Momma Jane’s bread recipe

May 8, 2011 by Ben

Happy Mothers day to my wonderful mom and to all mothers out there!

I have the best mom in the world.   I really do.  And she makes THE best bread in the world.  She really does.

Growing up all my friends used to come over to my house after school, church, whatever just to to eat my moms food and especially her bread and jam.  THIS is the THAT bread recipe.

So when my mom came down for a visit we spent an entire weekend just cooking and baking and I got to sit back and just take pictures.  Brilliant! Actually I also got to eat all of the amazing food as well.   I mean  just look at those rolls!  oh yum.

You will want to make these rolls, nay, you will NEED to make these rolls.

Behold!  THIS is Mama Jane’s famous bread recipe

This recipe is for potato bread and thus we start out with some potatoes.  Wash, peel and cut up one large potato.

throw it in a pot of boiling water.

Mash up your potatoes.  We need 1 cup of mashed potatoes

Throw your mashed potatoes into your mixer

add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 2/3 cup of sugar

add 1 1/2 cups warm water

add 2 eggs and 2/3 cup shortening or butter

add 7 – 7  1/2 cups all purpose flour

Helpful yeast tip: Make sure your yeast isn’t expired!  Our first batch did not rise as much

Dissolve the yeast in warm water.  Let stand for a minute and watch it bubble and then throw it in the dough and mix away.

Add enough flower so it looks like good doughy goodness.  Throw some flower on the counter and knead it out for about 5 minutes.

Now comes the hard part.  Waiting.   You have to put it in a big bowl, cover with saran wrap and put it in the fridge for at least 8 hours.

My dog Monty looks on at what we are cooking in the kitchen.

After you patiently wait for the dough to rise take it out and roll it out on a floured surface.

Take your pizza cutter and cut the dough into even squares

Butter up some cupcake tins

grab your squares, fold them over, dip them in butter and put them in the cupcake tin

Put 2-3 dough squares into your tin (depending on what each will hold)

Yeah more waiting.  Cover and let them rise again for about an hour.

Throw them in the oven at 400 for 20 minutes.  The smell of fresh bread alone is worth making this.

Look at those rolls!

Take them out when they are golden brown and oh so delicious.

Behold.  THE. BEST. BREAD. RECIPE. EVER.

These are widely known as “momma Jane’s rolls” and EVERYONE requests expects them whenever she is making any meal.

I truly do have the best mom in the world and I can’t wait until she comes back down to visit again so we can cook and bake all weekend again.

Here’s wishing a very happy mothers day to my mom and to all the great mothers out there.

Ben…

And when, not if, WHEN you make these amazing rolls, you will also need to make Mamma Jane’s homemade jam to go with them.  Nothing better in this world.

Here’s the recipe again

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup mashed potatoes
• 1 package active dry yeast (not expired is helpful!)
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup shortening or butter
• 2 egs
• 7 – 7 1/2 cups flour

DIRECTIONS:

peel potato, and dice up into chunks and throw into boiling water.  Mash up a cup of mashed potatoes and add to mixer.  Mix in sugar, salt, shortening or butter, eggs and 4 cups of the flour.  Mix until smooth doughy goodness.  Add the rest of the flour until you have a smooth dough thats easy to handle.  Knead dough on a smooth floured surface for about 5 minutes.  Place in a greased bowl and cover.  Place in the fridge for at least 8 hours, overnight is good.  When ready punch down the dough and roll it out on a floured surface.  Slice up into 2 inch squares and place into greased cupcake tins.  Brush with butter and bake at 400 for 20 minutes.  Enjoy