Mom’s Favorite Potato Rolls
From: PJ Newland
Newsgroup: rec.food.recipes
Date: 4-2-96

These are the rolls I always make for our family holiday dinners - they’re not just Mom’s favorite, they’re everyone’s.

1 pkg. dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water (potato water is best)
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup margarine, melted
2 eggs
1 cup lukewarm mashed potatoes (I use completely seasoned - butter, salt, milk, etc. - just like you’d serve for dinner mashed potatoes - but plain would work)
7 - 7 1/2 cups flour

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of the warm water, add a pinch of sugar and let it proof. In a large bowl, stir together the rest of the warm water, the sugar, salt, shortening, eggs, potatoes and 4 C. of the flour. Stir in the proofed yeast mixture. Beat dough until smooth. Stir in enough of the rest of the flour to make the dough easy to handle (dough should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl). Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and velvety. This will take 6 or 7 minutes. Wash your mixing bowl in hot water, dry and then grease generously with margarine. Grease the top of the dough with margarine and then place it in the greased bowl, leaving the margarine covered side of the dough up. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight. (Dough can be kept up to 5 days) When ready to bake, take out of refrigerator. Punch down and shape. For plain rolls, tear pieces of dough off and form into balls about 1 - 1 1/2-inches across. Place balls in baking pan which has been sprayed with cooking spray. This recipe will make about 3 1/2 - 4 dozen rolls (which will fill two 9x13-inch pans). Let rise until doubled (about 1 1/2 hours). Bake at 400 degrees for 15 - 25 minutes, until deep golden brown.

If you feel so inclined, before baking, brush tops with a wash made of 1 egg and 1 tbsp. water; beat together well, until frothy; or brush with plain milk.