#1371 - Potato Rolls

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 red potatoes (washed, peeled, drained but keep 1 cup of the water)
2 envelopes dry yeast
1/2 tsp. white sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
1/4 cup Crisco shortening
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs
2 tsp. salt
about 6 1/2 cups flour

Boil peeled potatoes until tender--drain but reserve 1 cup of the potato water. Mash the cooked potatoes with a potato masher. Sprinkle both packets of yeast into 1/2 cup of the hot potato water--stir. Add the white sugar to the yeast mixture--stir. Let the yeast mixture stand for 10 minutes. While waiting, put the butter and Crisco into the other 1/2 cup of hot potato water--stir until melted. In a mixer add eggs--beat. Add salt and mashed potatoes--beat. Add yeast mixture--beat until blended. Add Crisco mixture and honey--beat. Add 2 1/2 cups flour--beat for 2 minutes. Remove bowl from mixer--add 3 1/2 cups to 4 1/2 cups flour--mix with your hands until it forms a dough ball. Place dough ball on floured counter and knead it until smooth. Place the dough ball into a greased bowl--spray the top of the dough ball with Pam and place a tea towel over the top of the bowl. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size. Cut the dough into pieces about half the size of the rolls you want to make (they will double in size) and roll them smooth with your hands. Place dough pieces in a greased 9 x 13 cake pan. Cover the cake pan with a tea towel and let them rise until doubled in size. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until browned.