Potato Onion Rolls

2 c whole wheat flour                          2 T gluten (see comment)

3 c bread flour   (see comment)           2 c milk (scalded or reconstituted instant milk)

1 c mashed-potato flakes                    ½ c butter or butter substitute (melted, lukewarm)

3 T sugar                                           ½ c green onion (chopped onion will work)

2 t salt                                               2 eggs

2 pkgs active dry yeast (2 T)

1.     

       1. Put whole wheat flour, potato flakes, sugar, salt, yeast, and gluten in a large mixer bowl. Blend.

            2. Beat milk, butter, onion, and eggs into the flour mixture until moist. Use the bread hook for your mixer or beat it by hand.

      3. Add enough of the bread flour to form a soft ball of dough. 

            4.  Knead. 

           By Mixer: beat at medium-slow speed for about 3 minutes or until dough is springy. 

           By Hand: knead on a floured counter for 8-10 minutes.

      5. Place the dough in an oiled bowl. Let it raise until double in size.

                     Microwave method: place the dough in the microwave. Set on high for 15 seconds, wait 15 minutes, run for 15 seconds, wait for 15 minutes. The total raising time is about 30 minutes.  If you remove the dough from the microwave, cover it with a clean kitchen towel.

                    Countertop method: set the bowl in a warm place and cover it with a towel. Total raising time is about one hour .

           6. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a cylinder 2-3 inches in diameter. Divide each cylinder into 12 equal parts.   

      7. Form each part into a round roll. Place the roll on a greased cookie sheet or jellyroll pan. Place them about 2 inches apart. For a more attractive roll, press the top of each roll in some potato flakes.

     8. Cover the rolls with a clean kitchen towel. Raise until double in size (about 30 minutes).

         9.  Place rolls in an oven which has been preheated to 375 degrees. Bake for 25 minutes.

COMMENT

• ·         Liquids which are too hot will kill the yeast. Test heated liquids (milk, butter) for temperature by placing a drop on the inside of your wrist. The liquid should feel neither hot nor cold.
• ·         I prefer to use instant milk when baking bread. I cannot taste a difference from using regular milk and instant milk eliminates the need to scald. Regular milk must be scalded (heated to just below the boiling temperature) to kill enzymes which harm the yeast.
• ·         Be careful to not mix in or work in when kneading in any more flour than necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Too much flour harms the quality of the final product.
• ·         For raising, I coat a crock bowl with about 1 teaspoon canola oil. I always put the dough in the bowl and then flip it over. That leaves the top of the dough with a thin coating of oil so it will not dry out during raising.
• ·         I grease my baking pans with shortening. 
•        All-purpose flour may be substituted for bread flour. The gluten may be eliminated. However, using both produces a nicely textured loaf.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”  Matthew 4:4  NIV

GIVING CREDIT

This is my version of a recipe I clipped from the Wichita Eagle Beacon newspaper many years ago.