Julie Clark
Posted: Updated:
Potato Bread
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Use leftover mashed potatoes to make soft, fluffy, white homemade potato bread. This bread is delicious as a sliceable sandwich bread.
Table of Contents
Several times a week for lessons, meetings and appointments, we head “into the city”. Now this city isn’t a big city as some of you I’m sure are used to, but for this country girl, some one-way streets, tall buildings and local shops make up “the city”.
Every time we drive into the city we pass by a bread bakery. Sometimes this is an unnoticeable thing, but when they are actively baking bread, everyone in the car swoons over the aroma. And if the dogs happen to be in the car with us? You can bet they get woken up instantly at that delicious fresh-bread smell.
It never fails then, that several times a week I am craving homemade bread. Too many times we’ve come home from dance class and within 5 minutes I’m scouring my grandma’s old cookbooks for a new bread recipe to try. That’s how I stumbled up on this potato bread recipe.
About this Potato Bread Recipe
- Flavor: This bread tastes like a traditional white bread. It doesn’t have a strong flavor of potatoes, so don’t worry. The potatoes are mostly there for the texture.
- Texture: This bread is soft and fluffy. The mashed potatoes help keep it sturdy, yet soft.
Bread with Mashed Potatoes? Really?
Yes. Really. Although I’m not 100% sure of the science behind it, from what I read and also what I’ve experienced, potatoes tend to make breads rise a little fluffier and softer…and have a great texture. That’s definitely the case with this recipe.
Potato Bread Ingredients
This recipe is a fairly standard bread recipe: milk, sugar, egg, salt, butter, yeast, flour…and of course mashed potatoes.
- I like to use bread flour in this recipe. It just makes the bread a little sturdier and gives it a bit of a chewy texture. If you’re looking for the ultimate in softness, stick with all-purpose flour.
- And for mashed potatoes, I’ve used straight up mashed potatoes, and also mashed potatoes that had butter and milk added. Both worked. I’ve not ever tried instant potatoes. Although I’m sure it would work. The best potatoes for mashed potatoes are Russet potatoes.
- Oh…and our favorite yeast? Red Star Platinum Instant Yeast. It works perfectly and has never let me down. If you’ve never worked with yeast, read our guide to baking with yeast.
How to Make Potato Bread
Just as with our cinnamon rolls, buttery soft rolls and buttermilk bread, I like to mix bread in the stand mixer (or when I’m really lazy, the bread machine). Do you need a stand mixer to make this bread? No. You can just as easily mix the ingredients by hand, then knead by hand for 6-8 minutes on a floured surface.
If you’re kneading the bread by hand, I always warn not to add too much flour. The dough should be slightly sticky so that the bread does not turn out dry.
A trick for making bread dough rise faster.
Many people want to know how to make dough rise faster.
Turn the oven to the lowest temperature and allow it to heat for 2 minutes. Then turn the oven off and place the covered bowl with the dough inside on the oven rack and close the door. Allow the dough to rise in the warm oven. Just be sure you turn off the oven so the dough doesn’t bake!
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this homemade potato bread…it’s one of the best bread recipes. Here are a few of our favorite ways to serve it:
- Make toast, spread with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Or, brush freshly baked slices of this bread with our cinnamon butter.
- Make French toast with thick slices of this bread.
- Serve as the base for egg salad sandwiches or tuna melts.
Potato Bread
Use leftover mashed potatoes to make soft, fluffy, white homemade potato bread! This bread is delicious as a sliceable sandwich bread.
Servings 20
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Rise Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 cup 2% milk warmed
- 1 package Red Star Plantinum instant yeast (or active dry yeast)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup mashed potatoes
- 1/4 cup salted butter melted
- 4 cups bread flour
Instructions
- Pour the warm water and milk (about 110-115 degrees F) into the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Sprinkle the yeast over the liquids.
- Add the sugar, egg, salt, potatoes, butter and flour.
- Use the paddle attachment to mix the ingredients just until combined.
- Then switch to the dough hook and beat on medium-high speed for 5-7 minutes. The dough should be slightly sticky.
- Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Place the kneaded dough ball into the greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel.
- Set the bowl in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size (about 30 minutes).
- Divide the dough in two and shape into two loaves.
- Place the dough into two greased 9×5 loaf pans.
- Cover the pans and put them in a warm place, allowing the dough to rise again until almost double (about 25 minutes).
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake the bread (uncovered) for 30-35 minutes or until the tops are dry and firm, with a golden brown color.
- Remove the bread from the pans and allow them to cool on a wire rack.
- Store in an airtight container.
- *Calories are based on two loaves, each being cut into 10 slices. 1 slice per serving.
Video
Notes
To make mashed potatoes, peel about 2 Russet potatoes, then cut them into chunks. Boil them in a small saucepan until they are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain off any water. Mash the potatoes and allow them to cool before adding to the recipe.
I have not tried this bread with gluten-free flours.
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the bread being cut into 10 pieces each, with 1 serving being 1 bread. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Nutrition
Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 69mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 105IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 0.4mg
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I just finished making this in the bread machine, it definitely overflowed so not a good idea.
On the flip side, it tastes absolutely amazing! The top looks really ugly because it stuck to the lid, but that wasn’t a problem, I happily tore it off and ate it 🙂
Will definitely be my go to recipe when I have left over mashed potatoes in the future.
As a side note, I used mashed potatoes that had been seasoned with salt, milk and heavy whipping cream. Worked marvously for this recipe.
A recipe for Hallah (Challah is the Hebrew word for an egg bread eaten primarily on the Sabbath.) This is a recipe I have added to from “Like Mama Used to Make” 6 cups flour Topping: egg wash, choose caraway seeds, poppy seeds or sesame seeds 1 tsp. sugar 1 Tbsp. shortening 1 tsp. salt 2 packages yeast Directions Put flour in a large pan or bowl. add water, eggs sugar, shortening, and salt: mix. Sprinkle yeast over that mixture. Mix together well to form dough. Let rise 30 minutes. Kneed again. Let rise again 15 minutes. Form loaves. Put… Read more »
I’ve always used mashed potatoes in my bread recipes…I learned from my grandma! It’s so good and I used mashed potatoes in my cinnamon roll recipe too.
I always make my mashed potatoes rustic, with skin on. I wonder if that would make the bread too weird?
Looks like a good recipe. I have a recipe I will need to find and share for a challah bread I have made.
The steps for letting the dough rise are similar to this recipe.
Made this recipe before, made the most fluffy bread! Absolutely wonderful!
Would uou have to make mashed potatoes if using potato flakes or could you just add the flakes and a little more butter snd milk??
Loved this, tried it once with whole wheat flour and was sill delightfully fluffy!!
Great recipe. I added a TBL of extra melted butter because I was having trouble with raw ingredients at the bottom of my mixing bowl. Yummy for the tummy!
Family says this is best bread ever– making it again this afternoon.
I used my bread machine to mix this and go through a couple of the three rises and then took it out and pinched into golf ball size rolls let them rise in the oven,. Best rolls ever
Don’t hesitate to use this recipe! I just made the best bread I’ve ever tasted! (And yes, you can use instant potatoes!)
I made the dough in my bread machine. My only alteration was potato water instead of plain water. I made one pullman loaf and one cinnamon swirl loaf. Both loaves were soft and delicious! Half a cup of leftover mashed potatoes will no longer be thrown out…thank you for the recipe!
I have made potato bread for years. I save my potato water when I boil my potatoes and use it instead of water in the recipe. It makes beautiful bread. Next time I will use some of the potatoes as well.
Would like to make this in my breadmaker! I have RA and can’t knead homemade bread dough.