Soft and slightly sweet, these potato buns are a favorite addition to the Peruvian bread board. They are often stuffed roast pork belly and slices of cooked sweet potato (sanguich de chicharrón) or with ham, lettuce, and plenty of spicy sauce to make a classic butifarra.
recipe 
yields
Makes 10 buns
1 large (200-225 grams) Yukon Gold potato
¼ cup (2 fluid ounces) warm whole milk (110 degrees), plus 1 tablespoon for brushing on rolls
1 (5-gram) packet (1½ teaspoons) active dry yeast
¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon (40 grams) sugar, divided
5½ cups (740 grams) bread flour
1 teaspoon (5 grams) fine sea or table salt
6 tablespoons (85 grams) butter at room temperature
2 large eggs at room temperature, divided
Ingredients
steps
- Place potato in a medium pot filled with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat; lower heat to medium and cook until tender, about 30 to 35 minutes. Reserve 1⅛ cups (9 fluid ounces) potato cooking water and set aside but keep warm (discard the rest of the water). Cool, peel, and mash potato, leaving no lumps. (Gutierrez recommends passing it through a ricer). You should have 1 cup (170 grams) of mashed potatoes.
- In a small bowl, stir together milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon (5 grams) of the sugar; set aside for 10 minutes. In bowl of a stand mixer fitted with dough hook, combine flour, salt, and remaining sugar; stir on low speed just to mix. While beating at low speed, add potato, yeast mixture, reserved potato water, 4 tablespoons (60 grams) of butter, and 1 egg. As dough comes together, slowly increase speed to medium; continue kneading dough until it becomes smooth and elastic (it will come away from the sides of the bowl but will remain slightly sticky to the touch), about 5 minutes.
- Place dough in a large bowl that has been coated with oil; turn dough onto itself and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 90 minutes. In the meantime, line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Once dough has risen, transfer to a clean surface (no need to add flour), punch it down to release gases, and knead for 1 to 2 minutes or until it no longer sticks to the surface. Divide dough into 10 pieces (about 115 grams each). Roll each piece into a tight ball and place on prepared baking sheets, leaving 3 to 4 inches between balls (they will stick together as they rise). Cover loosely with a clean, damp kitchen towel and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 40 to 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, lightly whisk remaining milk and egg together; lift towel and brush tops of rolls with this mixture. Bake rolls until golden and firm (the bottoms should sound hollow when tapped), 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter; brush tops of finished buns with butter. Let buns cool completely.
Date Published: 09.18.24
