Rustic Artisan Potato Bread

I.  Love.  Baking.
And I especially love baking bread on Sundays . . . even when it is a thousand degrees outside.  Anyway - nothing is better than a slice of warm, freshly homemade bread.  The problem isn't the complexity of ingredients, as most breads are flour, yeast, salt, water, and oil - but the time it takes to make the bread.  So my itch for fresh bread needed scratching and I was displeased with most of the blogged bread recipes I found, so I went back to the old faithful cook book: Baking with Julia.
As I rummaged through the pages of this well loved book on baking, I noticed a particular bread recipe that had my mouth salivating instantly and my time constraints grinning ear-to-ear.  Rustic Artisan Potato Bread!!  Now, first things first - I freaking love potato bread!  But it always seemed complex to me - whole, hard, round potatoe - soft, fluffy loaf of bread . . . doesn't make sense right?! . . . WRONG.  Potato bread is almost comically easy, and the rise time is nothing in bread-rising-time.  But enough of my jibber-jabbing and on to the baking!!

Prep time: 30 - 40 minutes
Rise time: 40 - 60 minutes
Bake time: 40 - 50 minutes

I know what you're thinking . . . 2 hours?!  But believe me, after making a focaccia that had a 16 hour rise time - this was nothing.  And the amount of flour it calls for is next to nil!  The bread is soft and fluffy on the inside, and crisp and crunch on the outside. Oh! It's so perfect :)

If you're still not convinced, here's a preview:

Ingredients

1.5 lbs of potatoes (about 3 if you're using russet - if you're using any other kind . . . like I did . . . you'll have to find a way of measuring out 1.5 lbs)
4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup tepid reserved potato water (80 degrees F to 90 degrees F)
1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
2 Tablespoons EVOO
4 -3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour

Cooking the Potatoes
Thoroughly scrub the potatoes as well as you can and quarter them.  Boil the potatoes with the peel on (this is why you thoroughly scrubbed, remember!) and 2 of the Tablespoons of salt until they're soft enough to be easily pierced with a knife.  Save 1/2 cup of the hot water and set aside for later.  Strain the remaining water from the potatoes and set out on a towel to cool and dry.  It's really important for the potatoes to be completely cool and completely dry.  If they are still pretty moist it'll add extra water to the bread which can cause for disaster.  Let them sit for 20 - 30 minutes.


Making the Dough

A little instagram action going on :)

Once cooled, add the potatoes to a stand-mixer and, with paddle attachment begin to mash on low speed.  Simultaneously add the yeast to the tepid water (can reheat in microwave for a few seconds if need be) and let sit for five minutes -- it will look quite frothy and creamy.  Add the potato-water-yeast mixture to the mashing potatoes.  Add the olive oil shortly after the yeast mixture.  Continue to mix until potatoes are thoroughly mashed and liquids are fully incorporated into the potatoes.
At this point you'll need to replace the paddle attachment with a dough hook.  Continuing at low speeds, add the flour and remaining salt in parts.  Mix on low for about 3 minutes.  Increase the speed and mix for 11 minutes.
The dough will go through stages.  It will be unnerving at times, but trust me - it'll work out.  At the end, the dough will be transformed into a soft and slightly sticky blob of potato-dough.

First Rise

1. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 20 - 30 minutes.
2. While the dough is rising, position an oven rack at the bottom of the oven and place a baking stone (or baking sheet)
3. Prepare a floured workspace and prep a flour a towel for the final rise
4. Fill a spray bottle with water and set aside

Shaping the Dough

We had some, freshly sliced with dinner

1. Turn the bread onto the lightly floured surface and divide into two approximately equal parts
2. Shape each half into a ball and press into a flat disc
3. From the far side of the disc, roll the dough toward you, stretching it gently and continuing to dust the edges with flour
4. If necessary, roll the dough back and forth seam side down to create a football like shape

Second Rise

1. Place the shaped dough, seam side down onto the floured towel and wrap with remaining towel or new towel for another 20 minutes

Baking

1. After the second rise, the oven and stone should be completely preheated.  Spray the walls of the oven with the squirt bottle and close immediately to trap the steam.
2. Transfer the breads to the baking stone, seam side up and spray the oven once more.
3. Bake the loaves for 40 - 50 minutes or until the bread has a nice golden brown tone and the bottom sounds hollow if you knock on it.  Spray the oven every 10 - 15 minutes or so with the spray bottle to keep the oven moist and help the bread cook more evenly without burning.
4. Let the bread rest for 10 minutes or so
5. Lather with butter
6. Enjoy!!!

Storing

1. Store at room temperature
2. Once cut, place the cut side face down on a cutting board.
3. It will keep at room temp for about two days and can be frozen in an airtight tupperware for up to a month.  When thawing keep in airtight tupperware until completely thawed

Thanks for stopping by!!

Love,

Mrs. Fosson