About twenty years ago,
I was at my friend Maggie's house.
There was the most delicious aroma
emanating from her kitchen.
She was making rolls.
When she pulled them out of the oven,
I immediately ate 4 or 5,
slathered with butter.
They were that good.
I haven't seen Maggie since then,
but I think of her every Thanksgiving
when I scrounge through my recipe "file"
to find my tattered and stained yellow legal sheet
with my hastily scribbled directions
I wrote that day oh so many years ago.
These are some of the best,
if not THE best,
rolls you'll ever put in your mouth.
You'll have to trust Rosie on this.
I've never let you down.
Potato Rolls
3 medium potatoes
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups water (that the potatoes cooked in)
2 packages yeast
3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 eggs, beaten
enough flour to form a soft dough
Slice potatoes, leaving skins on.
Boil until real tender.
And save the potato water.
Add in two packages of yeast
to warm potato water.
Add 1/4 cup of sugar to proof.
Add remaining 3/4 cup sugar to potatoes.
Add shortening to potatoes.
Cut shortening in.
When the yeast has proofed ...
... add in baking soda and baking powder ...
... the beaten eggs ...
... and the salt.
Pour potato mixture into yeast mixture.
I know.
It looks a mess.
Gradually add in flour,
a quarter cup at a time.
Keep adding.
When you get a big gloppy mess like this,
turn it out onto a floured board.
Pat it into shape,
adding flour as needed.
And start working the dough.
Keep kneading until you get a nice package of dough.
Put in a buttered bowl
and let rise.
You can do this much the day before baking it.
I made the dough on Wednesday,
and put it in the cooler over night.
The next day,
I took the dough out of the cooler
and let it come to room temperature
before continuing.
Be sure you cover the dough very securely
cause it'll find any way to ooze out.
As mine did.
I buttered my muffin tins
and rolled the dough into little balls.
Let 'em rise again.
Butter the tops
and bake at 375 degrees
for about 10 minutes.
Mr. Hawthorne officially declared these
the best rolls he's ever eaten.
"Like biting into a cloud."
All three dozen were gone by Thanksgiving night.
2 comments:
With the exception of the baking powder and baking soda, this is almost identical to the bread recipe passed down from Grandma to Mama to me. I sometimes make them into homemade brown and serve rolls. Bake until just the barest hint of color appears then remove from oven and cool completely. Stick pans in the freezer until bread is frozen solid, then bag. Remove from freezer 15 minutes before baking. Brush with melted butter then bake at 375 until nicely browned....about 10 minutes.
"Keep kneading until you get a nice package..."
HAHahahahahahahahahah!!!!
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