Buttermilk Buns, Barbecue Sauce and the Remains of the Day

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Try though I might, I can't ignore the siren's song that screams, "Eat me!", each time the refrigerator door is opened. My leftovers are demanding attention. Given the number of meals that have been made lately, the status of the remains is really not too bad. The problem is that I'm not fond of leftovers and dislike repetition in my meals. Like it or not, those remains must be dealt with or tossed and I don't toss food. I had a goodly sized piece of roast pork that was sliced and warmed in a thick, but quick barbecue sauce. I made this everyday sauce from a few simple ingredients and served some of the warmed pork on homemade sandwich buns. The unused portion of the sauced pork and sandwich buns have been frozen to use for lunch on other days. Neither the sauce nor the buns are fancy and aren't meant for those seeking designer fare, but if you're looking for a fast and easy way to deal with leftover pork or beef, stay right where you are. This quick homemade barbecue sauce is my way of waging war on the condiments that clutter my refrigerator shelves. Bottles of sauce and salad dressings tend to gang up on me - much as cereal boxes do in the pantry - and to prevent that from happening I prefer to make as many of my own condiments and dressings as I can. While it sounds very dramatic, I also make my own sandwich buns. This is not a big deal. I can't find decent ones, so I prefer to make and freeze my own. I usually make three dozen at a time and that one-time effort holds us for several months. The recipe is super-simple but produces delicious rolls that you can shape as you please. Today's feature is a twofer that I think you'll enjoy. Here are the recipes for buttermilk buns and barbecue sauce.

Buttermilk Sandwich Buns...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
2-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large egg
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup buttermilk powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1) Combine water, yeast and sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Whisk in canola oil and egg. Add flour, buttermilk powder and salt. Mix on low-speed until dough forms a ball and pulls away from side of bowl, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm place until doubles in size, about 1 hour.
2) Grease one or two large baking sheets. Turn dough onto a floured surface. Divide dough into 8 portions. Slap or roll each piece into desired shape and place on prepared pan leaving enough space between them to allow them to rise. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to double in size, about 30 to 40 minutes.
3) While dough rises preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake rolls until golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack for cooling. Yield: 8 sandwich buns.

Everyday Barbecue Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 cup ketchup
1 cup water
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Directions:
1) Combine ketchup, water, vinegar,Worcestershire sauce, sugar, paprika, chili powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, salt and minced garlic in a saucepan.
2) Place saucepan over medium heat and bring contents of pan to a simmer. Cook until sauce thickens and is reduced by 1/4 in volume, about 5 minutes. Use immediately or allow to cool and refrigerate. Yield: 2 cups.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Ellen's Famous Hamburger Buns - Home Cookin' from Ellen's Kitchen
Honey-Oatmeal Dinner Rolls - Salad in a Jar
Buttermilk Dinner Rolls - Michael Ruhlman
Honey Yeast Rolls - Plain Chicken
Kaiser Rolls - One Perfect Bite
Torpedo Rolls - One Perfect Bite

Parker House Rolls

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I was raised in an apartment that was in one of four buildings set around a central courtyard. The buildings each contained four duplex and two garden units. The complex had twelve courtyards that, when viewed from the air, resembled military housing, save for the extensive landscaping and oversized buildings that housed the large apartments. During the war years, a scant male presence created a community of women who, of necessity, learned to fend for themselves. They formed tightly knit groups and established support systems that I haven't seen the likes of since, and there were times that it was impossible to distinguish neighbors from family members. Holidays tended to be communal affairs. You've already met Hannie and Mrs. P. who lived in the duplexes to the left of ours. You have yet to meet Anita who lived across the hall in our half of the building. She was young, married, but childless, and was a mathematician working on a project at the University of Chicago. More interesting to me at the time was the Christmas tree she kept in her living room. It was put up the year her husband was sent to North Africa and remained there until his homecoming. The tree was by then an ornamented stick, but it stood watch like a sentinel connecting her to him while he was away. Anita was no match for the cooking of Hannie or Mrs. P., but she did her share of work for our parties which were held in the basement laundry room. It was an expanse of about 75 feet that separated the two garden apartments from each other. The basement was whitewashed and curtained and, under the eagle eye of Mrs. P., a deliberate effort was made to keep it immaculate. On special occasions, a wringer washer, shared by all the neighbors, was rolled away and wash tubs were boarded and draped to hold the evenings bounty. Fels Naptha and bleach competed with the wonderful aromas that wafted down the stairs to the basement. Anita usually brought her Parker House rolls. They were all the rage back then and considered to be quite stylish. The rolls were first served at the Parker House Hotel in downtown Boston in the mid 1870's. While the rolls were sold to other hotels and restaurants, the ingredients were kept secret until 1933 when the recipe was requested by President Roosevelt. Anita's rolls were delicious. They were light and fluffy and the aroma as they baked could drive you mad. While I suspect memory plays tricks with reason, I've never had rolls that tasted quite as good as hers. This recipe is the closest I've ever come to matching them. I hope you enjoy them.

