Happy Thanksgiving and Another Daring Bakers Challenge! (part 1)
If you thought I hadn’t enough to post about this week, step in Daring Bakers Challenge!
This month the Daring Bakers Challenge had good company at my Thanksgiving table. I figured, while I was in the kitchen slaving away at the Thanksgiving meal, what was one more thing to make?
Plus I figured my family would really enjoy this month’s challenge: Tender Potato Bread.
I “unleashed the Daring Baker within†as encouraged by this month’s hostess: Tanna by adding roasted garlic and rosemary to my dough and forming the bread into rolls – which turned out to be the size of mini loaves. I also had enough leftover dough to make a small foccaccia. So it makes a lot of dough! The recipe was very straightforward and easy to follow. It just takes a long time to proof at various stages, like most other yeast breads.
The addition of mashed potatoes gave the dough a bit more body and a lot of softness – this dough is VERY soft. I have mentioned before my aversion to kneading bread and this was my worst nightmare – sticky dough ALL OVER MY HANDS – YUCK! But I was happy that it turned out so well. This recipe made 18 HUGE rolls and a small foccacia. The only problem occured when I went to bake the rolls and baked a few sheets on the bottom rack – the combination of the buttered sheets and the high temperatures, burned the butter and scorched the bottoms of some of my buns!
Here is the recipe:
Tender Potato Bread
From Home Baking: The Artful Mix of Flour & Tradition Around the World
Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid
(also wrote Hot Sour Salty Sweet)
INGREDIENTS:
4 medium to large floury (baking) potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks variety of potatoes you might want to use would include Idaho, Russet & Yukon gold
For the beginner I suggest no more than 8 ounces of potato; for the more advanced no more than 16 ounces.
4 cups water (See Note)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
6 ½ cups to 8 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 cup whole wheat flour
Suggested Toppings:
For Loaves and Rolls: melted butter (optional)
For Foccacia: olive oil, coarse salt, and rosemary leaves (optional; also see variation)
METHOD:
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. I have a food mill I will run my potatoes through to mash them.
Measure out 3 cups of the reserved potato water (add extra water if needed to make 3 cups). Place the water and mashed potatoes in the bowl you plan to mix the bread in – directions will be for by hand. Let cool to lukewarm – stir well before testing the temperature – it should feel barely warm to your hand. You should be able to submerge you hand in the mix and not be uncomfortable.
Allowed to add yeast one of two ways:
Mix & stir yeast into cooled water and mashed potatoes & water and let stand 5 minutes.
Then mix in 2 cups of all-purpose flour and mix. Allow to rest several minutes.
OR
Add yeast to 2 cups all-purpose flour and whisk. Add yeast and flour to the cooled mashed potatoes & water and mix well. Allow to rest/sit 5 minutes.
Sprinkle on the remaining 1 tablespoon salt and 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 cups of the possible 8 ½ 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. 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.
As a beginner, you may be tempted to add more flour than needed. Most/many bread recipes give a range of flour needed. This is going to be a soft dough. At this point, add flour to the counter slowly, say a ¼ cup at a time. Do not feel you must use all of the suggested flour. When the dough is soft and smooth and not too sticky, it’s probably ready.
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. It will be moist and a little sticky.
It is at this point you are requested to Unleash the Daring Baker within. The following is as the recipe is written. You are now free to follow as written or push it to a new level.
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 9X5 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. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 35 to 45 minutes, until puffy and almost doubled in volume.
To make a small loaf with the remainder:
Butter an 8 x 4 inch bread pan. Shape and proof the loaf the same way as the large loaf.
To make rolls:
Butter a 13 x 9 inch sheet cake pan or a shallow cake pan. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape each into a ball under the palm of your floured hand and place on the baking sheet, leaving 1/2 inch between the balls. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 35 minutes, until puffy and almost doubled.
To make focaccia:
Flatten out the dough to a rectangle about 10 x 15 inches with your palms and fingertips. Tear off a piece of parchment paper or wax paper a little longer 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, as well as some rosemary leaves, if you wish and then finally dimple all over with your fingertips. Cover with plastic and let rise for 20 minutes.
Place a baking stone or unglazed quarry tiles, if you have them, if not use a baking/sheet (no edge – you want to be able to slide the shaped dough on the parchment paper onto the stone or baking sheet and an edge complicates things). Place the stone or cookie sheet on a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450°F/230°C. Bake the flat-bread before you bake the loaf; bake the rolls at the same time as the loaf.
