potato rolls

When I was in New York earlier this year, I fell in love with the sliders at Shopsins. They were simple, but so good. One of the key reasons: Martin's potato rolls. Soft and buttery those little buns made those burgs special. Martin's is a U.S. brand and sadly I can't find them here in Canada. So, in the meantime I've tried to come up with a recipe that mimics the fluffy deliciousness of Martin's rolls. These come pretty close, but are a bit too soft and a touch too sweet. Too soft to use as a vehicle to hold any meaty patty, but slathered in butter these were extremely enjoyable.

* rolls right out of the oven

* dough after the first rising

* dough after the second rising

1/2 C warm water

1 package dry yeast

2 tsp sugar

2/3 C butter, melted

1/2 C warm milk

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 C warm mashed potatoes

2 eggs

4 1/2 C flour (more or less may be needed)

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer add water. Sprinkle sugar and yeast over water and let sit for about 5 minutes, or until yeast gets foamy.

2. Using the paddle attachment stir in butter, milk and salt. Add the mashed potatoes, eggs and 3 1/2 cups of flour. Mix until combined.

3. Switch to the dough hook attachment and add in the rest of the flour in 1/4 cup increments. Stop adding flour when the dough is soft and slightly sticky still.

4. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place the bowl somewhere warm (I put mine on top of my stove) for about 2 hours or until it has risen to double in size.

5. Punch down the dough and shape into equal sized balls. Place balls in a glass baking dish about one inch apart. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again for about 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size (they will be stuck together at this point).

6. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes depending on the size of your rolls. I made 12 and it took 18 minutes.

* Steps 1-3 can be done by hand as well.