Parker House Rolls...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite


Ingredients:
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar, divided use
1/2 cup warm water
1-1/2 cups scalded milk, cooled to room temperature
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup melted butter, divided use
6 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
1) Combine yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar and water in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Let sit until frothy, about 5 minutes. Add milk, reserved 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 cup melted butter to yeast. Add 1-1/2 cups flour and beat at medium speed for 3 minutes. With mixer at low speed, add 4 cups of flour, a cup at a time, beating until a soft dough forms. Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let double in volume, about 1 hour.
2) Punch down dough and turn onto a lightly floured board. Let rest for 5 minutes. Roll dough into a sheet 1/2-inch thick. Cut into 3-inch rounds. Crease each round in the middle with the back of a knife. Brush exposed surfaces with reserved butter. Fold dough over and press lightly to seal. Place rolls 2-inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Cover lightly and allow to rise again until nearly double in volume,
about 35 minutes.
3) Meanwhile preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Bake until rolls are golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on racks. Yield: 36 rolls.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Torpedo Rolls - One Perfect Bite
Kaiser Rolls - One Perfect Bite
Buttermilk Cluster with Blue Poppy Seeds - One Perfect Bite

This post is being linked to:
Wild Yeast - Yeast Spotting

Anadama Rolls

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I don't know how or when it happened. After years of going "over the river and through the woods" there came a day when I, ready or not, like it or not, was the grandmother to whose home the revelers cometh. I know it's terribly unsophisticated to celebrate this meal, but I'll tell you up front that I love it, if for no other reason than the wonderful aromas that emanate from the kitchen as this dinner comes together. Christmas builds to a olfactory crescendo with aromas that are released over a period of days. Not so Thanksgiving. This is an all or nothing affair. The assault begins with breakfast bacon and continues through the day as the aroma of bread and pie and turkey and cider meld into a harmonious union that could put the orchestration of a symphony to shame. Thanksgiving is not a difficult meal to prepare; it's as easy to make for twenty as it is for two, but it does require a game plan and a bit or organization to pull it off. I do a great deal of the work ahead of time. Today I made our rolls, both Anadama and potato, and enough pie crust to last us through the Christmas holiday. Everything is in the freezer waiting to debut on the big day. The pie crusts will be rolled and filled on Thanksgiving morning. I pre-bake the rolls. We talked about Refrigerator Potato Rolls last year. Since then I've resurrected this wonderful recipe for Anadama Rolls. The recipe appeared in Bon Appetit over a decade ago. I really like these rolls. There is something especially fitting about rolls made with corn meal and molasses for Thanksgiving day. Symbolism aside, the rolls are really wonderful and they are not hard to make. I know you'll like them. Here's the recipe.

Anadama Rolls...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
1 cup water
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup warm water
1 envelope (2-1/4 teaspoons)dry yeast
4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten to blend
2 teaspoons sesame or poppy seeds

