Mashed Potatoes - Brenda Gantt (2024)

FAQs

What kind of white lily flour does Brenda Gantt use? ›

Gantt uses White Lily Self-Rising Flour exclusively for her biscuits. It's light and low in protein, which means the resulting biscuits are fluffy and tender.

You can use what you have on hand: Flour, cornstarch, or powdered milk are all solid options that are probably already in your pantry. Potato flour and potato starch would work as well. Stir in the thickening agent gradually, about a tablespoon at a time, until the potatoes have reached your desired consistency.

Mix in dehydrated potatoes

If you have dehydrated potatoes in your pantry or cabinets, you can use them if you're unsure how to thicken mashed potatoes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the instant potato flakes until your mixture reaches the desired consistency.

Sour cream is a great addition to mashed potatoes because it adds richness and creaminess balanced with a subtle tangy flavor. It also gives these creamy mashed potatoes a thicker consistency compared to adding just milk or stock.

The White Lily flour actually feels softer between the fingers. This has everything to do with the fact that, at 9% protein, White Lily's all-purpose flour is milled from soft red winter wheat, while King Arthur Baking's all-purpose flour is milled from hard red wheat (and comes in at 11.7% protein).

White Lily: soft red winter wheat with a protein content of 8% Martha White: blend of soft winter wheat and hard red winter wheat with a protein content of 10.5%. Southern Biscuit: soft red winter wheat with a protein content of 8-9.5%

Don't overmix the potatoes! For mashed potatoes that are smooth without being gummy, a potato ricer is your best bet. It gently presses the potato into fine pieces, so all that's left to do is add your liquid and a pat or two of butter.

Runny potatoes can happen for a few different reasons. Too much liquid: This is the most common reason. In the mashing process you may have added too much milk or broth. Boiled too long: Boiling your potatoes for too long can make them water-logged, which (you guessed it) can contribute to runny mashed potatoes.

Whisk a little cornstarch into the warm potatoes, only a teaspoon at a time, until the potatoes thicken to your liking. The potatoes must be warm. You can also use tapioca starch or potato starch, although most cooks are less likely to have those products on hand.

As already discussed, pastiness is caused by too much potato starch being worked into the mashed potatoes. The main way we combat this problem is by rinsing away starch, both before and after cooking potatoes for fluffy mashed potatoes. Rinsing off starch means that there is less of it that can end up in the dish.

Can I use instant mashed potatoes instead of cornstarch? ›

Yes. Incredibly effective? You bet. This trick works because the instant mashed potatoes are naturally starchy and therefore are similar in form to other commonly used thickeners, such as cornstarch, only without the clumps.

Sour cream adds a little bit of tangy flavor and a boost of richness to mashed potatoes. It's a fun change from the standard milk or cream and butter combo usually flavoring mashed taters. You can even try your hand at making homemade sour cream from heavy cream!

Sour cream is much richer than milk and it could make your potatoes too rich (per The Kitchn). Adding a touch of sour cream to your potato recipe can add a bit of richness and some zip without taking away from the texture you may be desiring when making mashed potatoes.

Gold Medal™ All Purpose Flour. Gold Medal All Purpose Flour is our most versatile flour. Use it for any recipe that simply calls for "flour." It's strong enough to take high-rising yeast breads to new heights and mellow enough to add the perfect texture to a batch of cookies.

Whereas conventional all-purpose flour contains a protein content of 12 percent, White Lily flour boasts a modest 9 percent, making it more similar to pastry flour than actual all-purpose. As White Lily flour hydrates, the gluten development will never reach the full potential of brands like Gold Medal or King Arthur.

Cake flour or another low-protein flour like Martha White are the closest substitutes. Carolyn Durst, 62, a sweepstakes winner in the pie competition at the Kentucky State Fair, said, “I give pie crust demonstrations to my friends, and I tell them, No. 1, you've got to have White Lily flour.”

White Lily^® Self-Rising Flour is blended with leavening and salt, and is ideal for making light-textured and flaky biscuits, pastries, pancakes, muffins, waffles, coffee cakes, and quick loaves.