Potato Rolls – The Softest, Most Buttery Rolls You’ll Ever Eat

These potato rolls don’t require any kneading, and honestly, they’re hands down the best rolls we’ve ever had. Soft, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious, they’re our #1 most requested roll recipe.

These rolls are ridiculously easy to make — no fancy equipment, no complicated techniques — and perfect for any meal, holiday dinner, or special occasion. Once you try them, you’ll see why everyone keeps asking for this recipe.

These are seriously the best potato dinner rolls ever. They are so soft and seriously melt in your mouth. They are ridiculously buttery. 

Suggested Products

These are all affiliate links for amazon but you can go to a store to find a lot too. Amazon is just easiest.

• Potato Gems or Pearls – We use these dehydrated potatoes as they seem to give the best flavor and texture.
• Dough Scraper – Any ol’ scraper will do but we prefer a plastic scraper to scrape the dough and flour off our counter and out of bowls for 10x faster clean up.
• Silpat Baking Mat – We bake everything on a silpat; cookies, rolls and even loaf breads cook evenly and without sticking! No spray needed!
• Nordic Ware Cookie Sheet – The cookie sheet you use absolutely can make or break your recipe. If it’s too dark it will cause your food to look dark and over-bake. You want a cookie sheet that bakes evenly and won’t affect color.
• Stainless Mixing Bowls – I love glass mixing bowls, but the truth is, everyone should have good stainless bowls in all sizes and these are great ones.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Sugar: Feeds the yeast to help the dough rise and adds a touch of sweetness that enhances flavor. It also promotes browning, giving your rolls that beautiful golden color.
• Unsalted Butter: Butter adds richness, tenderness, and flavor to the rolls. The fat coats the flour proteins, which limits gluten development — that’s why your potato rolls turn out so soft and melt-in-your-mouth.
• Milk: Milk makes the dough tender and adds subtle sweetness and flavor. The natural sugars in milk also help with browning, while the proteins contribute to a soft, rich crumb.
• Potato Flakes: This is your secret weapon! Potato flakes (or mashed potatoes) make the rolls extra soft and moist by attracting and holding onto moisture.
• Salt: Balances the sweetness, enhances flavor, and strengthens the gluten structure so your rolls rise evenly and hold their shape.
  • PRO TIP: Always add salt after the yeast has been mixed in with other ingredients to avoid slowing yeast activity.
• Instant Yeast: The leavening agent that makes your rolls rise. Instant yeast works quickly and doesn’t require proofing in water first — just mix it right in with the dry ingredients.
• Eggs: Eggs add richness, flavor, and beautiful golden color. They also help bind the dough and contribute to a soft, tender texture.
• Flour: The backbone of the recipe! Flour provides structure and gluten formation — the framework that traps air and gives your rolls their shape and lightness.

How to Make Potato Rolls

1. Scald the Milk: Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add the milk. Cook until the edges begin to foam but don’t let it come to a boil. Remove from heat.
2. Add: Stir in the sugar, butter, potato flakes and salt until combined and then let it cool to luke warm.
3. Stir: Add the yeast and stir them in followed by the eggs.
4. Combine: Place the flour in a large bowl then add the wet ingredients and stir until the dough comes together. The dough will be sticky.
5. Rise: Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and let it rise for an hour.
6. Divide: Punch the dough down and divide into 4 equal parts.
7. Roll: Roll out each of the portions into a circle that is 1/2″ thick and butter 2 of the 4 circles. Place the unbuttered circles on top of the buttered circles so that the butter is between the two circles and press around the edges to seal.
8. Form: Cut each circle either into 1″ wide strips or 16 wedges depending on how you want to form the rolls. Tie the strips into knots or roll the wedges into a crescent shape (see section below).
9. Rise: Place formed rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment and cover with a towel. Let them rise for 1.2 hours or until doubled in size.
10. Bake: Once they have risen, bake in a preheated oven at 350℉ until golden brown, (14-20 min).
    • PRO TIP: Make sure you eat one straight out of the oven. Oh my goodness, it’s like heaven. The best potato rolls literally melt in your mouth.

Can You Make Potato Rolls Ahead of Time?

Yes! You can make potato rolls ahead of time!

1. Method 1 is making the dough, covering it in a bowl with plastic wrap and allowing it to sit in the fridge overnight. The next day, set the bowl until no longer chilly and proceed as normal.
2. Method 2 is to allow the dough to rise, roll out the dough on a cookie sheet and then cover in plastic wrap and rest in the fridge overnight. Place on the counter to take the chill off for an hour or two and then bake.

How Long Do Potato Rolls Last?

Potato rolls will stay soft for days thanks to the potato starch molecules’ ability to keep wheat starches from getting stale.

Let the rolls cool completely before storing and place in a plastic storage bag, or wrap in foil and store at room temperature.

Properly stored, rolls will last for about 5 to 7 days at normal room temperature. But, let’s be honest here-the BEST Potato Rolls are so darn good, you won’t have any left-overs to store!

Can You Freeze Potato Rolls?

Bake the rolls as usual — as if you were going to serve them right away. Let them cool completely, then wrap them tightly in aluminum foil.

Place the foil-wrapped package in a freezer bag or storage container and freeze for up to a month

OR

Freeze the rolled out dough on a cookie sheet then store in freezer bags in the freezer for up to 1 month.

How to Form into Knots

The really long pieces I generally cut in half, but I also love huge rolls (not on my body), so it’s up to you.

Create a knot by crossing the ends of the strip and pull one end through the hole. Just like when you are tying your shoe.

How to Shape Like Crescent Rolls

Cut in pizza slices and roll, starting at the fat end into crescent rolls.

Why are Potato Rolls Lighter Than Other Rolls?

When you boil potatoes, it enlarges the starch molecules. This makes it difficult for the proteins in the flour to form gluten (the enemy of light, airy bread and pastry).

Potatoes contain potassium which causes yeast to rise faster than it would with breads that contain only wheat. Potato starches absorb more water than wheat starches, leading to a moist texture.

And that’s it — the secret to the softest, most buttery potato rolls you’ll ever eat! No kneading, no stress, just fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth rolls that are perfect for any meal or holiday.

If you loved these rolls, don’t forget to try them with our Buttery Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Turkey, or with other Thanksgiving Side Dishes for the ultimate comfort-food feast. Once you make these potato rolls, they’ll become your go-to recipe too!

More BREAD SIDES You’ll Love:

• Herbed Focaccia Bread
• Homemade Baguette
• French Bread
• Buttermilk Biscuits
• Homemade Naan
• Easy No Knead Artisan Bread
• One Hour Rolls
• All our BREAD RECIPES here!

Watch This Video to See How They are Made…