Rosemary Potato Rolls

These Rosemary Potato Rolls come from a King Arthur Flour recipe. They’re really tender and savory and I love them with smoked salt, particularly when I’m making the more smokey version of Crab Corn Chowder. The Rosemary Potato Rolls are really easy and are quite elegant looking as a basket of golden knots. You’ll be proud of the results and hard-pressed not to eat more than one when they’re still warm from the oven.

1 ¼ cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons Baker’s Special Dry Milk or non-fat dry milk powder
¼ cup potato flour OR ½ cup potato buds
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons fresh or dried rosemary, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons yeast (need a yeast lesson reminder?)
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons salt for garnishing (I like maldon, preferably smoked)

makes 12 rolls

In the bowl of your mixer, add flour, potato flour, sugar, rosemary, salt, and milk powder. Whisk or mix together. Make a well and add the yeast, warm water, and olive oil. Let sit about 5 minutes or until it’s foamy. Turn on the mixer and run with the dough hook for 5 minutes. Check the dough’s consistency- it should form a soft, smooth dough. You may wish to run for 1-5 additional minutes if you don’t have this smooth texture. Transfer the dough to a well-floured or lightly greased work surface. This dough is quite sticky, so be prepared with extra flour. Fold the dough over several times, then divide it into 12 equal pieces. Let the pieces relax for 10ish minutes (makes shaping easier). Roll each piece into a 10-inch snake. Coil the snake and tuck in the end so that it pokes up through the middle. Place the rolls about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet that’s been lightly dusted with cornmeal. Cover them with greased plastic wrap and let them rise until they’ve doubled in size (about 45 minutes). I usually preheat the oven to 375° F when there’s about 10 minutes left on the timer for the rising. For a glossy coat, brush the tops of the risen rolls with beaten egg, and sprinkle them lightly with the coarse salt of your choosing. Bake them at 375° F oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Eat them while they’re still warm with Crab Corn Chowder. The leftovers make excellent rolls for sandwiches, breakfast or otherwise.