Cinnamon Rolls

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel three small potatoes and cut into cubes. Put potatoes into a stock pot and cover with enough water to reserve 4 cups of potato water after the potatoes have cooked. Bring to a boil and cook potatoes until they are soft enough to mash. While potatoes are cooking, sift the flour.

Remove potatoes from heat. Strain the potatoes, reserving 4 cups of potato water. Mash the potatoes. Cool the potato water to approximately 115 degrees.

Dissolve yeast in warm potato water. Add 1 cup sugar and stir to combine. When dissolved, add remaining sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, salt, and mashed potatoes to the yeast mixture. Then add flour, about 2 to 3 cups at a time.

Knead the mixture until it forms a soft, smooth dough. Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl. Allow dough to rise for about 1 hour, until it doubles in size. Punch dough down. Let dough rise again until doubled in size.

Combine the sugar and cinnamon. Punch down dough and roll it into a rectangle. Spread the dough with butter, and sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon. Roll dough into a log and cut into slices to form the individual rolls. Repeat until all rolls are made.

Place rolls in a greased 9x13 baking pan. If the rolls will be caramel rolls, prepare the cinnamon roll caramel topping. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 35 mintues.

After rolls have been removed from the oven, place a sheet of waxed paper or parchment paper across the top of the pan. Carefully flip the paper and the rolls onto the counter top. Allow rolls to cool.

Makes 4 dozen cinnamon rolls.