Potato Rolls with Chives | #BreadBakers

November 8, 2021 33 Comments

Soft potato rolls for your next dinner. They're super-soft thanks to a boiled potato, and loaded with chives.

These were supposed to be Potato Rolls with Rosemary. But at the last minute, I realized I didn't actually have any fresh rosemary, and was concerned dried rosemary might be a little coarse and gritty in these soft potato rolls.

But I had a small container of partly dried chives, and went with those instead. Recipes need to be flexible in my opinion, to accommodate what we have on hand.

And this recipe, based on one I saw in the New York Times, was a home run. These potato rolls need to be on your Thanksgiving table this year.

Are Potato Rolls Made with Real Potatoes?

Yes! Potato rolls or any kind of potato bread are essentially a wheat bread that's enriched with mashed potato, potato flour or dehydrated potato flakes. When using either potato flour or flakes, a portion of the wheat flour is swapped out for the potato.

Why Are Potato Rolls Better?

So, why go to that extra trouble? There are several reasons that make this a worthwhile habit for you in your own bread baking, in addition to reducing some of the gluten in the bread.

1 - They're healthier.

Potatoes are a great source of potassium, which we all need in our diets. In fact, potato bread has 3 times the potassium (generally) provided in whole wheat bread, and 7 times that of white bread. Potatoes also provide a big fiber boost when incorporated in breads.

2 - Faster rise.

The potassium also contributes a faster rise. So that saves you time. Yay!!!

3 - Moister bread.

When you boil the potatoes, and yes they must be boiled when using them in breads, the starch molecules expand and absorb more water. This makes potato bread beautifully moist, for the same reason tangzhong worked to make these Cinnamon Rolls so moist. It's all about getting moisture absorbed as completely as possible before baking.

4 - Lighter and airy bread.

The starches in the potatoes when boiled, make it difficult for the protein in wheat flour to develop gluten. This promotes a light, airy dinner roll.

(Additionally, this recipe calls for all-purpose wheat flour, which has lower protein than bread flour.)

5 - Keeps bread fresher longer.

Potato starch provides a final big benefit by keeping breads fresher longer. There's some science behind it, this is baking after all, but essentially the potato starch molecules prevent the wheat starch molecules from crystallizing.

All of this combines to make potato rolls and any other kind of potato bread a very goof-proof way to bake yeasted breads.

Ingredient Notes

Use russet potatoes for this recipe. I prefer Idaho russets if I my market has them. Yukon potatoes will be too waxy and moist, and will affect the texture.

I recommend Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast. I purchase it in a jar, and keep it refrigerated. But you can purchase individual packets too.

This recipe uses all-purpose unbleached wheat flour, not bread flour. Bread flour will make the roll more chewy (gluten-y). I prefer King Arthur, as they have very tight, consistent parameter for making flour.

Equipment Notes

This dough is very easy to knead, and does not require a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook. Nor do you need a rolling pin.

Kitchen Scales are must when baking bread, IMHO.

Fine-Mesh Strainer

Instant-Read Thermometer

8" X 8" Baking Dish

Cooling Rack

Soft potato rolls for your next dinner. They're super-soft thanks to a boiled potato, and loaded with chives.

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5 from 38 votes