Oatmeal-Potato Bread

Very tasty indeed! Plus, it's always fun to make a different sort of bread...I especially love the look with the oatmeal on the outside!


In a medium saucepan:
1 russet potato (about 6 ounces), scrubbed and cut into large chunks

Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and cook until tender. About 20 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 a cup of the liquid. Let the water cool to 105-115 F. Mash the potato (after peeling) with 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temperature. You should have 3/4 to 1 cup puree.

In a small bowl:
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon (1 packet) active dry yeast and a pinch of sugar over the potato water. Let sit until foamy.

In a large mixing bowl:
Combine the mashed/pureed potato, yeast mixture, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 1/2 cups warm milk, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 1/2 cups regular rolled oats, and two cups of the flour (5 1/2-6 total). Beat hard to combine, about one minute. Then add the remaining flour 1/2 a cup at a time, until you have a shaggy dough that clears the side of the bowl. Knead 3-4 minutes or until dough is smooth and springy.

Place the dough in a deep greased container. Cover with a piece of plastic and let rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours.

Gently deflate the dough and shape. Grease two 9x5 inch pans. Roll the bottoms of the two loaves of bread in dry oatmeal. Place in the pans. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 40 minutes..

Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 400 F. Bake 25-30 minutes and check for a hollow sound when tapped. Bake longer if needed. Remove and cool.