This is my first post as a Daring Baker. The Daring Bakers are a group of food bloggers who challenge each other with a recipe once a month. A part of the challenge rules, we do not stray from the recipe except where the challenger makes exceptions. In this case we were given a “Tender Potato Bread” recipe and allowed variations in the topping, filling and shaping of the finished bread.

With the dough, I made a large loaf topped with butter and sesame seeds, then used what was left to form a small focaccia with rosemary and caramelized onions. The challenge recipe left some of the measurements rather vague, so I’ll fill in the blanks with the amounts I used.

Many thanks to Tanna of My Kitchen in Half Cups for sharing the original recipe found in Home Baking: The Artful Mix of Flour and Traditions from Around the World by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid.

Ingredients:
1 large baking potato (Idaho, Russet or Yukon gold), peeled and cut into chunks
4 cups water
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
6 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 cup whole wheat flour

Toppings:
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 batch caramelized onions

Making the Dough:
Put the potatoes and 4 cups water in a sauce pan and bring to boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and cook, half covered, until the potatoes are very tender.

Drain the potatoes, SAVE THE POTATO WATER, and mash the potatoes well.

Measure out 3 cups of the reserved potato water. Add extra water if needed to make 3 cups. Place the water and 1 cup of the mashed potatoes in the bowl you plan to mix the bread dough in (discard the rest). Let cool to lukewarm (70-80°F) – stir well before testing the temperature.

Stir yeast into cooled water and mashed potatoes and let stand 5 minutes. Then add 2 cups of flour to the yeast mix and allow to rest an additional 5 minutes.

Sprinkle in the remaining 1 tablespoon salt and add the softened butter; mix well. Add the 1 cup whole wheat flour, stir briefly.

Add 2 cups of the unbleached all-purpose flour and stir until all the flour has been incorporated. (At this point you have used 4 of the 7 1/2 cups suggested by the recipe.)

Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, incorporating flour as needed to prevent sticking. (At this point you will have used about 5 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour.) The dough will be very sticky to begin with, but as it takes up more flour from the kneading surface, it will become easier to handle; use a dough scraper to keep your surface clean. The kneaded dough will still be very soft. Place the dough in a large clean bowl or your rising container of choice, cover with plastic wrap or lid, and let rise about 2 hours or until doubled in volume.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead gently several minutes, incorporating the remainder of the flour. It will be moist and a little sticky.

Forming the Bread:
Divide the dough into 2 unequal pieces in a proportion of one-third and two-thirds (one will be twice as large as the other). Place the smaller piece to one side and cover loosely.

To shape the large loaf:
Butter a 9 x 5 x 2.5 inch loaf/bread pan. Flatten the larger piece of dough on the floured surface to an approximate 12 x 8 inch oval, then roll it up from a narrow end to form a loaf. Pinch the seam closed and gently place seam side down in the buttered pan. The dough should come about three-quarters of the way up the sides of the pan. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 35 to 45 minutes, until puffy and almost doubled in volume.

To make focaccia:
Flatten out the smaller piece of dough to a circle about 8 or 9 inches across with your palms and fingertips. Tear off a piece of parchment paper a little larger than the dough and dust it generously with flour. Transfer the focaccia to the paper. Brush the top of the dough generously with olive oil, sprinkle on a little coarse sea salt and some rosemary leaves, then top with some caramelized onion. Finally dimple all over with your fingertips. Cover with plastic and let rise for 20 minutes.

Baking the breads:
Place a baking stone in the center of the oven and preheat to 450°F. Just before baking, dimple the bread all over again with your fingertips. Leaving it on the paper, transfer to the hot baking stone. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack (remove paper) and let cool at least 10 minutes before serving. Return the baking stone to the bottom rack of the oven to keep warm.

Slash the top of the loaf crosswise three or four times with a very sharp knife and immediately place in the center of the oven. After 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 375°F and continue to bake for an additional 40 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan and place directly on baking stone in center of oven for 5 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool at least 30 minutes before slicing.

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See the original Tender Potato Bread Recipe.

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