I can honestly say that I love potato dinner rolls. Pillowy soft, and fluffy with a slightly sweet flavor, these little bites of joy will be a delicious addition to your dinner table.
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You’re going to love our Homemade Potato Dinner Rolls! They’re soft and fluffy with a melt-in-your-mouth texture that will have you reaching for a second and third roll.
Brushing the tops with a honey-egg mixture adds just the right amount of sweetness and creates a beautiful golden brown color.
If you enjoy making homemade dinner rolls, try our Hawaiian Dinner Roll and Parkerhouse Roll recipes.
Ingredients to Make Potato Dinner Rolls
Gather the ingredients needed to make our Potato Dinner Rolls recipe. In culinary terms, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into “Everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also helps ensure you have all of the ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
*For added flavor, you can add garlic powder or onion powder. You can also add fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme to the dough.
What kind of potatoes should I use?
We used Yukon gold to make the recipe, but russets are another good choice. Starchy varieties will create soft and fluffy rolls. You may use other varieties, but they may create a different texture for the roll.
You can use instant potatoes to make the dough. Reconstitute ½ cup of the flakes with six tablespoons of boiling water.
How to Make Potato Dinner Rolls
- Peel 3-4 Yukon gold potatoes (depending on the size) and cut into pieces. You will need one cup of mashed potatoes.
- Add the potatoes to a pot of salted water and boil for about 10 minutes or until the pieces are easily pierced with a fork.
- Mash the potatoes, then set aside to cool.
- Add the warm water, two tablespoons of granulated sugar, and instant yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Mix to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes to activate the yeast.
- Add the remaining sugar, cooled mashed potatoes, whole milk, melted butter, eggs, and table salt to the mixer bowl.
- Mix until well combined.
*The warm water should be 105 – 110 degrees F., not at room temperature.
Grease a 9×13″ baking pan and set aside until needed.
- Add the flour to the bowl.
- Using the dough hook attachment, knead on medium-low for 5-6 minutes. The dough should be smooth and pliable and pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap, then set aside in a warm area of the kitchen to rise until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut into 18 equal-sized pieces.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Roll each piece of dough into small balls, then place them seam-side down in the prepared baking pan. (It’s okay for them not to have any space in between.)
- Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rise for 20-30 minutes.
- Add the egg and the honey to a small bowl.
- Whisk to combine.
- Brush the top of the rolls with the honey mixture.
- Place the pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
*Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 -15 minutes before serving.
These tender, sweet potato dinner rolls are perfect for a Sunday dinner, dinner party, or family gathering. They can also be used to make your favorite sliders.
Leftovers can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days or refrigerated for 3-4 days. They can be stored frozen for up to two months.
Recipe FAQ’s
If the dough feels too sticky, add additional flour, one tablespoon at a time, until it is smooth and easy to handle. Don’t add any more flour than is necessary, as it will make the rolls tough and dense.
The biggest reason is inactive yeast. Always check the date to make sure the yeast is fresh. Also, adding the yeast to water that is too hot (above 110 degrees) will kill the yeast.
Other reasons would be adding too much flour and leaving them to rise in a cold or drafty area of the kitchen.
Yes, you can but the dough will require longer to proof. Active dry yeast has larger granules and leavens dough at a slower rate than instant yeast, but other than that, no changes are needed to the recipe.
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Potato Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- ½ cup warm water
- 4 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 cup mashed Potatoes boil 3-4 Yukon gold potatoes, peel, then mash
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 6 tablespoon melted butter -cooled or olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon table salt
- 4 – 4½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Peel 3-4 Yukon gold potatoes (depending on the size) and cut into pieces. You will need one cup of mashed potatoes.
- Add the potatoes to a pot of salted water and boil for about 10 minutes or until the pieces are easily pierced with a fork.
- Mash the potatoes, then set aside to cool.
- Add the warm water, two tablespoons of granulated sugar, and instant yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Mix to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes to activate the yeast.
- Add the remaining sugar, cooled mashed potatoes, whole milk, melted butter, eggs, and table salt. Mix until well combined.
- Add the flour to the bowl and using the dough hook attachment, knead on medium-low for 5-6 minutes. The dough should be smooth and pliable.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap, then set aside in a warm area of the kitchen to rise until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.
- Grease a 9×13″ baking pan and set aside until needed.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut into 18 equal sized pieces.
- Roll each piece of dough into small balls, then place them seam side down in the prepared baking pan. (It’s okay for them not to have any space in-between.)
- Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rise for 20-30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add the egg and the honey to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Brush the top of the rolls with the honey mixture.
- Place the pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
- Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 -15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Other reasons would be adding too much flour and leaving them to rise in a cold or drafty area of the kitchen. Can I use active dry yeast to make the rolls? Yes, you can, but the dough will require longer to proof. Active dry yeast has larger granules and leavens dough at a slower rate than instant yeast, but other than that, no changes are needed to the recipe. Can I use bread flour? I would not advise using bread flour as the higher protein count will give the rolls a chewier bread-like texture instead of the soft, pillowy texture that all-purpose flour creates.
Jerry says
Do these rolls freeze well? I want to make some and have them ready quicker for dinner Saturday! 🙂
I am.going to try your cannoli bread, too! Sounds scrumptious!!
Thank you!!
Chef Dennis Littley says
They do freeze well, just make sure to keep them well sealed.