Potato Bread

4.84 from 6 votes

This recipe for light and fluffy Potato Bread makes two soft, wonderful loaves that are perfect for sandwiches, toast, or just sliced warm out of the oven with butter and jam! It's a great way of using up your favorite leftover mashed potatoes!

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Additional Time1 30

Total Time2 20

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 191kcal

Author: Amy Nash

Ingredients

1 cup water, lukewarm
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
1 ½ cups mashed potatoes
¾ cup whole milk
2 large eggs
½ cup salted butter, softened
2 teaspoons salt
6 ½ to 7 cups bread flour

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until the yeast bubbles and is foamy on top.
In a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the proofed yeast with the mashed potatoes, milk, eggs, butter, salt, and 2 cups of flour. Beat until combined, about 1 minute.
Switch the paddle attachment for the dough hook and begin to knead the dough on medium-low speed, adding additional flour 1 cup at a time until incorporated to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. Knead on medium-low speed for 6-8 minutes until smooth.
Transfer to a clean bowl that has been lightly greased with 1-2 teaspoons of oil oiled. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean cloth, then let the dough rise in a warm spot for 60-90 minutes until doubled in size.
When the dough has risen, make a fist and punch the dough down right in the center to let out air. Pinch the dough in half and shape into 2 loaves by shaping into oblong balls. Place each ball of dough into a bread pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
Cover loaves again with plastic wrap or a clean cloth and let them rise for another 30-60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Just before baking, brush the tops of each loaf with a little water using a pastry brush and sprinkle with a little flour for decoration.
Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes until golden brown on top.
Let cool in the loaf pans for 5-10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

NOTE: If you don't have leftover mashed potatoes to use, peel, wash, and chop 1 Russet potato. Place in a medium pan and cover with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cook until the potato is tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes. Drain well, then mash. You can even reserve 1 cup of the water the potato was cooked in and use that to activate the yeast.

NOTE: I prefer this recipe using bread flour for a chewier texture, but it will also work with all-purpose flour. Just use an equal amount. I have not tried this recipe subbing in whole wheat flour yet.

NOTE: To speed the rising process, use your Instant Pot yogurt setting. After kneading the dough, transfer it to the lightly oiled liner of the instant pot. Press the Yogurt button and make sure that the Instant Pot is set to 'normal', then cover with a glass lid and let the dough proof for 20-30 minutes until doubled in size.

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman.

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