Potato bread recipe

This recipe was originally posted at A Year in Bread. You can read that article,  which includes a whole wheat version of this recipe here: Beth: Potato Bread

 

For reasons perhaps best explained by marketing, a lot of kids — even those who usually make sane food choices — seem to prefer bland, white bread. Sandwiches, toast, pretty much anything has to be white bread, but especially sandwiches. And kids eat lots of sandwiches.

This potato bread recipe is one I made for the first time way back when theKid craved that stuff that came in the blue, yellow and red dotted bags - you know, the stuff that makes you Wonder who buys it. The potato tenderizes the dough and amps up the yeasty rising action, creating bread that is softly chewy with a bit more substance than most white breads.

kitchenMage's Potato Bread

ingredient | US vol | metric vol | US weight | metric weight
water | 2 cups | 475 ml | 16 ounces | 450 grams
bread flour | 5 1/2 cups | 1070 ml | 20 1/4 ounces | 570 grams
instant yeast | 2 teaspoons | 12 ml | 1/4 ounce | 7 grams
mashed potatoes | 1 1/4 cup | 350 ml | 8 ounces | 225 grams
butter | 2 tablespoons | 30 ml | 1 ounce | 28 grams
all purpose flour | 1 cup | 235 ml | 4 1/2 ounces | 125 grams
salt | 1 tablespoon | 15 ml | 1/2 ounces | 15 grams

Notes:
I based this recipe on mashed boiled potatoes with nothing added and used the water from the potatoes in the bread.

If you want to do this, measure the water and raw potatoes before cooking in a large liquid measuring cup. (It should be ~3 1/4 cups) When the potatoes are done, do not drain them, just mash them in the water. Then measure the mixture again and add water if needed to equal earlier measurement.

If you are using leftover mashed potatoes, you will probably need to add a little extra flour to make up for additions to the potatoes, such as milk or butter. You will have to judge this when you are making it.

In mixing bowl, combine water, potatoes, yeast and flour and mix until well combined. Add the butter and mix until it is integrated into dough. The dough will still be very soft. Cover and let rest on the counter for 20 minutes.

Add the salt to the dough when you do the next step.

If you are using a mixer: Use the dough hook and mix it on medium while you sprinkle in the all-purpose flour a tablespoonful at a time. When the absorption of the flour starts to slow down, turn it out on a well-floured counter and knead, continuing to add flour if necessary, until the dough is no longer tacky. Knead for a few more minutes until the dough is, as Kevin would say, smooth as a baby's bottom. (actually, lots of people say this...no doubt there is a baby somewhere wondering if its butt feels like well-kneaded bread dough...but i digress...)

If you are making the dough by hand: Spread the cup of all-purpose flour on the counter and knead for 8-10 minutes, adding more flour if needed. Knead until smooth, supple, and babylike.

Roll the dough in flour, put it in a clean bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in bulk (about an hour).

Turn the dough out on a lightly floured counter, divide in half and shape into loaves. Grease two loaf pans. Put the shaped loaves in the pans and let rise until doubled in bulk (about an hour).

Preheat oven to 375°f / 175°c. Bake bread for 35 minutes or until golden brown (~195°f / 90°c internal temperature). Turn out of pans onto cooling rack for at least an hour.

This bread keeps several days tightly wrapped in plastic at room temperature and freezes beautifully.

Comments

[Joanna]

Fabulous recipe - I'm always really sad that my children want that horrible plastic-wrapped stuff that masquerades as bread. I'll let you know how I get on

I've nominated you for a nice award - you'll find it on my blog

Joanna
joannasfood.blogspot.com

[Deborah]

I absolutely love potato bread and have been looking for a good recipe. I'll have to try this out!!

[Teresa]

Just thought I would answer the question about children and white bread. It was best explained by Dr.OZ on a Discovery Channel special. Children usually go for "white" foods such as potatoes, white bread, rice, etc. because they have literally thousands more taste buds than adults. Everything they eat has a stronger "taste." In order to survive, we learned to stay away from bitter or strong tastes...in the wild, those things were usually poisonous. Children retain that attitude and tend to go with blander foods because everything has so much more taste for them than for adults.

[Sharon]

Huh. I was one of those weird kids--never craved white bread, always preferred wheat. Unless it was a good sourdough or a dinner roll.

But then, I ate pomegranates, oysters and drank milky tea when I was six, so there ya go (not at the same time, but you get the point *g*)

[Katie]

WONDERFUL!!!!! I love this recipe. I made the wheat version. I will have to try it a few more times so it looks as perfect as yours. ;-)