No, it's really called Tender Potato Bread. And it's the Daring Bakers Challenge for november 2007! And I'll admit it straight away. I cheated.
Yes. I did. Tanna specifically asked us to knead this one by hand but when it came to actually baking, which I did the night before Thanksgiving dinner and the night after my impromptu Christmas dinner, I just couldn't face the stickiness of it all. See, I *hate* kneading sticky doughs. I *hate* getting my hands all messy and.. well, I'm sorry. The Kitchen-Aid just does it so much better. So I did use it. I did. I know kneading by hand was part of this challenge, but I just couldn't muster the energy.
So, I used about 300 g of potatoes, and my go-to bread flour, which is called Manitoba Cream, and it's a rather strong flour. It really benefits from being *very* well kneaded, which gives a super gluten development. So, I let my machine knead it for quite a long time - about 15 minutes in total.
My dough was *very* sticky. Very, very, very, very sticky. I thought it was the way it was supposed to be, but... looking at pictures from other daring bakers, mine was a lot wetter. I have baked with wet doughs before, so I thought this was fine, but I realise now that it was probably too wet for what was expected. There was no way of shaping it, even by using extra flour. (That's what I get for cheating, by the way!) I pretty much dumped it in the greased tins, and that was that.
My bread turned out super!! It was very light and airy but with a pronounced chew and good substance. I made two loaves that I promptly stuck in the freezer to cheer up dark December mornings, and I made 24 mini rolls for Thanksgiving dinner, using my mini muffin tin.
I brushed the small rolls with some leftover egg yolk and water, and added a few grains of sea salt to each - that was it for adornment! And I have to tell you - it was absolutely devoured at dinner! Everyone loved it - even the teenager who made a face at hearing it was "potato bread". (I think she ate four.)
Don't forget to check out the Daring Bakers blogroll! You can see the challenge recipe here. Swedes - here's the version I actually used.
Recipe in Swedish:
Potatisbröd
Your bread looks great! I didn't get a chance to make the challenge this month, but would have probably cheated too! ha!
ReplyDeleteThey look very cute, Anne! I have to admit that I also thought about cheeting, but I finally decided to go by the recipe and knead by hand. The dough was very sticky and the counter got really messy. I just wish I could have baked the bread. I wonder how the result will be if I'll bake it tonight after 20 hours in the fridge.
ReplyDeleteit looks pretty darn good for just plopping in a pan. good job. i still have bread residue on my counter, drive me nuts
ReplyDeleteMine was hardly sticky after adding flour...I wonder what I did wrong. Next time I will probably cheat, since there was still bread over all surfaces. :)
ReplyDeleteCheating or not, yours look delish!
Looks great! Mine was also way too sticky and wet but the end result tasted good (but it was a pain to make!)
ReplyDeleteI found "sticky" to be quite an understatement when I started kneading :) Great job!
ReplyDeleteyum! i love potatoebread! sticky icky or not i'm definately making these! :)
ReplyDeleteYep, it was sticky. I didn't turn it out of the bowl until I had mixed enough flour (with a wooden spoon) to make it manageable.
ReplyDeleteI was so tempted to cheat!! The dough was so sticky. I resisted the temptation because it's my first challenge. I think I would use my kitchenaid the next round I make the potato bread. :D
ReplyDeleteAnne, your bread looks good. Nice job this month.
ReplyDeleteWonderful job, Ann! Wish I could taste some of that bread!
ReplyDeleteI totally know what you mean about the dough. I didn't resort to the mixer, but by the end I was wishing I would have!
ReplyDeleteGreat job! I had to kind of dump the dough into the pans, too! It was loose, loose, loose. I made the bread with my hands the first time, but I've used my KitchenAid for all the other times. It just makes the job SO much easier!
ReplyDeleteI hear you, using the KA next time...I am still finding dried off flour bits on every handle of everything I touched that day!! Glad to hear everybody liked it!
ReplyDeletelovely looking bread. Sticky does not even begin to cover it - but it did turn out well and didn't it taste good? Great job!