If making foccacia, just before baking, dimple the bread all over again with your fingertips. Leaving it on the paper, transfer to the hot baking stone, tiles or baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack (remove paper) and let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.
Dust risen loaves and rolls with a little all-purpose flour or lightly brush the tops with a little melted butter or olive oil (the butter will give a golden/browned crust). Slash loaves crosswise two or three times with a razor blade or very sharp knife and immediately place on the stone, tiles or baking sheet in the oven. Place the rolls next to the loaf in the oven.
*Jenn’s note on baking – do not bake bread on bottom rack of your oven. With the buttered pan and the high heat, the butter will burn, thus scorching the bottoms of you rolls – try baking on the top and middle racks only*
Bake rolls until golden, about 30 minutes.
Bake the small loaf for about 40 minutes.
Bake the large loaf for about 50 minutes.
Transfer the rolls to a rack when done to cool. When the loaf or loaves have baked for the specified time, remove from the pans and place back on the stone, tiles or baking sheet for another 5 to 10 minutes. The corners should be firm when pinched and the bread should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Let breads cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Rolls can be served warm or at room temperature.
Allowed Modifications for Unleashing Your Daring Baker:
This bread must be savory and not sweet.
Please Knead by hand.
No biga, sponge or starter.
You may shape this dough anyway you would like.
You may make this as a loaf, as rolls, as focaccia. You can braid it, twist it whatever.
You may season this bread in any way you see fit: maybe it becomes your turkey stuffing. Maybe you season some sandwich bread for great turkey sandwiches.
You can fill it if you think that will work for you. Think calzone or anything with a savory filling.
Again however it must be savory and not sweet.
Recipe ingredient exception allowed only if allergy or an ingredient not available or cost prohibitive in your region.
Being a Daring Baker is about trying new recipes, techniques and taking risks. It’s reaching just beyond your comfort zone.
This is a Daring Baker Challenge, not a contest and not a competition because at its heart and soul is support and sharing the how to of the baking we do.
Stay tuned later this week for the rest of our Thanksgiving day meal.
Meeta - November 26, 2007 at 7:39 am
Hehehe! You are too funny! Enjoyed your post and the entertaining pics. Great job on completing the challenge!
Peter - November 26, 2007 at 8:29 am
Jenn, the tops of the bread look good. As for the bottoms, you live and learn!
Also, take your ring off when kneading dough…you’ll lose it one day and Roberto will kill ya!
Courtney - November 26, 2007 at 9:12 am
loved reading your post, looks awesome even if a little scorched, too funny
Dharm - November 26, 2007 at 9:44 am
Ahh Jenn… such lovely rolls! I love the idea of rosemary and garlic. Great job and yes, it was EXTREMELY Sticky!!!
Ben - November 26, 2007 at 11:42 am
Ok, is this karma or what? The other day I was just bitching on my blog how scary yeast bread looks to me and now I am reading the great experiences that the Daring Bakers members had making this recipe. Just another reason to dive into the kneading and rolling and baking of fermented bread.
Very nice looking buns, btw 😀
fanny - November 26, 2007 at 12:06 pm
Oh they look lovely.
I loved the part about how lower rack + hot oven + butter = dark bottoms!
sognatrice - November 26, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Love these photos. And the bread looks good too 😉
Shawnda - November 26, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Lovely rolls! I feel you on the “sticky icky” – I made the mistake of kneading wearing my wedding ring and had to soak it overnight to get all the bits of potato-y dough out of all the little crevasses 🙂
lindsay - November 26, 2007 at 1:36 pm
I loved your photo with doughy hands. If I were brave enough to post a photo of myself I might have a similar one but with the addition of mortifying fear spread across my face. Your rolls look delicious =)
chronicler - November 26, 2007 at 1:38 pm
Oh my, bottom racks can be disastrous! The rolls turned out looking great!
courtney - November 26, 2007 at 1:39 pm
To bad about the bottoms. But they look good in the photos .
kellypea - November 26, 2007 at 1:59 pm
Just looking at your hands and all that stickiness brings it all back. Eww…I don’t like sticky on my hands, either. But it was fun and the bread was oh so tasty. What a bummer that your rolls got burnt on the bottom. I love the little sprig of herb in the top. Nice touch!
Gabi - November 26, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Jenn,
I had to laugh when the pic of you and your sticky hands came up..hoohoo! *tears streaming still*
It is so how I was feeling although I was cursing too 🙂
Love your post and I love the pic of the rosemary nestled snug in the bread.
xoxo
Julius - November 26, 2007 at 6:07 pm
Hi Jenn,
You are hilarious! I certainly remember my sticky hands. 🙂
I love what you’ve done with the rolls finishing them off with a sprig of rosemary.
