wonders never cease

As it turns out, potatoes make for an awesome loaf of bread, and no one is more surprised than I!

When I think of potatoes, I think of a dry, dirty earthy piece of food that is really only made edible by the addition of some combination of copious amounts of butter, milk, salt, and pepper (and sometimes cheese)(and herbs)(...and bacon). How in the world could such an ingredient lend itself to the creation of a moist loaf of sandwich bread? Even as a food scientist, I'm not sure how it happens, but rest assured, it does.

This recipe from King Arthur Flour yielded two nicely shaped loaves of soft, flavorful bread, and the slices toasted up like no other bread I've ever made! Having deliciously fresh bread on hand inspired me to make a little grilled cheese panini stuffed with pepper jack and an incredible fig spread from Fiordifrutta.

PSA: Fiordifrutta is the only three-ingredient fruit spread on the market. Prepared with perfectly ripened organic fruit, Fiordifrutta contains just fruit, organic apple juice, and natural fruit pectin. This means that it has 30% fewer calories than most other brands since no sugar is added. You can find it in a ton of flavors including apricot, peach, raspberry, cranberry, lingonberry, strawberry, lemon, cherry, blackberry, black currant, fig, pomegranate, pink grapefruit, and pear! You should probably try them all, but the fig spread is currently my absolute favorite.

Whether you like your sandwich untoasted and festooned with plain ol' American cheese and mayonnaise or fancied up with things like preserves, goat cheese, avocado, and the like, this potato bread can handle the job!

Potahto Bread
(printable recipe)
Based on this recipe
Makes 2 loaves
Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 ounces plain mashed potato
• 4-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
Measure the water into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Stir in the dry milk, salt, yeast, and oil, then blend in the mashed potato and the flour.
When the dough begins to come away from the side of the bowl, turn it out onto a lightly floured kneading surface and knead for 3 to 4 minutes. Don't feel like you have to add more flour to make it more manageable--you don't!
Let the dough relax while you wash out and grease the mixing bowl.
Knead for a further 3 or 4 minutes, put the dough into the bowl and then turn it over so the top of the dough has a thin film of grease on it. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a floured surface.
Cut it in half and pat each half into a pan; the dough is wet enough to resist shaping.
Cover the dough and let it rise for 45 minutes to an hour.
About 15 minutes before you want to bake your bread, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake the loaves for 35 minutes.
Turn the loaves out and let them cool completely on a rack before you even think about slicing!