Potato Bread

I was wondering if anyone had a recipe for Potato bread. I want to make this for DH he loves it.

I have a recipe for a REAL potato bread my father used to make in our bakery (in Germany) way back in the 1930s. The recipe is older than that. I tried it once and made a mistake because the recipe does no speify wether the poatoes are supposed to raw or cooked. So I grated them raw and the bread was a disaster.

I just bought a new potato ricer and will be experimenting later this week. The recipe is most likely from the early 1900 s. My father wrote it down like this:

10 to 15 potatoes

3 pounds of flour

20 Pfennigs worth of yeast

a small hand full of salt

enough water to make the dough just right.

Let rise once, knead lightly , shape and put into a wll greased pan and put into oven immediately.

That is it. I am thinking 15 small poatoes (very mealy ones) are about 3 lbs, same amount as flour. 2 small pckg of yeast should be plenty (since I buy yeast in bulk I am going to try 1 slightly rounded tbsp). Idon't worry about water since I do have a "feel" for when a dough is just right.

I remember the bread was one giant loaf with a dark brown crust and a bit coarser texture because of the riced potatoes. And it really tasted like poatoes and warm, with butter on it was a treat fit for a king.

I will let you know how my experiment turns out. I am trying half a recipe, just in case but am bound and deternined to perfect it.

I know US recipes call for one cup of mashed potatoes for one or two loaves of bread but one can't even taste the potatoes in that kind of bread amd that is why I want to make the old recipe.. See you towards the end of the week IF you are interested.

Gr-elo,

Yes please let me now how it turns out can't wait to here the results on the bread.

gr_elo please keep us adviced on the outcome of your bread.  I love potato bread too! Could you also use this for buns etc? The reason I am asking, is I have seen a few recipes for bread and they reccomend not to make into buns or rolls.  Anxious to hear of your results....

piggykins

This is one that I make on a regular basis - it is so light!!

1-1/4 cups water (70° to 80°)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
7-1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons mashed potato flakes
3 cups bread flour
1-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

tastycook1, thanks for the recipes i will try them soon. Sounds good.

Piggykins,

I tried to make the poatato bread yesterday but was disapointed.

Started with 2 lbs of peeled poatoes, ten cooked  an drained them and riced them while lukewarm.

and saved the poato water which was about 1 pint.

Added another pint of lukewarm water to the potato water and 1/4 cup of sugar. Sprinkled about a rounded tbsp of yeast on the water and let it proof.

Measured out 2 qrts (2 lbs) of bread flour and mixed it with a tbsp of salt.

When the yeast had proofed I put everything togther and n kneaded until smooth. Let rise in a lightly greased bowl until doubled and then shaped it and put it into 3vwell greased pans  and immediately put it into the oven at 375. After 20 minutes I reduced the heat to 350 and baked another 40 minutes. It did rise but did not double again and was kind of dense and damp inside.

I think the problem is the potatoes. They irrigate potatoes here and they are too watery which made the bread too heavy. Also, the bread did not have that intense poato flavor I remember so well.

It could be a combination of the type of flour (which is different here) and type of poato, although I used russets but they were not as mealy as they should have been and, like I said, too watery..

I will try again this fall IF  I can find someone aroud here who raises some dryland Russets. Until then I don't think you shoud try the recipe unless you want to experiemnt n your own. I was disapponted but will eat what I made, even if it takes me a few weeks. I froze two loaves and hope they will still be edible when thawed.(if not, the birds will get a feast)

gr_elo I am sorry that you were disappointed in the recipe.  Yes, I also know that some of the potatoes around here seem to have been watery even for a russet.  Some people I know make lefse at Christmas time.  This was the first year they had a heck of a time and they said it was the potatoes.  I will wait  until you try it again before I make it.  My kitchen time is precious and limited at the moment until remodelong in that room is done.  Our house is starting to look so nice, but it is a slow going project!

As far as the potato flavor, do you think maybe adding a few instant potatoes might help in the consistency/texture of the bread along with the taste? A good potato flavor in the bread is something I haven't had in a very long time.

Good luck....

piggykins

piggykins:

gr_elo I am sorry that you were disappointed in the recipe.  Yes, I also know that some of the potatoes around here seem to have been watery even for a russet.  Some people I know make lefse at Christmas time.  This was the first year they had a heck of a time and they said it was the potatoes.  I will wait  until you try it again before I make it.  My kitchen time is precious and limited at the moment until remodelong in that room is done.  Our house is starting to look so nice, but it is a slow going project!

 

As far as the potato flavor, do you think maybe adding a few instant potatoes might help in the consistency/texture of the bread along with the taste? A good potato flavor in the bread is something I haven't had in a very long time.

 

Good luck....

 

piggykins

I am afraid adding potatoflakes will not help te flavor. I still thinkthey develop new poato varieties were the flavor is not important but the keepig quality, looks and size are more important. MOst potatoes are stored and treated with chemicals during long term storage to prevent sprouting. Also they washed before being put into storage, ten washed again before being packaged. Plus all the chemicals  and fertilizersthey treat the the plants and the ground  with during the growing season may all have something to do with the quality and taste. I have not had a good potato with rel good and deep potato flavor in along time.

I noticed that after ricing the russtes they felt like glue instead of nice and mealy and dry. The last good potates we had was in eastern WAshington, we bought 200 lbs of dry land potatoes on a farm (no irrigation) and they had not been washed or sorted. Those were the last good tasting ones we had and that was in the early 80s, and we paid $5.00 p 100 lbs.

It could also be the flour, most flour in Germany is  not milled quite as fine, bromating is against the law and there is a lot more organic farming than here and the varieties of wheat may be different. All those things do make a difference.

I'll try one more time and use the expensive (60 cents lbs) large Russet baking potatoes but ti wil have to wait, I have some meat and also some squash to can first,not to mention baking a big batch of whole wheat bread to share with friends. Will let you know when I experiment again.

I willl be waiting to hear from you!....

piggykins

Thank you, tastycook1.  I made the first one today and I really like it.  

Sue 

tastycook-the potato bread sounds great but I do not own a bread machine, can you make this without one, if so how?  Thanks

I make the first recipe listed.  But I mix it on the bread machine dough cycle, turn it out on a baking stone (sometimes bread loaf pan), let rise about 1/2 hour, 45 minutes, then bake for 35 minutes at 375 degrees.

 I've started always mixing my bread in the bread machine, then baking in the  oven.  In my oven, 375 seems to work best, but other ovens might be better at 350.  You know they say, all are different. I have an electric stove.....don't know if that has anything to do with it or not.

Since I do not have a bread machine can you use this same recipe but just knead by hand and let rise and bake as usual recipes .  I like the small amount that  the bread machine recipes make since there are only 2 of us here we can't eat a huge amount of bread before it ruins.  I am still a learning bread maker also but would love to make a nice loaf or pan of rolls using 3 cups or less of flour.  Maybe a 1 loaf recipe or not more than about 15 rolls.  Thanks for your input.

 You can take almost any bread machine recipe and mix it by hand.

(I have a bread machine and most of the time anymore I don't use it unless I just use the dough cycle)

 Bread machines just don't let the bread raise long enough for my taste...or raise to fast.

 Anyhow...just make sure you proof your yeast (if doing by hand)

I normally start with the liquid ingredients while I am waiting for the yeast to proof....and by the time I have the liquids and oils or butters mixed together I continue from there.

 Just make sure you kneed your dough sufficiently and let it rise.

I have found a lot of great recipes by converting bread machine recipes to regular recipes...(it is nice to not have a big amount of bread sometimes)