Albert Bartlett Potato Bread

METHOD

1. Place the peeled & weighed potatoes in a large saucepan of cold water, cover and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes until they are tender but not falling apart.

2. Drain the potatoes and reserve the cooking liquid.

3. Next pour 5 tablespoons of the reserved warm cooking liquid into a large bowl and leave to cool for a few minutes. Then sprinkle in the yeast. Stir in the sugar and leave in a warm place for about 10 minutes until a light foam appears on the surface.

4. Now, mash the potatoes with the oil in the saucepan until they’re lovely and smooth without any lumps, then stir in the yeast mixture and add the pinch of salt.

5. Mix well with a wooden spoon and gradually add the flour, a few tablespoons at a time, stirring well before adding more. When the dough becomes too stiff to stir in the flour, turn it out on to the work surface and knead the remaining flour into the dough.

6. Don’t be tempted to add more water or the dough will become too sticky to work with.

7. Knead the dough for 10 minutes until soft and pliable. Place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover loosely with lightly oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes, or until well-risen and spongy to touch.

8. Now, knock back the dough with your knuckles and shape it into a rough ball or to the shape you would like.

9. Finally, place your loaf on a lightly oiled and floured baking sheet, and leave to prove in a warm place for a further 30 minutes.

10. Preheat the oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7. Bake the loaf for 35 minutes until well risen and crusty on top. Cool on a wire rack.

This recipe does use a good bit of elbow grease but the results are very worth it!

What you will need