SHAPE DOUGH INTO HAMBURGER BUNS:

1. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. 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.
3. Brush the rolls with 4 tablespoon 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.

TO SHAPE DOUGH INTO DINNER ROLLS:

1. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with melted butter or spray with non-stick spray.
2. 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.
3. 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.

BAKE THE POTATO ROLLS:

1. 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.
2. 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.

NOTE: The tops of the rolls will get quite brown due to the high butter content. If you're concerned that they are getting too brown, cover the rolls loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil for the last few minutes of baking.