Julius
http://occasionalbaker.blogspot.com
breadchick - November 26, 2007 at 6:14 pm
You crack me up!! I loved the pictures of you handling the wet blob the dough started out as. Sorry your bun bottoms got a little done but looks like you did a great salvage. Good job on your challenge this month!
MyKitchenInHalfCups - November 26, 2007 at 7:12 pm
Incredible. Sorry about the burnt bottoms – live and learn.
Your breads look great on top.
The photo of your hands – the folks in this coffee shop are laughing with me, they had to see what it was about. Get yourself over to Karen’s Bake My Day and check out her gloves.
Great challenge again!
ejm - November 26, 2007 at 7:24 pm
I know it’s wrong to laugh at the misfortunes of others, but, but, I just can’t help myself!
When working with this kind of slack dough, a dough scraper can be most helpful.
So sorry about the burnt bottoms! That’s SUCH a drag. I’m just about to put cinnamon buns into the oven (I’m preheating the oven now) and have realized that I forgot to move the rack to the second from the top! The last time I baked them on the middle rack and produced black bottom cinnamon buns.
-Elizabeth
P.S. I’ll have to try this recipe! But first I’ll read the other reports to find out what other hazards to avoid….
Cris - November 26, 2007 at 7:49 pm
You’re so funny! Thanks for the laugh, look at your hands!!! hahaha I love potato bread…
Ivonne - November 26, 2007 at 9:38 pm
I love that picture with the sticky hands!!! Beautiful bread!
Kevin - November 26, 2007 at 11:51 pm
Great post! The rolls look nice. This recipe was a messy one but it was worth it.
Kaykat - November 27, 2007 at 4:10 am
I love those rolls, top and bottom! 🙂
And I love your writing!
Cherry - November 27, 2007 at 4:30 am
You look lke you had much fun with the dough! All that gooey-ness and kneading =)
Great job girl!
núria - November 27, 2007 at 4:32 am
You look sooooo funny with your sticky hands… I had to laugh!!! Great post!!! I don’t think I’m trying to bake in the near future… It looks too complicated for me ;-)By the way, nice ring!!!!!!
peabody - November 27, 2007 at 5:04 am
I absolutely love your photos of you and your dough!
Sylvia - November 27, 2007 at 7:02 am
I really enjoy your post, you are so funny. Love the photos ( specially the “dirty” hands one) the recipe and the color of the bread.
The Leftover Queen - November 27, 2007 at 8:25 am
Thanks so much Meeta! I always enjoy meeting a challenge head-on!
That is too funny Peter. I actually took my ring of for the FIRST time on the second knead of this dough. I think I still have potato gunk in the setting!
Thanks Courtney – as everyone here says – live and learn – I am all about it!
Yes Dharm! Wasn’t it? The rosemary and garlic were very good with the dough.
Too funny Ben! Have a great time baking! Try this recipe – I bet you will enjoy it.
Hi Fanny – yep, for sure. I guess I was trying to squeeze too much in the oven and I certainly learned there is a price to pay for that!
Thanks Sognatrice! I sure did have a good time!
Shawnda! Trust me, I do understand! I really hate taking my ring off for anything, but this was likely to end badly.
Thanks lindsay! I figured what the heck!
Hi Chronicler! Yep – now I know better for next time.
Hi Courtney! Yes, the tops turned out fab.
Thanks Kellypea – well it was worth it and the rolls did taste great!
Hi Gabi! I know! I am surprised the neighbors weren’t coming over wondering what was the matter!
Thanks Julius! I think we will all remember this as the “sticky hands challenge”
Thanks breadchick! Every challenge I learn something new and even if it is not perfect, at least I DID it!
Hi Tanna! Thanks! I will check out the gloves! I am so glad I made people smile today with my goofiness!
ejm! You have got to try it! It really is a wonderful wonderful recipe. Very tasty! Let me know how it goes!
Hi Cris! Thanks! I am glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks so much Ivonne!
Hi Kaykat! Thanks so much. I appreciate it.
Yes Kevin, it was certainly worth it!
Thanks Cherry! It was fun!
Yeah Nuria! It is complicated and not my most favorite, but still I do enjoy it and feel quite accomplished afterwards. I am sure you can handle it!
Thanks Peabody! 🙂
Hi Sylvia! Thanks. It really was fun!
