INGREDIENTS
Soaker
- 18 fl oz warm soy milk
- 3 oz mashed potato (see note below*)
- 17 oz white bread flour
- 1 tbsp instant yeast
Dough
- 13 oz white bread flour
- 2.25 tsp salt
- 4.5 tbsp sugar
- 3 oz oil
- potato flour for dusting
METHOD
1. Make the soaker: Add the mashed potato to the warm soy milk and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Add to flour and yeast in a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until the flour is hydrated. Cover the bowl and let rise for 1 hour.
2. Make the dough: Add the rest of the ingredients to the soaker and bring together into a soft, slightly tacky, dough. Knead until smooth, adjusting flour or liquid as needed. Shape dough into a ball and place into a oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled.
3. Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Shape in boules, then press down the boules, seam side up, into a hockey puck shape. Place on a surface lightly floured with potato flour, mist with spray oil, and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Let rise until almost doubled, about 40 mins.
4. Flip the buns over and gently press down with your fingertips to shape them back into hockey pucks. Don't deflate the dough, just gently reshape it. Mist with spray oil, dust with potato flour. Slice the tops of the buns with a sharp knife, at least 1/3 of the way into the buns, and cover again.
5. Heat the oven to 400 degrees with one rack in the top third of the oven, once rack in the bottom third. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. When the buns have risen (about 20-30 mins) carefully transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8 mins, then rotate the pans and switch racks. Bake for another 8 mins. Cool on racks and enjoy!
*Note: I prefer to boil whole potatoes with the skin on so that the starch stays in the potato. Skin and mash the potato when it is done. If you are pressed for time, peel and cut the potato and boil it, but reduce the soy milk by an ounce.
