Leftover Mashed Potatoes? Make Potato Bread

Leftover Mashed Potatoes? Make Potato Bread was first published to Total Survival

Quite often when I make mashed potatoes for supper, I end up with just a dab (less than a cup) of potatoes left – not really enough for another meal. So how do you stretch a small amount of potatoes into another meal sized portion? One option is chicken and gnocchi soup, another favorite option is this easy potato bread recipe.

Most of the “potato bread” recipes I've seen used powdered mashed potatoes – not something I keep in my pantry. My husband used to be a fan of store bought potato bread when we were first married – you know kind that resembles cotton candy in bread form? (Pretty sure they use potato flakes…) I was tickled to finally find a recipe that uses real mashed potatoes. I throw mine in just the way I serve them – butter, milk, salt and pepper included.

The recipe I use is based on one from The Bread Machine Cookbook V.

Some of my recommended bread making supplies and equipment:

Saf-instant Yeast

King Arthur Organic Bread Flour

Nutrimill Grain Mill

Bosch Universal Plus Kitchen Machine

Pampered Chef Stoneware loaf pans

Nordic Ware Extra Large Cooling Racks

Potato Bread Recipe Using Real Mashed Potatoes

Note: See bottom of post for print friendly version of recipe.

Ingredients

• 7 ounces cooked potato (you can use leftover mashed potatoes, or cook up a small potato and mash it)
• Warm water, enough to equal 1 3/4 cup when combined with the potato

(I put the potato into a 2 cup pyrex measuring cup, and add water to bring the level up to 1 3/4 cup)

• 2 tablespoons softened butter
• 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar (or honey)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 1/2 cups bread flour (I usually use a mix of fresh ground wheat flour and pre-milled flour)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons saf-instant yeast or bread machine yeast

Directions

If using a bread machine, select “wheat”, “sweet”, or “white” setting, do not use a timer. You may substitute 2 teaspoons active dry yeast and proof in one cup of the warm water prior to mixing.

I normally mix the dough in my Bosch Universal Plus Kitchen Machine and then bake it in the oven. (I finally bought a Bosch after killing three different bread machines. It's more expensive, but can handle double batches of whole wheat bread without a fuss, unlike lighter machines.)

Gathering ingredients – yeast, sea salt, freshly ground flour from the Nutrimill

I add everything into the machine and mix for 6-8 minutes, adding additional flour if needed. Add the last of flour slowly – you want a soft, elastic dough. Too much flour will give you a harder dough and a drier bread. If kneading by hand, mix wet ingredients with yeast until thoroughly blended, then add dry ingredients, adjusting flour as needed to give a soft, elastic dough. This dough will be a little bit more sticky than many bread doughs. This is normal. If you look closely, you can see little bits of brightly colored blue potato.

Let bread rest and rise for around 20 minutes, then punch down and allow to rise again. (This develops the flavor and gluten of the bread.)

Once doubled in size, form dough into loaves and place in greased bread pans. A single recipe makes one large loaf or two smaller loaves. I usually divide the dough into two 9×5 pans, or make a double batch (shown here) and divide it into three regular loaves. When I bake, I like to make more than one loaf so I can keep the extras in the freezer to have on hand when needed. My favorite bread pans are the Pampered Chef Stoneware loaf pans. They are naturally somewhat non-stick, but not entirely. I do grease them a little, but bread tends to stick much more frequently in the glass pan than the stoneware. Rada Cutlery makes a slightly less expensive stoneware loaf pan, but the sides are strangely bulged out. I like my Pampered Chef pans better.

Bread loaves in pan, before and after rising.

Preheat oven to 350F. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks. Try to wait for the bread to cool before cutting, if possible. When you cut open a steaming loaf of bread, much of the moisture escapes as steam, leaving the remainder of the loaf dry. Of course, if it all disappears within a matter of minutes, this is a non-issue.

I let this batch rise a bit too much, which is why the finished loaves (shown below) don't look quite so picture perfect. Remember, bread will rise a bit in the oven, so bake before it is overflowing the pans. (And don't get involved in another project and forget about your bread…) I baked another batch (that was baked at the proper time) for the top and bottom photos in this post, but I kept some of my original photos. Not every batch of bread may be “picture perfect”, but they all taste good!

This recipe produces a moist, dense loaf that is great for sandwiches and toast, and holds for the better part of a week. For longer storage, it freezes very well, in case you want to make a double or triple batch.

I hope your family enjoys this recipe as much as my family does. If you do, please pass it along.

Need More Bread Recipes?

My first print book, Never Buy Bread Again: 20+ Homemade Bread Recipes is now available! You can learn more and order your copy at http://ift.tt/2sUMfZ1.

In this book you’ll find:

• Troubleshooting tips so you can bake without fear
• Easy everyday breads such as sandwich bread and crusty French bread
• Quick breads such as buttermilk biscuits, corn bread and pancakes
• Gluten free breads
• How to Make a Sourdough Starter and Basic Sourdough Bread
• Holiday and special occasion breads, like fruit filled kolache, Polish doughnuts and pretzel bread
• How to store and freeze breads (before and after baking) for best quality
• Fun bread “go alongs” like flavored butters and cheese fondue
• Recipes to make with leftover bread

The book includes full color photos, so you know what the finished bread should look like, and stories from our family about the recipes and baking traditions. It has a spiral binding so that it lays flat on the kitchen counter for easy reading while cooking. Some of these recipes have been featured on the website, others are exclusive to the book.

You may also enjoy:

• Chicken and Gnocchi Soup, Olive Garden Style
• Cheesy Broccoli Soup with a Surprise Ingredient
• Cheese Soup with Homemade Bread Bowls

Print

Potato Bread Made with Mashed Potatoes

A tender bread made with real mashed potatoes. Great for sandwiches.

Ingredients

• 7 ounces cooked potato (you can use leftover mashed potatoes, or cook up a small potato and mash it)
• Warm water, enough to equal 1 3/4 cup when combined with the potato (I put the potato into a 2 cup pyrex measuring cup, and add water to bring the level up to 1 3/4 cup)
• 2 tablespoons softened butter
• 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar (or honey)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons saf-instant yeast or bread machine yeast

Instructions

If mixing by machine

1. Add into the machine and mix for 6-8 minutes, adding additional flour if needed. Add the last of flour slowly – you want a soft, elastic dough. Too much flour will give you a harder dough and a drier bread.

If kneading by hand

1. Mix wet ingredients with yeast until thoroughly blended, then add dry ingredients, adjusting flour as needed to give a soft, elastic dough. This dough will be a little bit more sticky than many bread doughs. This is normal.
2. Let bread rest and rise for around 20 minutes, then punch down and allow to rise again.
3. Once doubled in size, form dough into loaves and place in greased bread pans. A single recipe makes one large loaf or two smaller loaves. I usually divide the dough into two 9×5 pans, or make a double batch (shown here) and divide it into three regular loaves.
4. Preheat oven to 350F. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.
5. Store in sealed container and use within a few days or freeze for longer storage.

Originally posted in 2011, updated in 2017.

The post Leftover Mashed Potatoes? Make Potato Bread appeared first on Common Sense Homesteading.

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