Potato Refrigerator Dough is an easy, make ahead dough that can be kept in the fridge and used to make rolls, bread and even pizza all week long.
When I started on the journey to frugality, I did my research first. I Googled for weeks trying to find the definitive source for how to live on as little as possible.
The book that came up at almost every single source was The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn ( pronounced decision). So I bought it off of Amazon – a very spendthrift thing to do – and read it from cover to cover. All 927 pages.
Twice.
Along with the rest of the priceless advice in this book was the mention of a Betty Crocker recipe for Refrigerator Dough. It was made with mashed potatoes, could be made into anything from cinnamon rolls to pizza crust, and best of all it would keep in the fridge for a week!
I went in search of this recipe and found several different versions, but finally came across one copied directly from a pre-1986 Betty Crocker cookbook.
In the hopes that this dough could solve all of the world’s problems, I made my first batch this week. Assembly is very easy and quick. After you mix and knead the dough you are pretty much done for the week.
It makes a light dough with a somewhat crunchy outside and a moist inside. It’s just as good ( actually a lot better) than Pillsbury from a can. I’m not saying it will solve all of your problems, but it will make your week easier.
How to Make Refrigerator Dough
Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Stir in potatoes, sugar, shortening, eggs, salt, and 3 c. of the flour. Beat until smooth.
Mix in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic; about 5 minutes.
Place in large greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover bowl tightly; refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 5 days.
From here you can make anything. Each time you pull the dough out of the fridge just punch down the dough and take out what you need. With one batch of dough I made 4 huge hamburger buns and two full sized pizza crusts. Here are my pizzas:
The pizza was great and the kids and I loved it. I’m not going to say that this rivals the crust of New York pizzerias but it beats bread in a can and it’s a lot cheaper too.
I’ve included instructions for all sorts of other kinds of bread made with this dough. Also feel free to substitute some whole wheat flour for all-purpose to make it healthier.
Ingredients
- 1 pkg. active dry yeast
- 1 ½ c. hot water
- 1 c. leftover unseasoned mashed potatoes or instant mashed potatoes prepared to = 1 c.
- 2/3 c. sugar
- 2/3 c. shortening do not use oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ t. salt
- 6 to 7 c. all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Stir in potatoes, sugar, shortening, eggs, salt, and 3 c. of the flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic; about 5 minutes. Place in large greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover bowl tightly; refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 5 days.
- From here you can make anything. Each time you pull the dough out of the fridge just punch down the dough and take out what you need. With one batch of dough I made 4 huge hamburger buns and two full sized pizza crusts. Here are my pizzas:
- The pizza was great and the kids and I loved it. I'm not going to say that this rivals the crust of New York pizzerias but it beats bread in a can and it's a lot cheaper too.
- Here are instructions for all sorts of other kinds of bread made with this dough. Also feel free to substitute some whole wheat flour for all-purpose to make it healthier.
- Brown-and-Serve Rolls: shape dough as directed in any recipe below. Let rise 1 hour. Heat oven to 275°. Bake 20 minutes (do not brown). Remove from pans, cool to room temperature. Wrap in aluminum foil and store in refrigerator no longer than 8 days or freeze no longer than 2 months. At serving time, pre-heat oven to 400°, bake until brown, 8 to 12 minutes.
- Casseroles: shape ¼ of dough into 1-inch balls. Place in lightly greased round layer pan, 9 X 1 ½ inches. Brush with softened margarine, let rise 1 hour. Heat oven to 400° and bake about 15 minutes until golden brown. 3 dozen rolls.
- Cloverleaf Rolls: shape ¼ of dough into 1-inch balls. Place 3 balls in each greased muffin cup. Brush with softened margarine, let rise one hour. Heat oven to 400° and bake about 15 - 20 minutes until golden brown. 1 dozen rolls.
- Crescent Rolls: roll ¼ of dough into a 12-inch circle on a floured surface. Lightly spread with softened margarine. Cut into 16 wedges. Roll up tightly beginning at rounded edges, stretching dough as it is rolled. Place rolls with points underneath on a greased cookie sheet, curving slightly. Let rise one hour. Heat oven to 400° and bake about 15 minutes until golden brown. 16 rolls.
