Bernard Clayton's Potato Bread (adaptation)

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in smallish chunks
• 2 cups water
• 5 1/2 cups bread flour or 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (approximately)
• 4 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup butter

Recipe

• 1 boil the peeled potatoes in the 2 cups of water in a saucepan until fork tender.
• 2 place 3 cups of flour with yeast, salt, and sugar into a mixing bowl and blend.
• 3 after potatoes are tender, reserve liquid, and rice (or mash) the potatoes.
• 4 add riced potatoes back into pan with the 1 3/4 cups (add more water if you don't have the total amount reserved) reserved liquid, and add the butter, heating until butter is just melted.
• 5 pour the butter/potato mixture into the mixing bowl with the flour mixture.
• 6 mix with paddle until blended and then change to dough hook to incorporate more flour by 1/4 cupfulls (adding a total of another 2 cups equalling 8 additions or a bit more until the hook and dough rotate easily together).
• 7 knead with the dough hook for 10 minutes.
• 8 (dough will remain slightly sticky).
• 9 place dough into a large greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap allowing to double in volume; about 1 hour.
• 10 when fully risen, punch dough down and move to a floured surface.
• 11 slice into 2 equal pieces.
• 12 flatten one piece into a long oval, fold in half lengthwise, pinch that seam, fold under the outer ends, and place into a loaf pan.
• 13 with other piece, cut into 3 equal parts, rolling each piece into a long cylindrical piece with your hands.
• 14 braid these 3 pieces together, pinching and tucking in ends and place on a greased cookie sheet.
• 15 cover both loaves with waxed paper (or parchment) and allow to rise for an additional 40 minutes.
• 16 during the last 20 minutes of rising time, preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
• 17 when fully risen, place both loaves in preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes.
• 18 after those 15 minutes, lower heat to 350 degrees fahrenheit and continue baking for an additional 25-30 minutes until slightly golden and hollow sounding when tapped.
• 19 remove from oven and immediately and carefully place on racks to cool.