ReplyDeleteYou cheated! *gasp* It did leave me a terrible, terrible mess and I don't think my counter-top will ever be the same, so lucky you for having a mixer. It sounds like they turned out really well.
ReplyDeleteGreat job. Everything looks yummy and tasty.
ReplyDeleteOh but it is so fun to knead dough...I love to get my aggression out. Cheating is okay though :)
ReplyDeleteGood job on your challenge.
Oh, but I love little rolls like that!! They look wonderful and delicious and are you sure there aren't any left?!? ;) That really was a sticky sticky dough. It made me swear a lot. Great job on yours!
ReplyDelete-jen at use real butter
Sticky? I thought I'd never see my fingers again. Thank goodness for dough scrapers.
ReplyDeleteYours looks wonderful!
aw man... I should have cheated (shhh, don't tell Tanna)
ReplyDeleteWell the stickness was worth it. They look so good.
ReplyDeleteThey still look fab Anne, and at least you got to the challenge. Well Done!
ReplyDeleteGlad you still went ahead with the challenge despite the fact that you are busy...they look great. On my part I consider this challenge the most difficult I've done do far :)
ReplyDeleteYou did a wonderful job on your bread. I used my food processeor to make my bread too. I used red beets (beet root) and well even after all the hours I boiled them, they still needed mechanical help turn into a "mashed" texture. It did go very quickly and that was nice.
ReplyDeleteNatalie @ Gluten A Go Go
You definitely saved yourself from a big mess by cheating!!! They look delicious, and it sounds like they were a complete success!
ReplyDeleteI love your mini rolls - so cute.
ReplyDeleteYour little rolls are cute!!! The dough was incredibly sticky, but it really got better the more I worked it and kneaded the flour in. I know what you mean about not liking to get icky, though. And it really doesn't seem like anyone cares if we cheat on these challenges, anyway. ;)
ReplyDeleteYour dough was just the same as mine! and I loathe messy, sticky hands too :)
ReplyDeleteIt turned out really well though, and thoose mini breads are so cute!
I had such the desire to put the dough in the mixer!! I resisted since it was my first challenge, I figured I would follow the rules. Your bread looks great, next time it's going in the kitchenaid!
ReplyDeleteThose little rolls certainly look tempting! Yes, the dough was really sticky and oh boy did my hands look weird, heehee :) (I also stashed some of my loaf in the freezer for future nibbles)
ReplyDeleteMini potato rolls... brilliant! I'm so glad you were able to struggle the sticky dough into submission.
ReplyDeleteOh you were so daring to flaunt the rules. But hey, if great bread and no sticky hands were the result well done, they look delish.
ReplyDeleteYour rolls look like they turned out great! Sticky dough yes. Great rolls as a result, not so bad!
ReplyDeleteYour rolls turned out great- next time I will definitely be mixing this in my stand mixer. I always develop an itch on my nose when my hands are in something goopy!
ReplyDeleteNice job- wish I'd "cheated"
xoxo
Gabi
wow you made so much bread! And fantastic you converted the teenager to potato bread! hehe
ReplyDeleteI quite enjoyed working with the sticky dough, must be my art student mentality = getting messy is the best!
Ooops, we have a cheater here, oh dear whatever will the Daring Bakers do here, oh my oh my . . .
ReplyDeleteThe rolls do look lovely and I'm delighted that the teenager turning up the nose at potato enjoyed them!
I guess we'll just have to be sending you a pair of those gloves that BakingSoda (BakeMyDay) got to knead from now on.
Glad you baked with us.
I love the mini rolls! Great idea, though I think I would be flogged if I did that here!
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize I was cheating when I used the kitchen-aid. I used the original book recipe and it had the kitchen-aid directions. I would have hated to knead that mess by hand!! Your little muffin-rolls look really tasty.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea using the mini muffin pans. I don't think I'd have thought of them!
ReplyDeleteNice bread, Anne! I never thought of freezing it. I'll have to remember that for next time!
ReplyDelete