Potato Bread

Finally baked my first bread!! Can't tell you how excited and anxious I was. I spent most of the day in the kitchen staring at the dough, waiting for it to rise:) and even throughout the baking.

It's true, 'Nothing compares with the aroma of freshly baked bread'.

Ingredients:

4tsp active dried yeast

1cup lukewarm milk

225gms potatoes, boiled (reserve 1cup of the cooking liquid)

2tbs oil

4tsp salt

7-8cups strong white bread flour (I used about 7 1/2cups)

Method:

Mix the yeast and milk in a large bowl and keep aside till the yeast has dissolved and become frothy, about 15mins.

Mash the potatoes well. Add the potatoes, oil and salt to the yeast mixture and combine thoroughly.

Stir in the reserved cooking water. Add the flour in six separate batches to form a stiff dough.

Transfer to a floured surface and knead till well combined and smooth, about 10mins.

Return to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and keep in a warm place till almost double in size, about 1 1/2hrs.

Knock back (punch down),cover and leave to rise again for 40 mins, or till doubled in size.

Grease two 9 x 5in loaf tins. Divide the dough into two parts and arrange in the two tins.

Leave the dough uncovered till it has risen above the rims of the tins, about 1 1/2hrs.

Preheat the oven to 200˚C/ 400˚F. Bake the dough for 10mins, then lower the heat to 190˚C/ 375˚F.  Bake for about 40mins or till done. Cool on a wire rack.

Verdict:

The bread looked perfect, had a great crust and was soft on the inside.

My only complain was that I could not taste any potatoes, the bread tasted like simple white bread. Nevertheless we enjoyed every bite.

P.S.: I did build some muscle kneading the dough :).

Note:

Recipe is adapted from Cakes and Bakes 500.

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Sending this to Susan's 'Yeastspotting' and to 'BBD#17- Bread and Potatoes' hosted by Lien.