Robert Sinskey Vineyards

Potato Buns

Have leftover or extra mashed potatoes? Make these delicious buns. They are easy to make and well worth the effort. For variation add ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary for rosemary buns or a ½ teaspoon finely ground black pepper for potato black pepper buns. Yield: 2 dozen

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2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water
1 cup scalded whole milk, cooled
½ cup mashed potatoes prepared with milk and butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter plus 4 tablespoons melted
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 large egg, beaten
4½ cups all-purpose flour
Extra virgin olive for bowl
Flaked sea salt

1. Place the warm water in a small bowl and evenly sprinkle the yeast over. Let stand until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
2. Mix milk, mashed potatoes, butter, sugar, and salt together in a bowl. Add the yeast mixture and egg. Use a sturdy wooden spoon to stir 2 cups of flour into the milk mixture until incorporated. Stir in the remaining 2 cups flour to make a soft dough.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 7 minutes. Add additional flour if the dough is too sticky. Dough should be soft and pliable but not stick to the surface.
4. Place the dough in a lightly greased medium-sized bowl. Turn once to coat all sides of dough with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and put in a warm place until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
5. Punch dough down and shape into a ball. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rest on the counter or board for 10 minutes before shaping to relax the dough.
6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 loaf pans or 2 10-inch skillets with parchment paper.
7. Cut the dough into 24 equal pieces. Roll or shape into balls and place in the prepared pans. Let rise until dough springs back when touched with your fingertip, about 30 to 40 minutes.
8. Brush the tops of the rolls heavily with butter and sprinkle lightly with flaked salt. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and brush with remaining butter. Cool to warm and serve.