Soft, fluffy, golden dinner rolls are the kind of recipe every home cook should have, and this one comes straight from Ree Drummond’s The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes, our Cookbook Club Pick of the Month at The Foyer.
These Perfect Potato Rolls are exactly what you want on the table next to a cozy dinner: pillowy inside, lightly crisp on top, and just salty enough to keep you reaching for another. The secret? Russet potatoes folded into the dough, which create an incredibly tender texture that stays soft for days.
If you’ve ever wondered why potato rolls from bakeries are so good, this recipe shows you exactly how to make them at home..
Why We Love This Cookbook Club Recipe
Every month, The Foyer’s Cookbook Club spotlights a cookbook we think deserves a permanent place in your kitchen.
This month’s pick, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Essential Recipes, is packed with classic comfort food, approachable techniques, and recipes that feel like they belong in every home.
These Perfect Potato Rolls are the best example of:
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Cozy, classic baking
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Surprisingly beginner-friendly
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Ideal for family dinners and holidays
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Soft, buttery rolls that everyone loves
Serve them with pot roast, roast chicken, soups, or turn them into sliders the next day.
Perfect Potato Rolls Recipe
From The Pioneer Woman: Essential Recipes
Makes: 24 dinner rolls
Ingredients:
2 medium russet potatoes, baked or microwaved until tender
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon grated garlic
5 tablespoons melted salted butter, plus softened salted butter for greasing the pan and serving
2 large eggs
1 package (2¼ teaspoons) instant yeast
1 tablespoon kosher salt
4½ to 5 cups bread flour, plus more for rolling out the dough
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions:
While still hot but manageable, slice open the potatoes and squeeze or scrape the flesh into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low for 10–15 seconds to break up chunks. With the mixer on low, add the milk, lemon juice, honey, garlic, melted butter, and 1 egg. Sprinkle in the yeast and kosher salt and mix for 1 minute.
With the mixer running, gradually add 4½ cups of flour in small additions. Increase speed to medium and mix for 5 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and pulls away from the bowl. If it’s too sticky, add up to ½ cup more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Remove the dough, shape it into a ball by folding the edges underneath, and place it in an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour, or until doubled (allow up to 45 minutes more if needed).
Butter a 9 × 13-inch baking pan. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 24 equal portions. Roll each into a smooth ball and place in the prepared pan. Cover and let rise again until very puffy and touching.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Whisk the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush over the rolls. Sprinkle with sea salt and bake for 16–18 minutes, until golden brown.
Serve warm, or reheat covered in foil in a 200°F oven for 15–20 minut
Make them ahead of time and warm them, covered in foil, in a 200°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes!
Make Ahead Tip
You can make these rolls ahead of time. Cover with foil and warm in a 200°F oven for 15–20 minutes before serving.
Join Our Cookbook Club
These Perfect Potato Rolls are just one recipe from our Cookbook Club Pick of the Month: The Pioneer Woman: Essential Recipes.
Inside the book you’ll find dozens of comforting, family-style dishes—from slow-cooked dinners to cozy baked goods like these irresistible rolls.
If you’re cooking along with us this month, this is the recipe to start with.