Directions:
1) Bring milk, 1 cup water and salt to boil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Slowly whisk in cornmeal. Cook until mixture thickens and boils, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in molasses and 2 tablespoons butter. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Cool until thermometer inserted into center of mixture registers 115°F, whisking often, about 15 minutes.
2) Pour 1/2 cup warm water into small bowl; sprinkle yeast over. Let stand until yeast dissolves and top looks spongy, about 10 minutes. Stir yeast mixture into cornmeal mixture. Gradually mix in 4 cups flour, about 1 cup at a time, to form soft dough that pulls away from sides of bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour onto work surface. Turn dough out onto floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, sprinkling with more flour by tablespoonfuls if needed, about 10 minutes (dough will remain slightly sticky). Form dough into ball. Coat a large bowl with butter or shortening. Add dough to bowl and turn to coat dough with butter or shortening. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
3) Punch down dough. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand 10 minutes. Coat each of two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with butter or shortening. Roll dough into 18-inch-long log. Cut into 18 equal pieces. Using floured hands, form each dough piece into ball. Place 9 dough balls in each pan, spacing apart. Cover each pan loosely with towel. Let rolls stand in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 30 minutes. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Brush rolls with egg glaze. Sprinkle with seeds. Place rolls in oven and immediately reduce temperature to 350°F. Bake rolls until golden brown, about 30 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely. Store airtight at room temperature. Wrap rolls in foil and rewarm in 350°F oven 10 minutes.) Serve warm. Yield: 18 rolls.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
The Way the Cookie Crumbles - Cinnamon Rolls
Pinch My Salt - Sweet Potato Buttermilk Rolls
Cooking By the Seat of My Pants - Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls

This recipe is linked to:
Wild Yeast - Yeast Spotting

Garlic Herb Rolls

Oregon is a gorgeous state with pockets of beauty that will take your breathe away. Bob and I actively seek them out. It starts when one of us sees an obscure marker that veers off the beaten path. A glance, a nodding assent and then a sharp turn takes us onto the road less travelled. The hope is we'll find a place so beautiful that it will reveal the world as it should be. Naive? Perhaps, but we've found some transcendentally beautiful places.
If you blink you'll miss the marker that points the way to Loon Lake. Fortunately, we didn't blink and found this rainbow at its end. It's an isolated, fir-fragrant, untouched piece of yesterday. Folks who know this spot are its caretakers. The grounds are beautifully kept and it's a family kind of place. We love to show it to the unsuspecting and it's become our favorite picnic spot. It's the place where we had our first picnic of the year. Rather than pack a finished hamper, we grilled ribs in the campground and served them with Asian noodles and these wonderful Italian herb rolls. We'll talk about the ribs in a few weeks. My recipe today is for the rolls. They are extremely easy to do and packed with flavor. They have the texture of a bread and won't crush or flatten, so they're perfect picnic fare. They also freeze well. This is a good recipe for beginners. Oh, about Loon Lake...I'd tell you but...

Garlic Herb Rolls

Ingredients:
12 large garlic cloves, peeled
1-1/2 cups milk + milk for glazing
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon table salt
2-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1-1/2 teaspoons dried, crushed Italian herb seasoning
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Coarse sea salt

Directions:
1) Place garlic cloves and milk in a 2-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Place in a blender jar and pulse to puree garlic. Set aside.
2) Place flour, salt, yeast and herbs in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
3) Add milk, oil and egg to dry ingredients. Mix with hands or a wooden spoon to form a dough.
4) Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until soft and smooth, about 3 minutes.
5) Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover, let rise in a warm place until double in volume, about 1 hour.
6) Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
7) Turn dough onto a work surface. Knead gently for a minute or two. Form into 8 rolls. Place on prepared baking. Lightly score top of rolls with a knife. Cover and let rise for 15 to 30 minutes. Brush rolls with reserved milk. Sprinkle with sea salt.
8) Bake until rolls are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Cool. Yield: 8 rolls.

I'm sending this recipe to Cindy Star who is hosting Bread Baking Day #19. BBD is a popular food-blog event that was started by Zorra of Kochtopf.

