Homemade Potato Bread

"Do you likepotato bread? Potato bread is essentially wheat bread with a mashed potato worked into the dough. It has the most wonderful crust, and the light but firm structure, with generous craggly holes make for the most fantastic toast. (All those nooks and crannies? Perfect butter and jam receptacles.) With all of the artisan breads available at the markets these days it’s a wonder anyone makes their own bread anymore. But I have yet to find freshly baked potato bread at the market, and making it at home is easy, especially if you have a mixer or bread machine. I recently came across a basic recipe for potato bread (called Hot Loaf) in MK Fisher’s classic How to Cook a Wolf, written during WWIIwith essayson keepingthe wolves of hunger at bay when food and money are scarce. The recipe gave some basic guidelines, but left some thingscompletely open to interpretation, like the amount of dough, “sift in enough flour to make the dough soft and workable…” and the baking temperature, “bake in a moderate oven until a fine golden crust is formed.” So, I’ve gathered advice from other recipes (here’s a good one from the fine folks at King Arthur) to come up withmore specific instructions. That said, bread making really is an art that improves with practice. This recipe is flexible and forgiving, so it’s a good one to try if you are just starting your home bread making adventures...."