In my mind, there is no bread better than a fluffy potato bread. However, since I like to use whole wheat flour, this How To Make Whole Wheat Potato Bread was born with the best of both worlds in mind. This makes use of leftover mashed potatoes in the best way.
If you are looking for other sandwich breads to try, let me share a few other favorites of mine. My einkorn sandwich bread makes use of the ancient grain, einkorn. Another recipe I love to use is this cracked wheat bread recipe, it makes a big batch. While this marbled rye bread recipe might seem hard to do, surprisingly it isn’t! My whole wheat bread recipe is where I give all my tips for creating beautiful whole wheat bread.
Tips for making whole wheat potato bread
- Potato Preparation: Use freshly cooked and mashed potatoes for the best texture and flavor. Instant mashed potatoes can work in a pinch, but freshly mashed potatoes add more moisture and a better taste.
- Whole Wheat Flour: Use white whole wheat flour if you want a lighter texture. It provides the same nutritional benefits as regular whole wheat flour but with a milder flavor and lighter color.
- Hydration: Whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid than all-purpose flour, so you may need to adjust the amount of water or milk to achieve the right dough consistency. The dough should be slightly sticky but manageable.
- Sweeteners: Adding a small amount of honey or molasses can enhance the flavor and help with the rise, as whole wheat flour can sometimes produce denser bread.
- Baking Time: I prefer to use temperature to check for doneness on my whole wheat bread. Optimal temperature is 192-195 degrees. Anything over this seems to dry the bread out a bit.
Ingredients
- Mashed potatoes- I use leftovers for this, but you can also make them fresh. Boil the potatoes and add in a bit of butter and milk. Mash until it is smooth.
- Milk- It won’t take much as there is so much moisture in the potatoes.
- Active dry yeast
- Salt- Kosher salt is what I use.
- Granulated sugar- You can also use honey if you prefer.
- Whole wheat flour- I used white wheat flour, but you can also use red or spelt flour if you prefer.
- Egg- for the egg wash.
How to make
Add the milk, sugar, and yeast to your mixing bowl. Mix and let the yeast activate. This takes about 5 minutes. To this, add in the remaining ingredients and mix it on medium speed for one minute.
Check the dough. You are looking for a dough that is slightly tacky (sticky), but not too tacky. It should feel just tacky to the touch. Add in more milk or flour as needed. My climate here in Idaho is very dry, so I require much less flour than someone in a humid climate.
Once the dough is a good consistency, turn the mixer on medium speed and mix for another 6 minutes until the dough is smooth. Cover and let this rise for until it has doubled, mine generally take between 45 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Form the dough into a boule, this can also be made into 2-8x4-inch loaves. Place the loaf on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely and let this rise until it has doubled.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees at the end of the rising time. Brush the loaf gently with egg wash, then sprinkle with whole wheat. Score the top carefully in an “X” shape.
Place in the preheated oven. Bake at 400 degrees for 7 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for another 25ish minutes, then check the temperature- I always go by temperature for whole wheat breads. You are looking for 192-195 degrees. Mine took 35 minutes to bake at 350 degrees, but again, go by temperature.
Remove it from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. This will give it time for the starches to set.
The bread will stay nice and soft for up to 3 days at room temperature as long as it is wrapped well.
Another interesting bread recipe that I love- a fried bread, is this mandazi recipe. It is a fried bread that is lightly sweetened and pillowy soft on the inside.
Whole Wheat Potato Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3-4 cups white wheat flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 cups mashed potatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Add the milk, sugar, and yeast to your mixing bowl. Mix and let the yeast activate. This takes about 5 minutes. To this, add in the remaining ingredients and mix it on medium speed for one minute.
- Check the dough. You are looking for a dough that is slightly tacky (sticky), but not too tacky. It should feel just tacky to the touch. Add in more milk or flour as needed. My climate here in Idaho is very dry, so I require much less flour than someone in a humid climate.
- Once the dough is a good consistency, turn the mixer on medium speed and mix for another 6 minutes until the dough is smooth. Cover and let this rise for until it has doubled, mine generally take between 45 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Form the dough into a boule, this can also be made into 2-8x4-inch loaves. Place the loaf on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely and let this rise until it has doubled.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees at the end of the rising time. Brush the loaf gently with egg wash, then sprinkle with whole wheat. Score the top carefully in an “X” shape.
- Place in the preheated oven. Bake at 400 degrees for 7 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for another 25 minutes, then check the temperature- I always go by temperature for whole wheat breads. You are looking for 192-195 degrees. Mine took 35 minutes to bake at 350 degrees, but again, go by temperature.
- Remove it from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. This will give it time for the starches to set.
- The bread will stay nice and soft for up to 3 days at room temperature as long as it is wrapped well.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!