Hot Cross Buns - Up Close and Personal

Most folks associate hot cross buns with Good Friday and the Easter season. Actually, these small rolls predate Christianity and were associated with pagan ceremonies that celebrated the vernal equinox and the feast of Eostre, the goddess of spring. As Christianity gained a foothold in Britain, church leaders tried to ban symbols associated with the pagan festival. The ban proved to be untenable, so some of the symbols were adopted and woven into the fabric of Christian ritual and celebration. The cross on the buns, once a symbol of the equinox and phases of the moon, came to represent the crucifixion. The buns, as part of Christian tradition, can be dated to the 12th century when monks made them to distribute to the poor who visited their monasteries on Good Friday - also known as the Day of the Cross. The distribution of the buns became a tradition and the ingredients required to make them were standardized. Traditional hot cross buns contain flour, milk, sugar, butter, eggs, currants and spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg. The cross on the top may be cut into the bun, fashioned out of icing or made out of pastry strips. According to tradition, hot cross buns were made from the same dough used to make consecrated bread and they were the only food that could be eaten by the faithful on Good Friday. Fast forward to the court of the Tudor monarchs where the buns were seen as a dangerous reminder of Catholic Easter tradition. They attempted to ban their sale but that resulted in riots that caused Queen Elizabeth I to pass a law permitting bakeries to sell them, but only during the Easter and Christmas season. That's probably why we only see them at this time of year.
Moving forward yet again, the buns were carried by monks across the Irish Sea and then taken from Ireland by the converted heathens - my relatives - to America where they ended up on my family's table. My Mother was not a baker, but we were fortunate in having neighbors who were extraordinary cooks. Unfortunately, the kitchens - German and Swedish - were engaged in an on-going rivalry. Every Easter we would receive Hot Cross Buns from each, but the rivalry demanded diplomatic skills of the highest order. Neither kitchen produced the recipe I use today. This one comes from the Gourmet Cookbook and it produces absolutely delicious rolls. There is, however, a problem with the recipe. I think the baking time is understated by several minutes; I can't get the darn things to brown in the time specified by the recipe. The rolls you see in these photos were placed under a broiler to brown and they were glazed with a syrup that's not part of the recipe. The buns are great but the browning issue drives me crazy. Any ideas? They'd be appreciated. Also, this recipe calls for an uncooked pie crust that's included at the very end of the ingredients list. It's used to make the pastry crosses. It's no big deal, but I wanted to give you a heads up, so there'll be no scrambling when the rolls complete their second rise. These really are delicious and the aroma when they bake will drive you mad.

Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients:
1 cup warm milk (105°–115°F.)
2 (1/4-ounce) packages (5 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick + 2 tablespoons (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup dried currants
1/3 cup golden raisins
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh orange zest
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
3 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar
1 uncooked pastry crust

Directions:
1) In a small bowl stir together milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. Let mixture stand 5 minutes, or until foamy.
2) Into a large bowl sift together flour, allspice, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Cut butter into bits and with your fingertips or a pastry blender blend into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal. Lightly beat 1 whole egg with egg yolk. Make a well in center of flour mixture and pour in yeast and egg mixtures, currants, raisins, and zests. Stir mixture until a dough is formed. Transfer dough to a floured surface and with floured hands knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Transfer dough to an oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Let dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
3) Butter 2 large baking sheets.
4) On a floured surface with floured hands knead dough briefly and form into two 12-inch-long logs. Cut each log crosswise into 12 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball and arrange about 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets. Let buns rise, covered, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
5) Preheat oven to 400°F.
6) While buns are rising, lightly beat remaining egg with superfine sugar to make an egg glaze.
7) On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out pastry dough into a 20- by 6-inch rectangle (about 1/8 inch thick). With a sharp knife cut rectangle crosswise into 1/8-inch- wide strips.
8) Brush buns with egg glaze and arrange 2 pastry strips over center of each bun to form a cross. Trim ends of pastry strips flush with bottoms of buns. Bake buns in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer buns to a rack to cool slightly. Buns may be made 1 week ahead and frozen, wrapped in foil and put in a sealable plastic bag. Thaw buns and reheat before serving. Serve buns warm or at room temperature. Yield: 24 rolls.

Recipe courtesy of The Gourmet Cookbook

I'm sending this recipe to Susan at Wild Yeast for her weekly Yeast Spotting event.

Toscatårta and Swedish Coffee

I'm always hesitant to reply when people ask me to name my favorite dessert. My tastes run to the barely sweet, but within that category I have a dozen favorites. This petite cake is one of them. I learned to bake a version of it as a child. A neighbor was my teacher. Armed only with a wooden spoon, her massive arms beat butter and sugar to submission and produced cakes and pastries that, to this day, astound me. Coffee was always simmering on her stove but a fresh pot, complete with a raw egg, was always made to accompany this lovely almond-topped cake. That, too, was watched with fascination. My first cup of coffee - a café au lait much heavier on au lait than café - came as a reward for making my first tårta. The cake is simple to do but make sure you use an 8-inch cake pan. I actually use a cheesecake pan with fixed sides to make mine. Make sure to spread the topping on a still warm cake. Keep a careful eye on the cake once it goes into the broiler as it takes only seconds for the topping to burn. This tårta does not keep well, so plan on serving it the day it's made - it's best eaten warm. I really, really like this cake. I think you will, too. As a curiosity, I'm including a recipe for Swedish egg coffee in this post. Why an egg? It helps the grounds settle to the bottom on a pot. It's not a bad technique to have at your disposal if your coffee pot breaks.

