Homemade Potato Bread
There is nothing like a loaf of made-from-scratch, homemade bread! Store-bought bread cannot hold a candle to it. This potato bread recipe is makes a wonderful white bread that is perfect for having on hand to make your favorite sandwiches. If you have never tried potato bread, it has a wonderful texture and flavor thanks to the mashed potatoes that keep it extra light and fluffy. I’m notorious for making way too many mashed potatoes, so this recipe comes in handy for using up some of those leftovers so they don’t go to waste. I also think homemade bread is great for gifting to friends and neighbors, especially with a jar of homemade strawberry jam! I wanted to include this potato bread for my collection of Idaho-inspired recipes as part of my American Eats series where I am cooking my way across America, one state at a time! Idaho is famous for it’s potatoes, so I thought it would be fun to showcase them in a different way than we normally see. Some of our other favorites bread recipes are Sweet Molasses Brown Bread, Homemade French Bread, and Easy Homemade Rye Bread.
How to Make Potato Bread
Two Options to Help Your Potato Bread Dough Rise Faster
If your house is cool, it will take your bread dough longer to rise. Bread needs a nice, warm place to rise well and traditional methods will take anywhere from 1-2 hours depending on what the temperature is like in your house. That’s still totally an option here, but if you are in a rush, I’ve got a couple other options for speeding up the process!
How to Proof Bread in the Instant Pot
One trick is to let the bread proof in an Instant Pot with a yogurt setting. Just grease the liner of your instant pot with a little oil (about 2 teaspoons, but I always just eyeball it) and transfer the dough to it. Roll the dough around so it’s lightly coated with the oil. 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.
How to Proof Bread in a Warm Oven
Another option, for anyone who does not have an Instant Pot or doesn’t have one with a yogurt setting, is to turn your oven on to its lowest setting for 4 minutes. Then turn off the oven and place the bowl of dough inside, covered with a towel, and close the door. Just don’t forget to turn off the oven!
Tips for the Best Potato Bread
Make sure you are using fresh yeast. If it doesn’t bubble and foam, your yeast is probably old and your bread won’t rise properly. You can absolutely use leftover homemade mashed potatoes! It’s what I do most often rather than boiling and mashing a potato just to make a loaf of bread. Some potato bread recipes say to only use plain mashed potatoes that haven’t had anything added to them like butter or cream, but I think it turns out just fine. Plus, it lets me use up leftovers. The only exception is if you have garlic mashed potatoes or ones that have been seasoned with herbs or other flavors, in which case I would boil and mash a fresh potato. Kneading can be done by hand, but it’s much easier in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. I recommend using bread flour for this recipe as it gives a chewier texture to the bread, but I have made this with all-purpose flour as well and it still turns out good. I haven’t tried substituting any part of the flour with whole wheat flour yet though, but if you give it a try, let me know how it turns out! Dusting flour on top of the bread is optional, but I love the finish it gives. Another choice is to rub the top of the finished loaves with a stick of softened butter so they have a buttery flavor, which is what I do with my Amish white bread.
More Homemade Bread Recipes You’ll Love
Sweet Molasses Brown Bread Homemade French Bread Roasted Garlic & Rosemary No Knead Artisan Bread Easy Rosemary Focaccia Bread Easy Homemade Rye Bread Best Challah Bread Recipe Glazed Apple Fritter Yeast Bread Cheesy Garlic Mozzarella Swirl Rolls Sourdough Bread
More States I Have Visited in my American Eats Series
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • New Jersey • New York • Oregon • Puerto Rico • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • Utah • Wisconsin
Sweet Molasses Brown Bread
Mardi Gras King Cake
Roasted Garlic & Rosemary No-Knead Artisan Bread
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