It seems that sometimes we are invited to a dinner party where the food is phenomenal, and the hostess accompanies that food with substandard, store-bought breads and rolls. How disappointing! There is really no excuse for store-bought, since automatic bread machines are readily available, inexpensive, and can even be found for under $10 at good will stores. All you need the machine for is to make the dough, and then you can shape it into loaves, dinner rolls, slider rolls, English muffins, coffee cakes, etc. It’s really a no-brainer, since all you have to do is measure a few common ingredients into the pan of the automatic bread machine, set it to the dough cycle, and wait for it to call you and tell you your dough is ready to be shaped.

Even if you are busy (who isn’t?), hate to cook (you’re not alone), or know of a bakery that makes fabulous rolls (they won’t be open on the holiday, so what you’ll end up serving will be day old), you’ll discover that you can find a few hands-on minutes to make your own freshly baked rolls to serve with your showstopper dishes. The following Soft, Buttery Potato Rolls are truly incredible; the recipe has been adapted for the bread machine from a recipe published in Bon Appétit Magazine; the Bon Appétit recipe had you cooking and mashing special potatoes, and making the dough the old fashioned way. This recipe is much easier and faster, but the finished rolls are extremely light and buttery – there couldn’t be anything better. The rolls are perfect for making leftover turkey sandwiches, and they can be made smaller and used for sliders.

24 Large Rolls

1 cup water
1/2 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 cup mashed potatoes, or use 1/2 cup water mixed with dry potato flakes
3 1/2 to 4 cups flour
1 tablespoon yeast

Topping:
1/2 cup melted butter
Sesame seeds, or other seeds for the top, (optional)

1. Measure the ingredients in the order given into the pan of an automatic bread machine.
2. Turn the machine to the dough cycle, and as it begins to mix, use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides until it forms a soft ball. You may need to add a little more flour so that the ball of dough holds its shape.
3. Let the cycle run and when finished, transfer the dough to a lightly floured pastry cloth or counter top.
4. Divide the dough into 24 pieces and smooth each one out.
5. Spread the melted butter over the surface of an 11" x 17" (approximately) jelly roll pan.
6. Dip the tops of each piece of dough into the melted butter, then place on the pan four across the short side and six down the long side.
7. Let the rolls rise until they fill the baking sheet and are doubled in bulk; sprinkle with seeds if using.
8. Bake the rolls in a 350° oven 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 167 Calories from Fat 77
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 46% Protein 9% Carb. 45%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 9 g
Saturated Fat 5 g
Cholesterol 48 mg
Sodium 270 mg
Total Carbohydrate 19 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 2 g
Protein 4 g

Vitamin A 8% Vitamin C 1% Calcium 0% Iron 2%