How to Make Potato Bread

Name: How to Make Potato Bread
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 16 serving(s)
Ingredients: 2 Russet Potatoes; 6 1/2 c. Unbleached All-purpose Flour; 3 tbsp. Sugar; 2 1/2 tsp. Instant Yeast; 2 tsp. Fine Sea Salt; 1 1/4 c. To 1 1/2 Cups Potato Water; 1/2 c. Milk, At Room Temperature; 4 tbsp. Unsalted Butter, At Room Temperature

By Bridget EdwardsPublished: Sep 27, 2018

4.7

3 Ratings

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Yields:

16 serving(s)

Prep Time:

40 mins

Cook Time:

35 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 15 mins

Soft and fluffy, potato bread is wonderful for slicing, toast, and sandwiches. It’s a more delicious and richer version of white bread. Prep time does not include up to 3 hours inactive time. Makes 2 loaves. From Bridget Edwards of Bake at 350.

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Ingredients

Directions

Peel and cube the potatoes. Place in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook on a low boil for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a paring knife.

Drain potatoes, reserving the water. Mash potatoes well. Let potatoes and potato water cool for at least 30 minutes. Potato water should be lukewarm before using.

In a large bowl, stir flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add the lesser amount of potato water, milk, butter, and 1 cup mashed potatoes (you’ll have extra). Mix using the paddle attachment until thoroughly combined. The mixture should be tacky and sticky. If too dry, mix in remaining 1/4 cup potato water.

Switch to a dough hook and knead on medium speed for about 8 minutes, pausing a few times to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, as well as the dough hook.

The dough should be smooth, but soft and still a bit tacky feeling. Remove to an oiled bowl. Cover with an oiled piece of plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour to 90 minutes.

Punch down the dough. Divide in half and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead each piece a few times, form into a log, and place in two greased (8x4 or 9x5) loaf pans.

Cover the pans lightly with oiled plastic wrap. Let rise until the dough has crowned 1 inch over the tops of the pans, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Bake bread for 35 minutes or until top is golden and internal temperature reaches 190ºF. Let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then remove from the pans to cool on a wire rack.

Slice with a serrated knife. Bread may be wrapped well and frozen.

There is no food in this world that is as comforting to me as fresh, homemade bread. Even the scent of it rising and baking in the oven makes everything in the world seems right.

Potato bread is a star among sliced breads. It’s like white bread but better. Fluffier, softer, richer, a little deeper in color—potato bread is a stunner.

Slice it and slather with butter, toast it, or use it to make sandwiches.

The secret to potato bread? POTATOES! (You knew that.) We start with russet potatoes—the baking potato. Russets have a lot of starch and starch is the magic that helps with rise, texture, and structure in bread.

We’re also upping the starch ante by using potato water.

Simply strain the water used to cook the potatoes. Voila! Potato water!

Mash those potatoes really well. Big lumps need not apply. As they cool, that steam will escape and they’ll dry a bit. That’s a good thing because we already have our reserved potato water.

It’s important to let the water and potatoes cool to lukewarm before using so as not to kill the yeast. Make this bread on a day when you’re not in a hurry. It’s a lazy day type of bread recipe and I love that. Don’t we all need more lazy-bread-making days? (And, please sign me up for more lazy-bread-EATING days, too.)

Once again, we’re using instant yeast. It’s a no-brainer and makes baking with yeast that much easier.

The dough should be tacky and a little sticky. If the dough looks dry after mixing, use the higher amount of potato water called for in the recipe.

Let the dough rise until it’s doubled in bulk.

Divide and shape.

Let the dough rise again. It’ll crown over the pans.

Oh! Did I mention that this recipe makes TWO loaves? Perfect for sharing or for freezing. I love having a loaf of homemade bread in the freezer for bread-mergencies.