Sulphur Creek Ranch Potato Rolls. Photo Susie Iventosch

We spend the summers in Idaho in a pretty remote area ... seven miles down a dirt road. This, however, is not always remote enough for my husband, who has a passion for flying a small plane into back country dirt strips.
One such place, Sulphur Creek Ranch, is about a 25-minute plane ride from the town of McCall and serves as the gateway to the Frank Church Wilderness. The ranch can be accessed only by small plane, horseback or on foot, and is situated in a magnificent setting, with mountains beckoning from every direction and awesome hikes, fishing and horseback trail rides for the adventurous.
Sulphur Creek Ranch also boasts 10 charming guest cabins and a beautiful, rustic lodge where ranch managers Kiere and ValDean Schroeder host breakfast every day in the summer, as well as dinners whenever the cabins are occupied. They put out truly scrumptious fare and one day, Kiere served the most amazing homemade potato rolls. They were fabulous, and of course, I had to have the recipe.
Kiere found the original recipe by Connie Steenberg in an Idaho cookbook and she shared it with me. I've now made them several times for our summer guests. They are really easy and hold up well for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. Connie indicated in her recipe that the dough can be kept (covered) up to five days in the refrigerator, too, although I've yet to try that.
Kiere adds her own touch to the recipe by adding sour cream, buttermilk and parsley to her mashed potatoes before adding them to the dough. By the way, she makes her own mashed potatoes, too, and so I have done the same. When making the mashed potatoes, make enough for a second batch and store it in the refrigerator. You'll be happy you did.
Also, in addition to making small dinner rolls, I've made hamburger-sized rolls for burgers and they were perfect.
For more info about Sulphur Creek Ranch, please visit:
www.sulphurcreekranch.com.

(Makes 18 rolls)
INGREDIENTS
31/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup oil (I use olive oil)
1 package yeast
1/8 cup (2 Tbsp.) warm water at about 110 degrees
2/3 cup water
1 egg
1/2 cup mashed potatoes (can add flavoring - herbs, etc. - to the mashed potatoes for variety)
DIRECTIONS
Sprinkle yeast over the warm water and set aside until yeast begins to bubble up. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Mix well. Add all remaining ingredients, including the mashed potatoes and stir with a wooden spoon until integrated.
Knead dough on a floured surfaced for approximately 5-8 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in a greased bowl and turn once to coat both sides. Allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume. Punch down and form dough into 18 balls.
Place rolls on baking sheet prepared with cooking spray or covered with parchment paper. Allow to rise again until rolls are doubled in size.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

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