Beef stew and Potato Rolls

We had another big snow storm here in pittsburgh and of course with snow we always crave comfort food.  Here in the east nothing says comfort food like Beef stew and fresh potato rolls.

Beef Stew
2 lbs beef stew meat cut in small pieces
1 tablespoon Bay seasoning
1 tablespoon Hungarian sweet Paprika
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dry parsley flakes
1/2 cup - 1 cup flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 cups of beef stock
3 large carrots peeled  cut into thick slices
3 stalks celery peeled and sliced with leafs
3 potatoes i like a red baby or  white idaho potato cut into mid sized chunks
1 medium sized white or yellow onion roughly chopped
white mushrooms sliced and roughly chopped

Cut meat into bite sized pieces set aside.
Mix next 5 ingredients and sprinkle on meat coating evenly.  Coat flour on meat mixing well into meat, the flour should just  dispappear into the meat.  Refrigerate meat for 30 minutes or more to marinate meat.
Heat vegetable oil til just hot and braise meat til meat slightly browns.  Slowly add stock, carrots,celery, potatoes,onion.  Let cook and simmer for an hour til carrots and potatoes are almost tender , then add mushrooms cook an additional 30 minutes.  Serve.  This makes a thick stew and you like a thinner stew add more broth.
Serve.
Potato rolls

1/2 cup warm water 105-115 degrees(I like it around 110 degrees)
.25 ounce envelope rapid rise yeast (I used the gluten free)
2.5 teaspoons of sugar
2/3 cup melted butter slightly warm
1/2 cup warm milk
1 cup slightly warm mashed potatoes(you may use prepared instant)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 whole eggs
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups of flour I use a combination of white whole wheat and white all purpose

Mix the 2 teaspoons sugar and envelope of yeast together and then sprinkle over warm water in a small bowl.    Let sit about 10 min covered with tea towel.  When it is foaming or bubbling it is activated.  See below

.Place yeast mixture in your mixing bowl, add your warm milk, whole eggs,remaining  sugar and butter and mix til just combined.  Slowly add your flour.  When your mixture becomes still sticky but starting to form into dough switch to your dough hook if you have one for your mixture.

I usually add around 4 cups to 4.5 cups til it is ready to removed from the bowl and then for about five minutes knead by hand til it becomes soft and feel elastic and smooth.  

Place in a well greased bowl and let rise for 90 min or til about doubled.  Punch down.  Roll into 24 balls around 2 ounces each and place on well greased baking sheet and rise about 90 min or doubled.  Brush with an egg wash mixture of 1 whole egg and a little milk just prior to baking.
Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes til slighlty browned on bottom and just browning on top.
Serve.
makes 24 large dinner rolls