Recipe: Champion Refrigerator Potato Rolls with Variations: Flip 'em Rolls, Twisted Breadsticks, Party Pinwheels, Holiday Angels, Rockin' Robins, Kaiser (Knot) Roll, Smiling Santa

Champion Refrigerator Potato Rolls with Variations

1 package active dry yeast
1 cup hot mashed potatoes*
1/4 cup warm water, 110-115F
1 cup hot potato water
2/3 cup shortening or butter
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
7 to 7-1/2 cups bread flour, divided**
2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

Dissolve yeast in water; set aside. In a large bowl, combine shortening or butter, sugar, salt, potatoes and potato water; let cool to lukewarm (110 to115F).

Add yeast, eggs, 2 cups of flour and lemon zest; beat 2 minutes. Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, 15 minutes by hand or with a dough hook.

Place in lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat.*** Cover; let rise in a warm (80F) place until double. Punch down , cover, and let rise again.

Punch down dough, cover and let rest 10 minutes. Shape into Flip 'em Rolls or as desired.

Cover, let rise in warm (90 to110F) place until double.

Bake 13 to 14 minutes in a preheated 400F oven. Remove rolls and cool on wire racks.

Makes 36 rolls.

*Three medium potatoes boiled in 3 cups water will yield about 1 cup mashed potatoes

**Half of the flour may be whole wheat flour.

***Dough may be placed in a sealable bowl and refrigerated 1-2 days. Punch down dough as necessary.

Flip 'em Rolls:
Divide dough into thirds. Roll each third into a 13- to 14-inch circle. Using a pizza cutter, evenly divide circle into 12 wedge-shaped pieces. Pick up each triangle at the wide edge and flip the dough toward you. Pinch the point to the roll to prevent unrolling and lay point-side-down on a lightly greased baking sheet, shaping into a crescent roll.

Twisted Breadsticks:
Using one piece of dough (1 to 2 oz.), form a rope of dough about 12 inches long. Place your hands at each end and twist by moving your hands in opposite directions until the rope is about 14 to 16 inches long. Pick up the twisted rope by the ends. It should automatically twist together. Pinch the ends together to seal. Place on parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet. If you want to apply a topping, lightly mist breadsticks with water and sprinkle on sesame seeds, poppy seeds, Italian seasoning, Salad Supreme, or grated Parmesan cheese. Cover and let rise until breadsticks are almost double in size. Bake at 400 F for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Party Pinwheels:
Note: Careful cutting and shaping of the dough is very important.
Roll out 1 pound of dough evenly into a 10x15-inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Cut the dough into 5-inch squares using a bowl scraper or pizza cutter. Cut each square diagonally from each corner to within 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch of the center. Moisten the entire surface with water by using a pastry brush or a spray bottle. Lift every other point, fold over to center, as shown, so points slightly overlap, and press down firmly. Place the pinwheels on parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet. Leave plain, or make an indentation in the center of the pinwheel and place a teaspoon of fruit pie filling or half a maraschino cherry in each pinwheel. You can also use a nut half. Cover and let rise until double in size. Bake at 400 F for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Note:
To make your pinwheel look even better, after it has cooled, add another teaspoon of pie filling and drizzle on simple icing made from 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and a little water.
Filling variation: After moistening the dough, place a portion of fruit or custard filling in the center, then continue the folding.

Holiday Angels:
To make 6 angels, use 1 pound of dough. Set aside 1/4 of the dough (about 4 oz.). Roll the remaining dough into an 8x12-inch rectangle. Cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise into six sections to form 4-inch squares. Cut each square from the bottom corners diagonally to the top center. Place on parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet, separating the dough pieces to form the wings and body. Shape the reserved dough into 6 balls, flattening slightly. Place on the angel to form the head. Halve 6 raisins or use whole currants for eyes. Press them into the head. Cover the angels and let them rise until double in size. Bake at 375 F for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Note: Shaping holiday angel rolls could easily become a family tradition.

Rockin' Robins:
Roll a 2 oz. piece of dough into a 10-inch rope. Make a loop. Put one end of the dough through the center. The long end of the knot will be Robin's tail, the other will be his head. Place the robins on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet. With scissors, cut 4 slashes in the widest end and spread to form tail feathers. Form the other end into a ball for the head. With scissors, cut a place for the beak, and place a slivered almond into the cut. Brush with beaten egg and place currants or cloves for eyes. Cover and let dough rise for 30 to 45 minutes. Bake at 350F for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Kaiser (Knot) Roll:
Roll a 2 oz. piece of dough into a 12- to 14-inch rope. Tie into a square knot and make a loop. Put one end of the dough through the center. Put the other end of the dough through the center from the opposite direction. Pinch the end that is on the bottom to seal. Place the knot on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet. If desired, brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds. Cover the dough and let it rise until double in size. Bake at 400 F for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown.

Smiling Santa: Note: You will need 1-1/2 pounds of dough for a large Santa.
Roll out 1 pound of the dough into a tall 18-inch triangle and place on a large baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Fold top point over to form cap. For the trim on Santa's cap, roll out 2 oz. of dough into a 2x8-inch rectangle and lay across the upper triangle, overlapping edges. Place a small roll on the point of the cap. Place 2 smaller rolls on Santa's face for cheeks. Use a small piece of dough for the nose. Shape the rest of the dough into an 8-inch rope. Cut the rope in half and place on his face for a mustache. With a sharp knife or scissors, cut out two eyes and a mouth. To reinforce the eyes and mouth, crunch aluminum foil into small balls and place inside the eyes and mouth openings. The foil will remain in place during rising and baking. Remember to remove the foil after baking. With a knife or pizza cutter, cut beard into strips and stretch them out. Then arrange the strips at different angles. For a special effect, twist each strip so it resembles hair. Brush with beaten egg and cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Let rise for 30 to 45 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and bake at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Source: Kansas Wheat Commission