Potato Knot Rolls

I looooove good rolls. This is one of my favorite roll recipes. It is relatively easy and also makes good dough for cinnamon rolls. (I often use half of it for rolls and the other half for cinnamon rolls.) Here's the recipe:

POTATO KNOT ROLLS

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ Tablespoon yeast (If using SAF brand only 1 T.)
• 3 cups milk
• 1 cube butter (1/2 cup)
• ¼ cup shortening
• 1 cup instant potato flakes
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 4 eggs
• 8 cups flour*

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat milk in microwave or on the stove. You want it warm but not so hot it will burn your finger. Remove from heat. Add the butter and shortening. Then add the potato flakes, sugar and salt and let it sit.
2. *If you are using SAF brand yeast, skip this step: Prepare your yeast by adding ¼ cup warm water and ½ tsp. sugar to the yeast and let it sit until it bubbles.
3. Beat 4 eggs in your mixer and add the above milk mixture. (Make sure the milk mixture is not too hot. You may add 2 cups of flour to cook it down.
4. Add yeast (If you use SAF brand yeast you can put it right in. Otherwise you need to prepare the yeast like explained above)
5. Mix the eggs and milk on low speed and slowly add the flour. Keep one cup out and let the mixer run for about 5 minutes and then add the last cup very slowly until the sides of the mixer are clean. If mixing by hand, knead until smooth and not too sticky. It may take all 8 cups or a little more or less.
6. Put the dough in a greased bowl or let rise in the mixer bowl for an hour covered with a clean dish towel. Divide the dough in half and roll into a large rectangle. Take soft butter and spread all over the rectangle. Then take the top of the rectangle and fold to the middle of the rectangle. Next take the bottom of the rectangle and fold on top so that you have a long rectangle, about 5-6" wide. (It will be 3 layers if you do it correctly)
7. Using a pizza cutter, slice the dough into one inch strips and tie them in a knot. (I usually pull on the strip a little then tie the knot) Don't worry about them being perfect :)
8. Put the rolls onto a greased pan or parchment lined cookie sheets is what I use. Let the rolls rise for 2 to 3 hours depending on the temperature in your home. Just watch them, when they have gotten nice and puffy, they are ready to bake. Don't let them rise too long or they will deflate.
9. Bake at 375 for 11 to 12 minutes.

NOTES

* If you want to use 4 cups all purpose flour and 4 cups better for bread flour that is ideal. I have made it both ways. If I have the bread flour I use 4 cups, if I don't I use all purpose flour.

For cinnamon rolls: combine 3/4 c. sugar, 3/4 c. brown sugar, and 2 T cinnamon and mix. Sprinkle on each circle. Follow the same procedure for rolling out as the basic roll recipe. You may put icing on the rolls right after you take them out of the oven.

Use butter flavored shortening if possible! I also like to rub butter on the top of the rolls once they come out of the oven. Clearly, I like butter. ;-) This makes plenty of rolls, so if you're not serving a lot of people, I recommend doing what I do and turning half of them into cinnamon rolls. Delicious!