Rolled French Bread and Mashed Potato Cinnamon Rolls

When I heard about Logan's egg allergy, I started noticing how many of my kids' favorite foods have eggs in them. So here are a couple of yummy eggless bread recipes that are big hits at my house: Rolled French Bread and Mashed Potato Cinnamon Rolls. Unfortunately, both use white flour and aren't exactly health foods, but sometimes I just want some good old carbs.

Rolled French Bread

1 Tbsp. yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water
2 Tbsp. oil
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
4 c. flour (approx.)

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add remaining 1 cup water, oil, sugar, salt, and 2 cups flour; mix well. Then add remaining flour. No kneading is necessary. Punch dough down every 10 minutes for a total of 5 times. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 9 x 13-inch rectangle, then tightly roll each piece into a loaf. Cut diagonal slits in the top of each loaf. Let each loaf rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Serve warm.

Variation: For Italian bread, mix about 2 Tbsp. softened butter with about 1 tsp. Italian seasoning and 1/8 tsp. garlic powder. Spread over tops of loaves before rising.

Mashed Potato Cinnamon Rolls

3/4 c. mashed potatoes
1/2 c. butter
2 c. milk, scalded
1 Tbsp. yeast
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
5-6 c. flour

Peel, cut up and cook 2 small potatoes. Mash potatoes and measure 3/4 cup; add butter and mix. Scald milk; cool 5 minutes. Sprinkle yeast over milk; stir until yeast melts. Add sugar to milk, then add milk mixture to mashed potatoes. Mix well. Add salt to flour, stir flour into potato mixture with wooden spoon until all flour is mixed in. Don't knead. It will be lumpy. Let dough rise 1 hour. Divide into 3 sections. Roll 1 section on floured surface into 12-inch square. Put dabs of butter on rolled out dough; don't spread. Sprinkle cinnamon over dough. Sprinke lots of brown sugar over dough. Roll up jelly roll style and cut into 1-inch slices. Put rolls on buttered cookie sheet; let rise 30 minutes. Follow same procedure with other 2 sections. Bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes. Rolls will be barely golden brown when done. Frost with cream cheese frosting or your favorite frosting.