Old-Fashioned Water Buns – buns like Grandma used to make

Old-Fashioned water buns, the only name I know them by, are a favourite that I wanted to share with you.

My friend, Louise, shared her mother’s recipe for light and airy buns made with the addition of potato cooking water. Louise’s mother hated to throw out all those vitamins left behind after cooking diced potatoes for her world famous potato salad. Some of the leftover water was used as a base for soups for her large family, but everyone loved these buns as well. When making this at home, save the cooking water from boiling potatoes – you only need 1 ½ cups. Keep it in the frig until you’re ready to bake. (It will keep for 2 or 3 days).

Another tip: If you use commercially canned potatoes, the salted liquid the potatoes are canned in, also works as the potato water called for in the recipe. Add extra water, if necessary, to equal 1 1/2 cups.

Note:  If you add a bit of salt to potatoes when cooking them, this is good for the buns as there is no salt in the recipe. If you do not add salt to your cooking water, add 1 teaspoon salt to the flour in the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ cups potato water

1 cup sugar

1 cup shortening, melted

1 cup warm water

1 teaspoon sugar

2 packages active dry yeast or 2 tablespoons

4 eggs beaten

9 cups flour

METHOD:

1 .Combine the first three ingredients – warm potato water, sugar and shortening in a large mixing bowl. Stir to melt the shortening and dissolve the sugar. Let cool to room temperature.

2.In a small bowl, combine the next 3 ingredients – 1 cup warm water, sugar, yeast – and let stand for 10 minutes.Add the yeast mixture to the lukewarm potato water mixture. Mix well.

3.Add the beaten eggs and 4 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. This makes a sponge. Cover and let rise until double.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.Mix in the remaining flour using a wooden spoon or stand mixer. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.

5.Place the dough into a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until double in bulk – about 1 ½ hours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.Shape into buns and place on greased cookie sheets. Let rise until double.

7.Bake at 350°F.  for 20 to 25 minutes or until done. Makes 3 to 4 dozen buns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are more variations to try with this bun recipe.

Variations for Bun Dough:

Figure 8’s: Roll dough to ½ inch thickness. Cut in strips about 6 inches long. Hold one end of strip in one hand and twist the other end, stretching it slightly until the two ends when brought together on greased baking sheet will form a figure 8. Let rise and bake as above.

Crescents or Butterhorns: Divide the bun recipe into 4 portions. Roll each barely ¼ inch thick into a 12 inch circle. Brush with melted butter and roll up, beginning at the wide end. Put the point end down on the greased cookie sheet and curve into a crescent shape. Let rise. Bake at 350°F. for 20 to 25 minutes or until done.

Picnic buns: Roll dough ½ inch thick into a square shape. Cut into 2 ½ inch squares. Place on greased cookie sheet. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until double. Bake at 375°F. for 15 minutes.

Dinner Rolls: Roll dough into cylindrical shapes with tapered ends and place on greased baking pan. Bake at    375°F. for 15 minutes or until done.

Parkerhouse Rolls: Roll dough ¼ inch thick. Cut with a 2 ½ inch biscuit cutter. Brush with melted butter. Make a crease across each (I use a dull dinner knife). Fold so top half slightly overlaps. Press edges together at the crease. Place close together on the greased baking pan. Bake at 350°F. for 20 minutes.

Tags: bun variations, crescent rolls, homemade buns, homemade dinner buns, homemade white buns, Parkerhouse rolls from scratch, picnic buns, potato buns, potato water buns

Category: Baking Tips, Breads & Buns