“ It’s impossible to think of any good meal, no matter how plain or elegant, without soup or bread in it”. M.F.K Fisher.
Another month, another Daring Bakers challenge and this one was on the savory side, which was quite what I hoped for after having too many sweets lately.
I love making bread. In fact, at my house we only have homemade bread: the whole wheat and honey bread for breakfast and the focaccia for lunch and dinner. But it has been a long time since I kneaded my bread without the help of my Harley Davidson (that’s how I call my Kitchen-Aid Stand Mixer. I even sing for my bike when it kneads my bread).
My mother thought me how to knead my first bread when I was about fourteen and I used to hate it. The dough was sticky, my tiny arms were getting tired and when I would ask my mom how to know if it’s done, she would answer: “you should feel it. When it’s smooth and elastic”.
Now, with some experience behind me, I enjoy kneading bread and find it very relaxing and somehow poetic to go from separate dry and wet ingredients to a magnificent piece of bread. Simple yet so comforting.
Making your own bread is very rewarding. Not only you are happy to enjoy fresh from the oven loaf of bread but also your house will smell like a warm bakery on a snowy Sunday morning.
Potato bread is basically: potatoes, cooked then mashed, mixed with whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, salt, a tiny bit of butter and water. I only needed a little less than 8 cups of all-purpose flour for the dough and shaped into two huge loves (1 lb each).
The dough was very sticky at first but then became very easy to work with after the 6 cups of flour. The texture of the bread is just lovely: very airy, light and a little chewy.
It was my first attempt on making potato bread and from my entourage excitement I can assure you it won’t be the last. I enjoyed having my sticky fingers and floury hair again.
Thank you Tanna. And be sure to head over to her blog for more details on the recipe, and to visit my fellow Daring Bakers chefs-d’oeuvre.
44 comments:
The inside of your bread looks great mine came out a little dense because I was doing too many things at once that day.
Rose the crumb in your loaf is incredible. Great job and it was fun to knead this dough wasn't it!!
Oh yes this was fun. Your loaf looks fantastic. Nice job Rose!
I talked to the dough when I was kneading it. Maybe next time I will sing too. :D Lovely bread you made.
Love the crumb of your bread. great job!
Your bread looks gorgeous and very professional ! It gives me hope that I too someday will be good at working with dough.
foccacia and potatoe bread looks really good in all those blogs :) it's great !
I wish I was able to do that weel for december ! So happy to join you :)
As always you did a magnificent job! I love it.
I so look forward to your posts and this one is no exception. Your bread looks magnificent!
Hi Rose,
Your blog is beautiful.
I love how your breads have turned out. It looks like they have the perfect texture (light and chewy as you said).
:)
Julius from Occasional Baker
Beautiful bread! It is hard work to knead in that much flour, but it is fun to get into the kneading rhythm. I don't make bread often enough, but I always enjoy it more than any other kind of baking.
Your loaves look fantastic, Rose! And I agree with you, it IS fun, albeit sticky. See you next month!
What a beautiful crumb you created. And I'm with you, I've learned to love the serenity AND the workout involved in kneading bread dough. Now I just need to MAKE the time to enjoy it more often.
There is something about kneading bread that soothes you, I agree! Love the crust on that first pic!
Beautiful bread! Love how light and airy it is!
C'est superbe. De toutes les façons, tout ce que tu fais est magnifique...
I find kneading very relaxing too. Great looking bread.
Ohhh your bread looks like bread, mine was a little doughy....I love your blog, wonderful pictures and always tempting posts...
Dlad you liked this months challenge :) the bread looks fabulous!
Your bread looks divine. Great job!
Natalie @ Gluten A Go Go
Wonderful job.Looking good.
love your opening quote from MFK fisher. gorgeous bread!
Again, I am not a baker but surely enjoy the day you all post your goodies from the latest challenge. Nice job on your potato bread Rose!
Your bread looks fabulous. And it's good to hear that even a seasoned bread baker had the opportunity to try something new!
I love potato bread - the ultimate dose of carbs, I believe. I've never made potato bread before but your post inspires me to try (and sing to my own mixer) Great job!
You had floury hair too?! I thought I was the only one. Beautiful bread, Rose!
You are right bread making is therapy! your bread turned out gorgeous Rose. BTW, I got your email and will put my ideas together tomorrow.
Your bread looks amazing Rose. For me too, it was my first potato bread and I loved it.
My grandmother used to make her own bread, but I was a little girl then and I only have some very vague memories of it...
Brilliant crumb, so light and airy! Your crust is a brilliantly golden and lightly dusted with flour, it just looks so pretty!
Christina ~ She Runs, She Eats
Your loaf looks great!
- Thank you all for your kind words. I believe we all enjoyed this month's challenge. I just can't wait to see what's for the next month.
Happy Week and happy holiday baking everybody.
Beautiful bread. I can't wait to go home and hear the Harley Davidson song. My computer here doesn't have sound.
Your bread is perfect! Those slices look so moist and tender. Yum. Excellent turn out!!
-jen at use real butter
Your bread looks lovely. What a fun challenge we had this month!
Your loaf looks great! Well done!
Cheers,
Rosa
peux tu me donner la recette en français please ?fabuleux pain campagnard !!avec une bonne couche de beurre et de confiture...ou tout simplement trempe dans de l'huile d'olives du terroir...mmmmmm...que demande le peuple.bravo rose .biz
what gorgeous bread! excellent work on the challenge!
Now that is a nice looking loaf!
Sorry for doing an all-in-one comment! 1. Your new header is gorgeous! 2. your frangipane (my favorite) and fig tart look divine! 3. Your bread is awesome, plain and simple, and that Bardot clip was too funny! Seriously, though, I'm glad your little 14-year-old arms have grown to make such pretty things as this!
- Cheryl, you are going to love the song. And propably laugh too :)
- Jen, Nan, Rosa, thank you ladies. See you next month.
- Mima, je te l'envoi au plus vite. Bisous Bisous.
- The pastry princess, thanks a lot. What a cute alias you have here ;)
- Quellia, thanks a lot.
- Julie, that's no problem at all.1- thanks for the header. You can tell that my little girl is a futur baker and blogger. 2- It was absolutely delicious. I am impressed my self with the result. You should really try it. 3- With all respects for Bardot, this was really a "killing" song. But she was gorgeous and a talented actress, and now she is a very active animal protector. As for my arms, they ar egreat for kneading but not so for carrying heavy things ;)
Delicious looking loaf of bread. Makes me hungry for breakfast now!
What perfect looking bread!
- Bea, I would trade my loaf of bread with your coconut pudding anytime you want. Yum!
- Fruit tart, thank you very much.
Beautiful loaves! Kneading bread is so relxing (as long as my kids aren't underfoot)! :-)
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