Gretchen Noelle - November 27, 2007 at 9:38 am
I absolutely love the spring of rosemary in the center of your rolls. So cute! And I am glad someone took a picture of their hands while kneading, I can totally relate!!!
Valli - November 27, 2007 at 10:58 am
Good for you for being up to the challenge Jenn!!!
baking soda - November 27, 2007 at 2:40 pm
Gawk! You must be soooo gorgeous to have a picture like that up and still look ravissant!! Great job (and I am so glad I’m not the only one that hates getting my hands all icky -and forget to take off my ring all the time-) ::grinning hugely::
Deborah - November 27, 2007 at 2:49 pm
That truly does show how sticky this dough was!! They do look beautiful though, although some did burn. Great job!!
Tartelette - November 27, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Hey Jenn! i don’t mean to be stranger to your blog but everytime I log in it takes 5-8 minutes for the page to download and often freezes my computer and I have to reboot everything…so I often give up and I am sorry for it but it seems that my little laptop running IE is no match for your incredible site. Today I persevered because i had already missed out on your Bostinis last month. I am glad I did because your bread turned out gorgeous even if some of them got a little burnt. Love the pics of you that you included!
Christina - November 27, 2007 at 8:52 pm
Ahhhhh! The dough is spreading everywhere!
Great job on this month’s challenge and I love your post!
Christina, She Runs, She Eats
Maryann - November 27, 2007 at 9:17 pm
Wonderful post, Jenn! The photos are great!
Sheltie Girl - November 28, 2007 at 12:44 am
You did a wonderful job on your bread!
Natalie @ Gluten A Go Go
Emiline - November 28, 2007 at 3:11 am
Yes, I’m going to have to agree with everyone else. Your bread looks great! I’m sure your family really enjoyed it.
I also like that you’re not too cool to show us your burned buns.
Fruittart - November 28, 2007 at 12:07 pm
I love the rosemary peeking out of the buns!
April - November 28, 2007 at 12:42 pm
Your rolls look amazing!
Jen Yu - November 28, 2007 at 1:54 pm
That picture of you with sticky dough hands is the best! Your bread came out so beautifully. Just awesome. Great job.
Paula - November 28, 2007 at 7:06 pm
Your rolls look really good. I agree with you however that this dough takes sticky to a new level! Great job!
rachel - November 29, 2007 at 3:25 am
Hilarious pics of the sticky dough and th eburnt rolls! I ahd a similar expression too when I was handling the dough!!
Anyway the buns look lovely!
The Leftover Queen - November 29, 2007 at 8:18 am
Thanks so much Gretchen! I figured I should post the picture and bring all the DBs back for a minute! 🙂
Thanks Valli! I appreciate it!
Aw bakingsoda! You are too sweet! I am glad to know there are others out there that hate sticky dough – I was feeling like such a bad Daring Baker!
Thanks Deborah! It sure was sticky!
Hi Tartlette! I am not sure why that happens to you. That used to happen to me as well until I got some more memory on my computer and now it is a monster it is so fast. Don’t worry you didn’t miss my bostonis last month because I wasn’t able to participate!
Thanks Christina!
Thanks Maryann!
Thanks SheltieGirl!
Thanks Emilie! Yes, I am not too cool for anything, trust me! 😉
Thanks Fruittart!
Thanks April!
Thanks Jen – I just wanted everyone to know that it really was so sticky!
It definately does Paula, that is for sure.
Thanks Rachel!
Rosa - November 29, 2007 at 8:32 am
That picture of you with the hands full of dough is hilarious!
Well done! Your bread looks great!
Cheers,
Rosa
Julie - November 30, 2007 at 1:12 pm
*bows head in a moment of silence for the burned bun butts* Your rolls do look fabulous, though! And the “yecchh” photo is classic–a lot of us felt that way!
Jenny - December 2, 2007 at 10:18 pm
Wow, that is some sticky dough. Hmmmm wonder why mine was never that sticky?
Nice looking buns!
The Leftover Queen - December 3, 2007 at 9:23 am
Hi Rosa! Thanks! This one felt good to accomplish!
Thanks Julie. I know it sucked that they looked so lovely on top but were burnt on the bottoms!
Lucky you that yours weren’t as sticky, Jenny!
Dolores - December 11, 2007 at 1:25 am
Yep… my hands looked about like yours. I’ve never been so happy to own a dough-scraper!
The Leftover Queen - December 11, 2007 at 8:35 am
LOL! Yeah, that would have been rather handy!