Toscatårta
Ingredients:
Cake:
2 teaspoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon dry bread crumbs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Almond Topping:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons milk
1/3 cup sliced blanched almonds, toasted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
To make cake:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally coat bottom and sides of a high-sided 8-inch round pan with 2 teaspoons butter. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs or flour. Tap out excess.
2) Sift flour, baking powder and salt together in a mixing bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat eggs until blended. Add sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until the mixture is pale yellow and forms a ribbon when the beater is lifted out.
3) Using a spatula, fold flour mixture and milk alternately into egg mixture by first adding about 1/3 of the flour, then a little milk, then another 1/3 of flour, and remaining milk. Finally, add butter and fold in remaining flour. Be careful not to overfold. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bang pan on table to remove air pockets.
4) Bake cake in the center of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until cake is golden brown and is springy when touched lightly. A toothpick inserted into center of cake should come out dry and clean. Remove from oven. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.
To make almond topping:
5) Meanwhile, combine butter, sugar and flour in a small pan and stir together briefly with a wooden spoon. Add milk and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 or 3 minutes, until mixture is smooth and thick. Remove from heat and stir in almonds and vanilla. Set aside.
Final assembly:
6) Preheat broiler. Run a knife around the edges of cake to loosen from pan. Invert onto a wire rack. Set another rack on top of cake and invert again. Spread topping over warm cake. Place cake, still on rack, under the broiler, about 3 inches from the heat. Broil 3 to 5 minutes, until top is golden brown and bubbling. Check constantly to be sure that topping does not burn. Serve while still warm. Yield: 1 8-inch cake.

Adapted from The Cooking of Scandinavia by Dale Brown

Swedish Egg Coffee
Ingredients:
10-12 cups of water
1 cup regular-grind coffee
1 egg
1 cup of ice cold water

Directions:
Bring water to a boil and remove from heat. In a small bowl, mix coffee and egg. Add a little hot water to coffee and egg mixture, then pour mixture into hot water. Stir and heat until it comes to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and pour in 1 cup of ice cold water. Let set for 10 minutes before serving. (The egg and grounds settle to the bottom, leaving the coffee a dark honey color.)

Refrigerator Potato Rolls

This is a great recipe to have at the ready for holiday meals. Once the dough is made it sits in the refrigerator for one to three days. It's removed from the refrigerator and shaped into rolls about two hours before baking. I love to put these in the oven just before guests arrive. The aroma drives them absolutely insane. The shape the rolls take is up to you. Here's a link with suggestions and instructions for shaping dinner rolls. I should point out that this dough can also be used to make cinnamon rolls, so the same batch can do double duty and be served for breakfast and dinner. This is really simple to do. Enjoy!

Refrigerator Potato Rolls

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups warm water
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 cup instant, reconstituted warm mashed potatoes, prepared without butter and salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, softened
6-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Glaze: melted butter or egg wash (1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water)
Poppy or sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:
1) Pour warm water into a medium size bowl. Sprinkle yeast over water; add sugar and salt; stir to combine. Let sit until mixture begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.
2) Add eggs, soft butter, warm mashed potatoes and 3 cups flour. Beat with a portable mixer until just smooth. Using a wooden spoon, beat in 2 additional cups of flour until just mixed into dough. Add remaining 1-1/2 cups flour, using hands to mix dough until it's smooth and leaves the sides of bowl. Brush top with oil or melted butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in refrigerator until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. Punch down. Cover and return to refrigerator for one to three days, punching down once each day.
3) Remove dough from refrigerator 2 hours before serving. Punch down and shape rolls on a lightly floured board - clover leaf, fan-tans and pan rolls are the easiest to do, but you can use any shape you wish. Cover rolls with a towel; let rise until double in bulk, about 1 hour. Brush with butter or egg wash and seeds. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes. Serve warm if possible. Yield: 36 rolls.