A tender, moist homemade bread made with mashed potatoes for extra softness and flavor.
Ingredients (makes 1 large loaf or 2 smaller ones)
- 1 medium potato (about 200–220 g), peeled and cubed
- ¾ cup (180 ml) warm milk or potato cooking water
- 2¼ tsp (7 g) instant yeast
- 2–3 Tbsp sugar or honey
- 1 large egg (optional, for richer dough)
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ tsp salt
- 3½–4 cups (420–480 g) bread flour or all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Cook the potato
Boil the cubed potato until very soft (about 15 minutes). Drain (save some cooking water if you like) and mash until completely smooth. Let cool until just warm. - Make the dough
In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the warm milk (or potato water), yeast, and a pinch of the sugar. Let sit 5 minutes until foamy.
Add the mashed potato, remaining sugar, egg (if using), softened butter, salt, and 3½ cups flour. Mix until a soft dough forms, then knead 7–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add a little more flour only if the dough is very sticky. - First rise
Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1–1½ hours. - Shape
Punch down the dough and shape into a loaf (or divide into two smaller loaves). Place in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan (or two smaller pans). - Second rise
Cover and let rise until the dough has risen about 1 inch above the rim of the pan, 40–60 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). - Bake
Bake for 30–40 minutes, until deep golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190–195°F (88–90°C). Tent with foil if the top browns too quickly. - Cool
Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack. For a soft, shiny crust, brush the hot loaf with melted butter.
Tips
- The potato keeps the bread soft and moist for several days.
- Using the starchy potato cooking water makes the dough even softer.
- Excellent for sandwiches, toast, or dinner rolls (just shape into balls instead of a loaf).
- Freezes well — slice before freezing.
Soft, fluffy, and delicious. Enjoy!
