Blue-mash Potato Bread & Serving Suggestion
Why I Love This Recipe
I am a big fan of The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book (2003). However, I did not have all the ingredients for a recipe, yet wanted to use up some leftover mashed blue potatoes (from my garden) without a grocery store trip...Although, I so need a grocery store run today.
Here is my modified version, which lacks the fresh dairy and honey of the original, has reduced salt, packs in more leftover mashed potatoes, and has the addition of some healthy flaxseed.
Blue-Mash Potato Bread
Adapted from The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book, Potato Bread.
Ingredients You'll Need
1 lb (2+ cups) leftover mashed blue potatoes, room temp. (mine were prepared with butter)
2 tsp rapid rise yeast (not expired!)
2 1/4 cup warm water
1 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs oil (olive)
1/2 cup powdered milk (non-fat)
900 grams (about 6 cups) freshly ground whole wheat flour
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup whole flaxseed
Directions
If using mashed potatoes that have not been brought to room temperature, add leftover potatoes and 1 1/4 cups very hot water to your mixer. I used my strongest stand mixer (the Viking) for this recipe as it makes a lot of heavy dough. On the lowest setting, mix the leftover mashed potatoes, hot water, lemon juice and the oil in the mixing bowl, to bring leftover mashed potatoes closer to room temperature. Meanwhile, add the 2 tsp yeast and the 2 tbs sugar to the remaining cup of warm (not hot) water, to bloom.
Once potatoes have been mixed and warmed, and the yeast has bloomed, combine.
Add remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Once combined, install bread hook and knead on a low setting for 10 minutes; if kneading by hand, double the kneading time. Finished dough should feel heavy, but smooth and pliable.
Clean mixing bowl and coat with cooking spray or oil. Place dough back into bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for an hour and a half. (I placed my dough outside as it was over 95ºF.) After the first rise (dough should be about double in size) gently press flat in bottom of the bowl to squeeze out air, cover and let rise again for about 45 minutes.
Prepare 2 bread pans with cooking spray, or with shortening and flour (I used inexpensive disposable aluminum pans as I don't have 2 large bread pans that are equal in size.)
After the second rise, divide the dough into 2 equal-sized portions (around 900 grams each.) Lightly flour a work surface and flatten the dough balls by press them into large rectangles (about twice as long as wide.) Firmly and snugly, roll each rectangle into a loaf by starting at the narrow end. Turn ends under and place in prepared pan. Press to flatten in the pan. The top of the dough should be equal height from end to end, and from side to side. Dust tops lightly with flour.
Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise again for about 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, if you press your finger into the top of a loaf and it does not spring back, it's ready to bake.
During the final rise, heat the oven to 350ºF. Insert a temperature probe into one of the loaves (like you would with a roast) and bake until center internal temperature reaches 203ºF.
Let pans cool on a rack for 30 minutes before removing the loaves from the pans. Makes 2 loaves.
Nutritional Information -- Estimate Only. Servings per recipe: 46 (about 1 oz or 35 grams per slice/serving). Calories per serving: 98. Protein: 4 grams. Fat: 2 gram. Total Carbohydrates: 17 grams (fiber: 3 grams). Sodium: 138 mg (includes an estimate for added salt in leftover mashed potatoes.)
Serving Suggestion:
I'm still rolling in Asian pears from my 5 Asian pear trees all covered in beautiful, organic, ripe pears, ready to harvest and enjoy. I had 6 trees at one time until one of my dogs took a tree out while playing -- ran into it at full-on puppy speed, cutting it off at the trunk. There was also the time that he (the pup) was helping my husband with weeding and he 'weeded' an entire tree by yanking it out of the ground whole....but that's another story.
I love peanut butter on toasted bread and what could be better than peanut butter and Asian pear slices on homemade toasty whole wheat bread?
Peanut Butter and Asian Pear on toasty Blue Potato Mash Bread
Sandwich Ingredients:
2 slices Blue-Mash Potato Bread (above) toasted
1 tbs peanut butter
2 slices Asian pear
For assembly, see picture above. Serve with remaining pear sliced into wedges.
Nutritional Information -- Estimate Only. Servings per recipe: 1 sandwich plus remaining pear slices. Calories per serving: 412. Protein: 12 grams. Fat: 13 grams. Total Carbohydrates: 67 grams (fiber: 17 grams). Sodium: 331 mg. Cost information, bread estimated at 9 cents per slice, or 5 cents if using homegrown potatoes and homeground flour. Sandwiches and pear slices approximately $1.82 each, or only 22¢ each if using homegrown ingredients (including Asian pear.)
