Potato Bread

potato bread reminds me of going to the farm. its a staple at the house and ever grocery store (there is really only one and a gas station) offers potato bread as the main option. i have never really been all that interested in the stuff mainly because i couldn't understand why it donned such a bright yellow color. that just doesn't seem right to me nor does it say "nutritious" or "delicious" for that matter. where is the fiber and protein in yellow? no to mention the yellow stuff tastes exactly like wonderbread - which is just thick air.

anyways enough about the yellow. so as you know i love to make baked goods with alternative materials and last week when josh took a bite of the challah i made he promptly asked why i hadn't made him a loaf of potato bread yet. huh. good question - why the hell haven't i made potato bread yet? with a bag of russets withering away in my kitchen i set to work. i have to say i am more than impressed with this bread, its light due to the potatoes yet still fulfilling and the taste is surprisingly layered and "warm". wow - i know that such a foodie description but really guys this bread rocks! its a perfect pairing for turkey sandwiches. i did a good amount of researching for this recipe and i think its pretty perfect. you'll notice the saffron i added in there as a nod to the odd yellowness afore mentioned, yet its still didn't reach anywhere near the hue of that cheap grocery aisle version. i wouldn't leave it out though, like i said before; it lends for a nice layer of flavors.

POTATO BREAD

1 large russet potato, peeled, cut into cubes

1/2c warm (110F) water from boiling the potato

pinch saffron thread, crumbled

2 1/4 tsp yeast

3 tbs honey

4c flour

1/2c warm milk

1/4c oil

1 egg, beaten

1/2c riced boiled potato (from above)

1 tsp salt

*boil the potato, save the water, rice the potato.

*let water cool down to 110F

*once cooled, dissolve the yeast and saffron in 1/2c of the potato water. stir in 1/2 of the honey and let sit 10 minutes to activate yeast (you will see it "bloom").

*stir in 1/2c of the flour, make smooth paste, cover and let sit 30 minutes.

*in a separate bowl combine the remaining honey, milk, oil, egg, riced potato and salt

*stir in starter "paste" and stir well

*beat in 1c flour until smooth, slowly add in more flour until you get a ball of loose dough

*turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes adding small amounts of flour as needed to get a smooth and elastic dough.

*grease bowl, cover and let rise to double (about 1 1/2 hours)

*punch down, quickly knead for a minute

*shape into smooth ball, place in greased loaf pan and let rise to double (about 30-40 minutes)

*preheat oven to 375F, cook 30-35 minutes to golden brown