In a big bowl, stir together your warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let it sit about 5 minutes until it gets nice and foamy—if it’s not foamy, don’t keep going. Start over.

Make the dough:

Mix in your mashed potatoes, salt, and about 3 cups of flour. You’re looking for a soft, slightly sticky dough. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes, adding a little more flour as needed, until it’s smooth and stretchy.

Let it rise:

Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise somewhere warm for about an hour, or until doubled in size.

Shape your rolls:

Punch it down (yes, take your frustrations out right here), then divide into 12 even pieces. Roll them into balls and place in a greased 9×13 pan. Cover and let them rise again for about 30 minutes.

Bake:

Brush the tops with melted butter, pop them into a 375°F oven, and bake for 20–25 minutes until golden brown and smelling like heaven. Let them cool just enough so you don’t burn your fingers… then dig in.