Marry This Homemade Potato Bread is a soft and moist recipe, which is made with real mashed potatoes and bread flour. It’s the perfect bread for sandwiches and toast, ready after a few hours of rising time.
Jump to RecipePotato Bread Recipe Ingredients
- 2 Russet Potatoes
- 6 1/2 cups Bread Flour
- 3 Tbsp. Sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp. Instant Yeast
- 2 tsp. Fine Sea Salt
- 1 1/4 cups to 1 1/2 Cups reserved Potato Water
- 1/2 cup Milk, at room temperature
- 4 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
How To Make Potato Bread
- Prepare the Potatoes: Peel and cube the potatoes. Place them in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Drain the potatoes, making sure to reserve the cooking water in a separate bowl. Mash the potatoes well.
- Cool the Potato Mixture: Let both the mashed potatoes and the reserved potato water cool for at least 30 minutes. The potato water must be lukewarm (around 110°F) before you use it.
- Mix the Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the bread flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add 1 ¼ cups of the lukewarm potato water, the milk, the room-temperature butter, and 1 cup of the mashed potatoes (you will have extra mashed potatoes).
- Knead the Dough: Use the paddle attachment to combine the ingredients until a sticky dough forms. Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium speed for about 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic, but still soft and a bit tacky.
- First Rise: Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with an oiled piece of plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 to 1.5 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
- Shape and Second Rise: Gently punch down the dough and divide it in half. On a lightly floured surface, knead each piece a few times, form it into a loaf, and place it in one of two greased 8×4 or 9×5-inch loaf pans. Cover the pans lightly with oiled plastic wrap and let them rise for another 30 minutes to 1 hour, until the dough has risen about 1 inch over the tops of the pans.
- Bake the Loaves: While the loaves rise, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Bake the bread for about 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190ºF. Let the loaves cool in the pans for 5 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Recipe Tips
- How to get super soft bread? The mashed potatoes and the reserved potato water are the secret ingredients! The starch from the potatoes creates an incredibly soft, moist crumb and helps the bread stay fresh for longer than a standard white loaf.
- Can I make this without a stand mixer? Yes, but it will require some significant effort. You will need to knead the sticky dough by hand on a lightly floured surface for a full 10-15 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic.
- Why do I have to cool the potato water? This is the most important step! If the potato water is too hot when you add it to the other ingredients, it will kill the yeast, and your bread will not rise at all. It should feel like a warm bath to the touch.
- What if my dough is too sticky? This is an enriched dough that is meant to be soft and slightly tacky. Try to avoid the temptation to add too much extra flour during kneading, as this can make the final bread dry and dense.
What To Serve With Potato Bread
This is the perfect, versatile sandwich bread. It’s sturdy enough for hearty fillings but soft enough for a simple piece of toast. It’s fantastic for:
- Classic turkey, ham, or roast beef sandwiches
- Making the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich
- Morning toast with butter and jam
- As a side for a hearty soup or stew
How To Store Potato Bread
- Room Temperature: Store the completely cooled loaves in an airtight container or a zip-top bag at room temperature. It will stay fresh and very soft for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: This bread freezes beautifully. Let the loaves cool completely, then you can slice them or leave them whole. Wrap them tightly in foil, then place them in a freezer-safe bag. It will keep for up to 3 months.
Potato Bread Nutrition Facts
- Serving: 1 slice
- Calories: 195 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Protein: 6g
- Fat: 4g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Sugar: 4g
Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.
FAQs
This is the most common issue with yeast breads. It’s almost always because your yeast was old or expired, or the potato water was too hot when you added it, which killed the yeast.
You can, but the final bread will have a slightly softer, less chewy texture. Bread flour has a higher protein content, which develops more gluten and gives the bread a classic, chewy structure that’s perfect for holding up to sandwich fillings.
Yes, as long as they are plain mashed potatoes without a lot of extra butter, cream, or seasonings. You will still need to boil a potato to get the necessary potato water for the recipe.
Try More Recipes:
Potato Bread Recipe
Course: Side DishCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy2
servings20
minutes45
minutes195
kcalA classic, old-fashioned sandwich bread made with real mashed potatoes and potato water for an incredibly soft, moist, and slightly sweet loaf that stays fresh for days.
Ingredients
2 Russet Potatoes
6 1/2 cups Bread Flour
3 Tbsp. Sugar
2 1/2 tsp. Instant Yeast
2 tsp. Fine Sea Salt
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 Cups Potato Water
1/2 cup Milk, room temp
4 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, room temp
Directions
- Peel, cube, and boil the potatoes until tender. Drain them, reserving the cooking water. Mash 1 cup of the potatoes.
- Let the mashed potatoes and the potato water cool until the water is just lukewarm.
- In a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add the potato water, milk, butter, and the 1 cup of mashed potatoes.
- Knead with a dough hook for about 8 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Let the dough rise in a covered, oiled bowl for 1 to 1.5 hours until doubled.
- Divide the dough in half, shape into loaves, and place in two greased loaf pans.
- Let the loaves rise again, covered, for another hour.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Bake for about 35 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- The most important tip for this recipe is to allow the dough to complete both of its rises fully; this is the secret to a light and fluffy bread.
- For the best results, use a stand mixer with a dough hook to properly develop the gluten in the bread flour.
- Be sure that the reserved potato water has cooled to lukewarm before adding it to the yeast and flour, as hot liquid can kill the yeast.
- This bread is perfect for making ahead and freezing. Just slice it before you freeze it for quick and easy toast.
