Potato Bread Rolls

These Potato Bread Rolls are pillowy soft dinner rolls with a tender, moist crumb thanks to the real mashed potatoes folded into the yeast dough. Finished with a shiny brush of melted butter and a pinch of flaky sea salt right out of the oven, these fluffy pull-apart rolls can be served for everyday meals, while also being a perfect showstopper side dish for a holiday lunch or dinner.

There is nothing more soothing and comforting than that smell of fresh bread baking in the oven. Especially during those cold autumn and winter days. When I was growing up, my mom was always baking fresh bread and so many other baked goodies. Now whenever I make homemade bread, it instantly takes me back to being home.

In addition to being an amazing side dish for any main meal, you can also serve these bread rolls with butter and jam as a quick breakfast. I love them with a slice of queso fresco cheese and a bit of guava jam, a match made in heaven. You can use them to make sliders or sandwiches. They are delicious and dangerously addictive.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Mashed Potatoes: Freshly boiled Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes yield the softest crumb. Leftover plain mashed potatoes work well too as long as they aren’t heavily seasoned already. I have not tested this recipe with instant mashed potatoes, so I am not sure if it works as well.
• All-Purpose Flour: Standard all-purpose flour gives these rolls a tender bite. You can substitute bread flour for a slightly chewier, denser roll.
• Active Dry Yeast: Instant yeast can be substituted. Even though you don’t have to activate it separately, I like to keep this step just to make sure that the yeast activates correctly.
• Salted Butter: Unsalted butter works equally well. Simply increase the salt in the dough to 1 ¼ teaspoons.

Cooking tips and recommendations for making the best Potato Bread Rolls

• Avoid lumpy mashed potatoes. I have found that the lumps don’t dissolve into the dough, which means you are left with the lumps in an otherwise smooth and fluffy roll. A few small lumps are okay, but make sure that you are using creamy mashed potatoes for this recipe. You can use a potato ricer if you want to make sure your mashed potatoes are lump-free.
• Cool your mashed potatoes. Adding hot mashed potatoes directly to the dough will raise the temperature and may kill your yeast, preventing the rolls from rising. Make sure the mash is warm or room temperature before mixing. You don’t want cold mashed potatoes either. Room temperature is ideal.
• Weigh your dough balls for the most uniform baking. I like to use a kitchen scale to weigh the entire dough ball and then divide the number by 15. This ensures even baking and the best-looking rolls.
• Don’t skip the second rise. Allowing the rolls to puff up and touch in the 9×13 pan before baking forces them to expand upward in the oven, creating the tall, pillowy sides. 

How to tell when your rolls are perfectly finished cooking:

• Instant-Read Thermometer: this is my preferred method. Insert a digital food thermometer directly into the center of the middle roll. They are done when the thermometer reads 190-200°F (88-93°C).   
• The tops should be uniformly golden brown, and the sides where the rolls touch should look baked and set (not wet or doughy).
• Gently tap the top center roll. It should sound hollow rather than dense or heavy.

How to store these Potato Bread Rolls

Store your leftover baked rolls in an airtight container or foil-wrapped pan at room temperature for up to 4 days. Potatoes naturally retain moisture, keeping these rolls soft longer than standard dinner rolls.

To reheat and serve them warm, place the rolls on a baking sheet in the oven at 300°F (150°C) for 5 to 7 minutes or microwave individual rolls for 8 to 10 seconds. Baked rolls can also be frozen in a Ziplock freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Potato Bread Rolls

Recipe for homemade Potato Bread Rolls, these soft buttery rolls are made with mashed potatoes, active dry yeast, whole milk, sugar, flour, butter, and eggs.

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Course: Breakfast, Side Dish

Cuisine: International, North American

Keyword: Baking, Bread rolls, Comfort food, Mashed potatoes, Potato bread rolls

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Rise Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 15 rolls

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain mashed potatoes about 1-2 potatoes depending on size
• ½ cup warm milk (milk temperature should be 110-115°F or 43-46°C) 120 ml
• 1 packet active dry yeast 2 ¼ teaspoons
• ¼ cup granulated sugar divided in half, 50 grams
• 3 ¾ to 4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled 450-510 grams
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup salted butter, softened 60 grams
• 2 large eggs room temperature

Optional garnishes:

• Melted butter
• Flaky salt

Instructions

• Peel and cut potatoes into 1-inch (2.5cm ) cubes and boil for 10-12 minutes or until fork tender. Mash the potatoes until creamy and set aside to cool to room temperature.
• In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the warm milk, active dry yeast, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
  
• While the yeast is activating, in a large bowl add 3 ¾ cups (450 grams) of flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, mix well.
  
• To the flour mix, add 1 cup of mashed potatoes, softened butter, eggs, and the activated yeast mixture, stirring until you have a shaggy or lumpy dough.
  
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. If the dough is sticky, add in more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Place the dough in a large greased bowl.
  
• Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  
• Punch down the dough.
  
• Divide into 15 equal portions, and roll each into a smooth ball.
  
• Arrange the rolls in a greased 9×13-inch (22x33cm) baking dish.
  
• Cover the rolls and let them rise for 30 to 40 minutes until puffy.
  
• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Bake the rolls for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown on top and the internal temperature reaches 190-200°F (88-93°C).
  
• Brush the potato bread rolls generously with the melted butter and flaky salt, if desired, immediately upon removing from the oven and serve warm.
  

Photos of the step by step preparation process for Potato Bread Rolls:

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