Bread: Mashed potato in yeast rolls?

Subject: Mashed potato in yeast rolls?
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Little--Peach at webtv.net (Laura)
Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2003 16:40:40 -0500 (CDT)
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Hello all,

I came across a recipe that my grandmother had where she used mashed potatoes and warm potato water in her home made yeast rolls. It calls for a cup each.

Anyway, I made them and they turned out soooo good. I have several recipes that are almost the same but without the potatoes and potato water.

My question is: Does anyone know what role the potatoes have in making these rolls taste so good? Do they act with the yeast somehow to make them lighter or fluffier or what?

Just curious !!!!!!
From: DRB (drbrun0 at nospam.com)
Date: Thu, 07 Aug 2003 01:14:32 GMT
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I have no clue what role the potatoes play, but how about sharing that recipie <vbg>
From: Bob Pastorio (pastorio at rica.net)
Date: Wed, 06 Aug 2003 21:59:58 -0400
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Laura wrote:
> My question is: Does anyone know what role the potatoes have in making
> these rolls taste so good? Do they act with the yeast somehow to make
> them lighter or fluffier or what?

The potatoes do a few things. They provide carbs for the yeast to feast on, so the rise is good. They retain moisture and help to make the crumb more tender. They replace some flour in conventional recipes, so less gluten, so less elastic dough, so lighter to the bite. The potato biscuit won't rise as high as a flour biscuit because there's less protein per unit of dough, but the moistness and lightness more than make up for that, IMO.
From: BOB (can at spam.con)
Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2003 23:20:02 -0400
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Bob Pastorio typed:
> The potatoes do a few things. They provide carbs for the yeast to feast
> on, so the rise is good. They retain moisture and help to make the crumb
> more tender. They replace some flour in conventional recipes, so less
> gluten, so less elastic dough, so lighter to the bite. The potato
> biscuit won't rise as high as a flour biscuit because there's less
> protein per unit of dough, but the moistness and lightness more than
> make up for that, IMO.

We talkin' about biscuits or yeast rolls?
The SUBJECT and the OP were talkin' YEAST ROLLS.
From: Coop1042 at webtv.net (Laura)
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2003 02:35:16 -0500 (CDT)
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Pastorio wrote:
> The potatoes do a few things. They provide carbs for the yeast to feast
> on, so the rise is good. They retain moisture and help to make the crumb
> more tender. They replace some flour in conventional recipes, so less
> gluten, so less elastic dough, so lighter to the bite. The potato
> biscuit won't rise as high as a flour biscuit because there's less
> protein per unit of dough, but the moistness and lightness more than
> make up for that, IMO.

Bob wrote:
> We talkin' about biscuits or yeast rolls? The SUBJECT and the OP were
> talkin' YEAST ROLLS.

Yes, the subject was actually yeast rolls but I really appreciate the info just the same.
From: Bob Pastorio (pastorio at rica.net)
Date: Thu, 07 Aug 2003 15:18:55 -0400
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Laura wrote:
Right enough. That was the subject. In the middle of writing my note, I flashed on the potato biscuits I had just a week or so ago with all those characteristics. Senior moment. The info applies the same to the rolls as to the biscuits, though.
From: rbasan7 at hotmail.com (Roy Basan)
Date: 6 Aug 2003 19:35:57 -0700
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Laura wrote:
> My question is: Does anyone know what role the potatoes have in making
> these rolls taste so good? Do they act with the yeast somehow to make
> them lighter or fluffier or what?

Hello laura,
Potato products can improve baking quality for these reasons:
1.) The potato has lot of soluble solids such as nitrogenous matter, fermentable sugars, as well as ruptured starch cells that can provide substrate for cereal enzymes as well as nutrient for vigorous yeast activity.This is available in potato water.
2.) The potato solids(in mashed potaotes) can provide improved moisture retention that can equate in better sensory and keeping quality of the baked product.
BTW, In the old times potato was part of the culture for airborne yeast used in times before the advent of commercial yeast.
From: Little--Peach at webtv.net (Laura)
Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2003 21:07:05 -0500 (CDT)
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DRB wrote:
> I have no clue what role the potatoes play, but how about sharing that
> recipie <vbg>

Okay here is the recipe but remember, my grandmother wrote these instructions a long time ago so they dont go into great detail.

Yeast Rolls

Mix together:
1 cup mashed potatoes
1 cup warm potato water
2/3 cup shortening
1/4 cup sugar

Add:
1 package yeast dissolved in lukewarm water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 beaten eggs

Add enough flour to make a firm dough. Work down good and put into large greased bowl. Put wet cloth on top. Leave in ice box at least 2 hours before making into rolls. Let rolls rise about 3 1/2 hours and bake at 400 F. until done.

Sorry about the instructions not being very clear. I dont remember how much flour I used either to get the "firm dough". I think maybe around 6 or 7 cups. I dont ever remember my grandmother using a recipe for anything she cooked so evidently she wrote this down for a family member stating exactly how she made them.
From: DRB (drbrun0 at nospam.com)
Date: Thu, 07 Aug 2003 02:51:26 GMT
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Laura wrote:
> Okay here is the recipe but remember, my grandmother wrote these
> instructions a long time ago so they dont go into great detail.

Thanks for the recipie! And plenty of instructions to get them made :)