Go Back
A rectangular pan of icebox rolls with a pastry brush resting on the side and a small dish of butter
Print Recipe
5 / 2 votes

Cheryl Day’s Icebox Rolls

Leftover mashed potatoes were my grandmother Queen’s secret ingredient for these tender icebox rolls. The potassium and starch molecules in the potatoes allow the yeast to rise quickly and also condition the dough, which makes for a soft, delicate crumb.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time3 hours 45 minutes
Course: Sides
Cuisine: Southern
Servings: 48 rolls
Calories: 125

Ingredients

For the icebox rolls

  • 7 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 12 tablespoons (6 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 cups mashed potatoes (about 4 medium russet potatoes, boiled until tender, peeled, mashed, and cooled to room temperature)
  • 2 large eggs, beaten

For the egg wash

  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 teaspoons heavy cream
  • Butter, for serving
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the icebox rolls

  • In a large bowl, combine the flour and yeast, stirring to blend.
  • In a medium saucepan over low heat, add the milk and butter. Stir frequently, until the butter melts. Add the sugar and salt and stir until they dissolve. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
  • Pour the cooled milk mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the flour mixture, water, potatoes, and eggs and mix on low speed for 3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and mix until you have a smooth dough, about 7 minutes more.
  • Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and do a final kneading of the dough, shaping it into a ball and tucking the edges of the dough to the bottom center, creating a smooth, taut ball.
  • Lightly spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Add the dough and turn to coat with oil, then turn seam side down, cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
  • Lightly butter a 12- by 17-inch (30- by 43-cm) rimmed baking sheet. Alternatively, you can use two 9- by 13-inch (23- by 33-cm) baking pans.
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 48 (about 1 1/2-ounce or 44 g) pieces. Shape into balls and place in the prepared pan, 8 rows by 6, arranging them on the baking pan so they just barely kiss each other. (You also have the option to cover and refrigerate the rolls in the pan until ready to bake, up to 1 day.)
  • Allow the rolls to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (If your rolls were refrigerated overnight, this may take 2 to 3 hours.)
  • When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).

Make the egg wash

  • In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk and cream together. Lightly brush the tops of the rolls with the egg wash.
  • Bake the rolls until golden brown, 16 to 24 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve warm with butter alongside, if desired.

Notes

  1. Halve the recipe--You can halve all of the ingredients and use a single 9-by-13-inch baking dish for making a half batch of these rolls.
  2. Use flour as needed--The dough is very soft and sticky. Be sure to dust your work surface with flour, and coat your hands with flour as needed when working with the dough. Don't overwork the dough; just quickly shape each roll into a ball so that handling time is minimal.
  3. Make evenly-sized rolls--Use a scale for weighing out your rolls so that they are evenly sized.
  4. Reheating--Leftover rolls can be reheated in a 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll | Calories: 125kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 104mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g