These homemade crescent bread rolls are created from scratch using a potato yeast dough recipe. There is enough dough in each batch to make approximately 32 large freshly baked buns or 40 smaller sized ones.The beauty of this recipe though is that you don't have to make all the buns at once. You can bake the entire batch of dough immediately or store a portion of it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This allows you to have fresh baked bread hot from the oven for four days in a row. Yum.
The finished crescent shaped rolls from this recipe are absolutely delicious. There is nothing tastier than home baked bread and the potato added into this recipe not only provides for a unique flavour but also adds that little extra body to the dough as well. They are a taste of pure heaven fresh from the oven. With this recipe you can bake the dough or refrigerate it. The beauty of having a yeast dough that you can refrigerator is that it allows you to bake up separate batches of hot fresh buns to serve up nightly with your evening meal while eliminating the bulk of the work load for the subsequent batches.
The basic preparation is done so you can rise the amount of dough that you will use today and refrigerate the remainder. It can remain in the fridge for up to 4 days. I generally divide the dough into 4 quarters and form each of these into a ball. With a rolling pin press each ball out, after which each section will make 8 large crescent rolls. If you want a larger batch use 1/2 of your dough and set the remainder to the side to refrigerate. If you would like a smaller batch use 1/4 of your dough today. This recipe makes it easy to work with as much or as little of the dough as you choose. I will be preparing 1/2 of my dough today and refrigerating the other half to be baked up in a day or two.
Ingredient List:
6 teaspoons yeast
1 1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup potato (mashed)
2/3 cup margarine (or substitute with 1/2 cup olive oil)
2 eggs (beaten)
1 teaspoon salt
About 8 to 9 cups of white flour
Directions:
1. Dissolve yeast and the 1/2 cup sugar in 1 1/2 cups warm water. Once yeast has dissolved (about 5 minutes) add in the salt, mashed potato, margarine, and egg. Flour will be added into the mix in the next step.
Activating Yeast so the Dough Will Rise Properly
3. Dump the dough onto a heavily floured surface. Add remaining flour as you knead the dough.
If You are Unsure How to Knead Bread Dough This May Help
5. Now place dough in greased bowl. Also grease the top and sides of your dough to prevent sticking.
7. We will now be covering the dough so it will sit and rise. I use my dough in two parts so rise the first half today and refrigerate the remainder. I use sliced open X-large sized plastic bread bags to cover the bowls.
8. Next cover the plastic over the dough you are baking today with a towel. Allow to rise for about an hour. The dough you put into the fridge should be wrapped similarly but it will rise in the fridge.
9. The dough will generally rise to around double its original size. You will generally see the top of your towel rising when the dough is almost ready for the next phase. Punch it down, then knead for about another ten minutes to remove excess bubbles.
10. Remember that the original dough is viewed as being 4 quarter sections. Each quarter will make one ball that you can use a rolling pin to press out into a flat circle. I kept half my dough so I now have two circles of dough.
11. Cut your circle into eight pieces. Roll from the wide edge inward to form the croissants. A tighter roll will give you a thinner layer so try to keep the roll a little fat. Your buns will be fluffier that way.
Allow Croissant Rolls to Cool on the Counter. Enjoy.
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