Sweet Potato Bread
This recipe takes boiled potatoes and their reserve water and turns them into bread. The potato starch gelatinizes during boiling and acts as a natural dough conditioner. It holds moisture, softens the crumb, and extends the shelf life without any additives. The reserve potato water carries dissolved starch that strengthens the dough further.
The recipe works with any starchy tuber. Idaho russets give you a neutral base. Sweet potatoes add color and a subtle sweetness. Ube turns the bread purple. Yams bring an earthier flavor. Pick the potato that matches your plan for the bread.
The loaf bakes to a half-moon shape that looks rustic and impressive. The crust is deep and crackly. The inside stays soft for days. This is the bread you make when you want something that looks like it came from a bakery but tastes like it came from a home.
| Ingredient | Grams | Baker's % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potato water (reserved) | 276 | 44.44% | |
| Potato (boiled, cooled, mashed) | 622 | 100.00% | |
| Instant Yeast | 12 | 2.00% | |
| Salt | 15 | 2.36% | |
| Butter | 40 | 6.40% | |
| Flour | 622 | 100.00% | |
| Total | 1,588 | 255.20% |
Scrub the potatoes, cut into quarters, and cover with water. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and boil until soft enough to pierce easily with a knife tip. Draw off and reserve the potato water. Drain the potatoes and spread them on a sheet pan to cool and air-dry for 20 to 30 minutes. The potatoes must be dry before you mash them.
Set your oven to 350°F with a rack in the lower third. Place a baking stone or inverted sheet pan on the rack. Have a spray bottle of water ready for creating steam when the loaves go in.
When the potatoes are cool, stir the yeast into the reserved potato water (warm it to 100°F if needed). Let it rest for 5 minutes until creamy.
Add the cooled potatoes to a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mash them. On low speed, add the dissolved yeast, and butter and mix until incorporated. Switch to the dough hook. Add the flour and salt on low for 2 to 3 minutes, then increase to medium and mix for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Mash the cooled potatoes in a large bowl. Stir in the dissolved yeast mixture and butter. Add the flour and salt and mix with a dough whisk or your hands until no dry patches remain. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky. Cover and rest at room temperature for 2 hours, then refrigerate.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut in half with a dough scraper. Shape each half into a torpedo: form a ball, flatten to a disk, then roll toward you stretching gently and pinching to seal. Tuck the ends under.
Place the loaves seam-side down on a floured towel and fold the towel up around them. Let rise at room temperature for 20 minutes. The dough should feel slightly puffy but not doubled.
Spray the oven walls with water and immediately close the door to trap the steam. Turn the loaves seam-side up onto a peel or sheet pan and transfer to the oven. Spray again and bake 45 to 50 minutes until the crust is very brown and the loaves sound hollow when thumped. Internal temp should read 205°F.
Cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing. This bread is excellent warm with butter while it is still just warm. The crackly crust softens as it cools — slice it while it still has some heat if you want the best texture.
Store at room temperature. Once sliced, turn cut-side down on a cutting board and cover with a kitchen towel, or in a sealed bag if you want. Keeps for about 4 days. For longer storage, wrap airtight and freeze for up to a month. Thaw still wrapped at room temperature.