These family style rolls are perfect for Thanksgiving dinner or a Sunday supper. Adding potato flakes to dinner roll dough significantly improves their texture by making them softer, moister, and more tender due to the high starch content in the potato flakes which effectively traps moisture within the bread, preventing it from drying out quickly and extending its shelf life; essentially, the potato starch acts as a humectant, keeping the rolls soft and fluffy for longer.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cups warm water
1/2 cup potato flakes
1 1/4 teaspoon instant* yeast
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
Maldon or other flaky salt for sprinkling on top, optional
METHOD:
In the bowl of stand mixer, combine the water, potato flakes, and yeast and mix briefly. Allow to sit for 1-2 minutes to allow flakes to rehydrate.
To the bowl, add the flour, sugar, yeast, 2 tablespoons butter, egg, and salt to the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until the dough begins to form, then increase speed to medium and continue beating for 7-10 minutes. The dough will be soft.
Add the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Place dough in a warm part of the kitchen and let dough rise at room temperature for an hour or until doubled in size.
Deflate the dough and Remove the dough from the mixing bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and shape into rounds.
Lightly mist a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with non-stick baking spray. Line pan with a sheet of parchment paper and give the paper a light mist. Evenly space the dough balls in the pan. Cover with a sheet of lightly greased plastic wrap and let rise for an hour to an hour and a half or until nearly doubled in size.
In the final 30 minutes of proofing, preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Remove rolls from the oven, brush with the melted butter, sprinkle with flaky salt, if desired, and allow to cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before moving to a baking rack to cool completely.
YIELD: 12 rolls
Note: Instant yeast is different from active dry yeast. Be sure to use the correct kind. Examples of instant yeast are Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise, Saf-Instant Yeast, or Red Star Quick Rise dry yeast.
