Soft rolls with potatoes and durum wheat semolina can be used for both sweet and savory dishes. They are incredibly soft, tasty, and very easy to make. We can prepare them for a buffet, a dinner with friends, as a snack, or for a picnic. The dough for these rolls is so soft and pleasant to work with that it’s not necessary to have a mixer, but you can knead it by hand in a large bowl. Besides being delicious, the rolls with potatoes and durum wheat semolina have another advantage, which is that they stay soft for several days. Enjoy them filled with vegetables, with burgers, or spread with Nutella, jam, etc… These rolls are perfect to always have a supply of bread ready to use when needed.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup durum wheat semolina
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp fresh yeast
- 1/3 cup water
- doubled starter dough
- 1 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 3/4 cup durum wheat semolina
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup water
- 4 1/2 oz boiled potatoes
Preparation
Boil the potatoes (usually one is enough), peel them, mash them, and let them cool.
In the meantime, prepare the starter dough by dissolving the fresh yeast in a bowl with a tablespoon of water taken from the 1/3 cup provided. Add the sifted flour mix, the remaining water, and knead to obtain a soft dough.
Let it rise until doubled, covered with a kitchen cloth or plastic wrap.
When the starter dough has doubled in size, add it to the actual roll dough.
Prepare the dough
In a bowl or a mixer, place the starter dough, the cooled mashed potatoes, the sifted flour mix, the salt, and the water (you might need a bit more or less, depending on the room temperature and humidity; that’s why it should be added little by little).
Knead all the ingredients until you get a homogeneous, soft dough. Then cover it completely and let it rise until doubled.
Shape the rolls
1) When the dough looks nice and puffy, divide it into 8 pieces of about 3 1/2 oz each.
2) Slightly flatten each piece and roll it from top to bottom (towards you); you will get a small cylinder.
If you want oblong rolls, leave them in the cylindrical shape, gently extending the ends.
If you prefer round rolls, take an additional step: roll the cylinder onto itself to form a small ball, sealing the closure with your fingers.
Optionally decorate the surface of the rolls with small cuts as desired, place them on a baking sheet (spacing them at least 2 inches apart) lined with parchment paper, and let them rise until doubled in the switched-off, closed oven.
Once the rolls are well risen, turn on the oven and set the temperature to 340°F.
Bake the rolls, at mid-height, in the hot oven for about 20-25 minutes at most.
Cooking times may vary from oven to oven, especially if heat comes from both the top and bottom.
Once cooked, remove them and let them cool at room temperature. Then store them in food bags to further preserve their freshness. They can be frozen as soon as they become cold.
Bon appétit
