When the cold weather sets in, I crave nothing more than a hot bowl of soup or stew. But what makes it a complete meal, is a nice juicy roll or hearty bread slathered with butter, to go with it.

Last weekend I threw a super fun virtual Norwegian cooking class featuring dishes made from potatoes that showcased a variety of delicious dishes that can be made, from appetizers to desserts!

Besides having a lot of leftover potatoes, I was inspired to think of even more creative ways to use this humble spud.

Today I’m super excited to share a recipe for soft and juicy dinner rolls that is quite possibly the best I’ve ever made!

What’s the secret ingredient?

Potatoes, of course!

Adding potatoes to the dough creates a soft texture that absorbs extra moisture during the mixing stage, producing a smooth and pliable dough. When you add potato to your bread dough, the dough’s starch content and liquid retention increase,— which translates to bread with a soft, moist texture and a long shelf life.

Remember that the more potatoes you add, the more moisture in the dough and it can get more difficult to shape. Keeping the potatoes to about 200 grams for this flour ratio seemed perfect.

Try baking these whenever you have leftover potatoes from dinner, and enjoy with my Mushroom Barley Soup or another of your favorite soup or stew.

(If you need inspiration for which soups to make, check out my Cozy Soups & Stews on-demand cooking class! )

Believe me when I say these will be the best rolls you’ve ever made!

Potato Dinner Rolls

Makes 20-24 rolls

About 7 oz (200 grams) cooked and peeled Yukon Gold potatoes
Scant 5 cups (600 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons instant or dry active yeast
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ cups (3.5 dl) water
60 grams (4 tablespoons) vegan butter, cold and diced

Mash the potatoes with a fork and add to a stand mixer bowl with all the other ingredients minus the butter. Fit the mixer with a dough hook and knead for 10 minutes, then add the butter and knead for another 10 minutes until you have a smooth, shiny dough.

Cover the bowl and let rise in a draft-free environment until double in size, about 1-1 ½ hours.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat covers.

Tilt the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and dive the dough into 24 pieces, about 1 ½ oz each (45 grams), and place the buns close to each other to the prepared baking sheet.

The idea is for them to rise and touch each other so they are almost like pull-apart buns when they come out of the oven. Cover and let rise for another 45 minutes.

While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 550°F (275°C). Once ready to bake the rolls, brush them with water and sprinkle with poppy seeds.

Place the sheet tray with the buns on the middle rack of the oven, reduce the temperature to 480°F (240°C) and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until nice and golden up top.

Remove from the oven, slide the buns off the sheet tray by carefully dragging the parchment paper, and let them cool on a rack before digging in!

The rolls freeze well, make sure to freeze them as soon as they have cooled down. They will taste just as fresh from the freezer when popped in the oven for about 10-15 minutes!

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