Potato Cinnamon Rolls for Two

See the note below about the potato. Place the raw potato and 1 cup of the water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until the potato is done (it slides off a knife when pierced), about 10-15 minutes. After boiling, you will be left with around 1/4 cup of the water. Drain the potatoes, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water in a small bowl. Add 3/4 cup of fresh water to the reserved water. Place a thermometer inside the water and wait until it cools down to 108-115 F.

Once the water has cooled to the ideal temperature range, add the yeast and a pinch of sugar. Stir to dissolve, and then let it rest until foamy, about 5 minutes. If the yeast does not foam, it’s dead. If this happens you’ll need to start over with fresh water and fresh yeast. If this does happen to you, you can use 1 cup of plain water for this step—no need to boil extra potatoes).

Next, add the sugar, melted butter, and potato pieces to the bowl with the yeast. Stir very well to combine. Add the flour, and mix until combined. Grab the dough in one hand, and smear some butter up the sides and across the bottom of the bowl. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm place for 45 minutes-1 hour, or until doubled. If your kitchen is cool, turn on the oven to 200 F for 5 minutes, turn it off, and place the bowl inside to rise.

After rising is complete, the dough can be punched down and refrigerated overnight to bake in the morning. I’ve had great results making the dough the night before.

Next, we’ll roll out the dough and fill it. Dust the counter lightly with flour, and dump the dough onto the flour. Pat out the dough into a 6″ square. Pour on the melted butter. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon on top of the melted butter. Let it sit for a minute or so, until the butter absorbs the brown sugar and cinnamon. This will help the filling from falling out when rolling.

Gently, roll up the square, starting on the side of the dough closest to you. Roll it tightly into a log, and pinch the edge together when you get to the end. Slice the roll in half, then place both halves in a greased loaf pan, cut side up. Let the rolls rise in the loaf pan in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Bake the rolls in the oven for 25 minutes. The rolls will be brown when done; don’t be afraid of color. Take the rolls out of the oven.

In a small bowl combine the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, powdered sugar and milk. Pour the glaze on the warm rolls, and serve.

Note: Most russet potatoes weigh more than 5 ounces, so either grab a tiny organic one, or pull out 5 ounces worth of raw potatoes while making mashed potatoes the night before.