- Fan Tans: roll ¼ of dough into a 13X9 inch rectangle on a well-floured surface. Spread with softened margarine. Cut lengthwise into 6 strips, each about 1 ½ inches wide. Stack strips evenly; cut into 12 pieces, each about an inch wide. Place cut sides down in greased muffin cups. Brush with softened margarine. Let rise one hour. Heat oven to 400° and bake about 15 - 20 minutes until golden brown.
- 1 dozen rolls.
- Four-Leaf Clovers: shape ¼ of dough into 2-inch balls. Place each ball into a greased muffin cup. With scissors, snip each ball completely into halves, then into quarters. Brush with softened margarine. Let rise one hour. Heat oven to 400° and bake about 15 - 20 minutes until golden brown. 1 dozen rolls.
- Pan Biscuits: use half of dough recipe. Roll dough into 13X9 rectangle on a well-floured surface. Place in greased, oblong pan (13X9X2). Cut dough into rectangles, each about 3X2 ½ inches. Brush with softened margarine. Let rise one hour. Heat oven to 400° and bake about 25 minutes until golden brown. 15 rolls.
- Parker House Rolls: roll ¼ of dough into a 12X9 rectangle on a well-floured surface. Cut into 3-inch circles with a floured cutter. Brush with softened margarine. Make a crease across each circle; fold so top half slightly overlaps bottom half. Press edges together. Place close to each other in a greased square 9X9X2 pan. Brush with softened margarine. Let rise one hour. Heat oven to 400° and bake about 15 - 20 minutes until golden brown. 1 dozen rolls.
- Leftover Turnovers: prepare ¼ dough as if for Parker house Rolls. After cutting into 3-inch circles, roll out to 4-5 inch circles. Make crease, fill bottom half with 2-3 tbsp. of leftovers. Fold over and press edges together. Let rise 30 minutes. Heat oven to 400° and bake about 15 - 20 minutes until golden brown
Thank you so much, I make this every year for thanksgiving, but lost my recipe! you saved the day!
Thank you! I have been looking everywhere for this, and I was never able to find that old a copy of the BC cookbook. (Even the library copies are newer editions.)
Thanks for posting this recipe, can’t wait to try it out.
Do you know if the refrigerator dough would make things like hotdog and hamburger buns, pancakes, raised tortillas, calizones and doughnuts? Would you say it was worth trying it? I’d probably use it all the time if I could save money making those practical things. the cheapest hotdog buns I can buy are 89 cents, whereas if I could make them myself, they’d be more like five cents. That’s a lot of savings that could be put towards the new roof and paying off car repairs.
You can definitely make all kinds of things with this dough ( maybe not tortillas). I’d say give it a shot and see how you like it!
This recipe is word for word from page 212 in a Betty Crocker cookbook I have. My mother used to make these for every Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. I’ve never actually made it. Today, I am. I know how good they are, tasty, convenient and versatile. It’s one recipe you’ve got to have in your jewell box, so you can surprise your friends and relatives when you bring brown-n-serve rolls you made weeks ahead, and they’re better than store bought!
You can makw raise glazed doughnuts also with this dough
Thank you
Help! Dinner is in 6 hours!!! I have used this recipe for years— with great results until now. My dough didn’t rise in the fridge like it usually does. My yeast was good. I have a new mixer, and I added more flour bc it was looking too sticky…is that bad? Is there anything I can do? Side note: I have been using canned pumpkin in place of potatoes for years—lovely golden color!
Hi Katie!
First take a deep breath.
Next, try setting the dough in a nice warm spot to rise.
If that doesn’t work, it may be that your water was too hot when you mixed the yeast. If that’s the case…make some biscuits.
Good Luck and Happy New Year!
My first time making this. This rose more than any bread I have ever made. I let it rise in the heat of my kitchen for an hour and it trebled. I put it in the refrigerator and it pushed the lid off the container and continued its rise. I placed a brick on top of the container and it still pushed through. I will make again and cut sugar more. The only other change I made was to use evoo in lieu of shortening. I used 1/2 C and the dough was lovely.