Dutch oven Herbed Idaho® Potato Bread
Two loafs of bread from just one Idaho® potato? Well, almost!
It does take a Idaho® potato to make this delicious Herbed Idaho® Potato Bread, plus a wee bit of flour, salt, yeast, fresh herbs and a 10″ Dutch oven.
The steps are easy and the results are delicious!
My friends over at the Idaho® Potato Commission asked me to come up with a few recipes using Idaho® Potatoes in a Dutch oven – Something I am eagerly willing to do!
My recipe uses the “Sponge and Dough” method of baking:
The sponge and dough method is a two-step bread making process: in the first step a sponge is made and allowed to ferment for a period of time, and in the second step the sponge is added to the final dough's ingredients, creating the total formula. – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sponge_and_dough
You will also need:
- 10″ Cast Iron Dutch oven
- 25 charcoal briquets
- Thermometer
- Cooking spray oil
- Razor blade or sharp bread knife
- Brush for egg wash
Note: Complete Dutch oven Herbed Idaho® Potato Bread recipe is at the end of the article
How to make the “Sponge”
Our Sponge consists of bread flour, yeast, water and light corn syrup.
Mix together the water and corn syrup, then dissolve the instant yeast in the mixture.
Add your bread flour, mix until soft and smooth.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until the sponge starts to fall. (It will rise up and double in size, then collapse back down on itself)
How to make the Herbed Idaho® Potato Bread “Dough”
Our dough consist of Idaho potatoes, yeast, warm milk, salt, honey, wheat flour, bread flour and fresh herbs.
Cook, peal and mash the Idaho® potatoes.
Pour warm milk into bowl and dissolve the yeast into the milk.
Note: I am using a Kitchen aide mixer to make mine
Add salt, honey and wheat flour to yeast mixture.
Add mashed Idaho® potatoes into wheat flour mixture.
Mix to incorporate.
Add Sponge to potato wheat mixture.
Then add bread flour to the mixture (Reserve a 1/3 cup of flour).
Add fresh herbs.
Mix and then kneed for several minutes with dough hook or longer if by hand.
Adjust with reserved flour if necessary – dough should be smooth and elastic but not sticky or wet.
How to Proof Dough
Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
Punch down the dough and let rise an additional 30 minutes.
While the dough is proofing, place your 10″ Dutch oven in the sun to warm up.
Divide the dough into two small loaves.
Form into round loaves.
Grease the Dutch oven and place the first loaf inside, place the lid on and allow bread dough to rise.
Note: to prevent the dough from drying out, spray with a light coating of cooking spray oil.
This should take about 30 minutes depending on the weather conditions outside.
Start your 25 charcoal briquets.
When your charcoal briquets are ready, “Dock” your bread with 3 shallow slices using a razor blade or sharp bread knife.
Apply egg wash to the surface.
Note: Docking allows the bread to expand without bursting open when the crust is formed.
I used 7 coals on the bottom and 14 coals on the top.
Bake until the internal temperature reaches 200° F, about 35 – 40 minutes.
Repeat for the second loaf and enjoy!
Note: Your proofing, rising and cooking times will vary depending on the weather and temperature conditions.
- Sponge
- ½ cup warm water (110°F)
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- ¼ ounce instant dry yeast
- 4 ounce bread flour
- Dough
- 5 ounce Idaho® Potatoes - cooked, peeled and mashed
- ½ ounce instant dry yeast
- 1 cup warm milk
- ¾ tablespoon salt
- 1 ounce honey
- 3 ounce wheat flour
- 15 ounce bread flour
- 4 tablespoon minced, fresh herbs - rosemary, sage, thyme and oregano
- Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp water
- Mix together the water and corn syrup, then dissolve the instant yeast in the mixture.
- Add your bread flour, mix until soft and smooth.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place until the sponge starts to fall. (It will rise up and double in size, then collapse back down on itself)
- Cook, peal and mash the Idaho® potatoes.
- Pour warm milk into bowl (I am using a Kitchen aide mixer to make mine) and dissolve the yeast into the milk.
- Add salt, honey and wheat flour to yeast mixture.
- Add mashed Idaho® potatoes into wheat flour mixture.
- Mix to incorporate.
- Add Sponge to potato wheat mixture.
- Then add bread flour to the mixture (Reserve a ⅓ cup of flour).
- Add fresh herbs.
- Mix and then kneed for several minutes with dough hook or longer if by hand.
- Adjust with reserved flour if necessary – dough should be smooth and elastic but not sticky or wet.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
- Punch down the dough and let rise an additional 30 minutes.
- While the dough is proofing, place your 10″ Dutch oven in the sun to warm up.
- Divide the dough into two small loaves.
- Form into round loaves.
- Grease the Dutch oven and place the first loaf inside, place the lid on and allow bread dough to rise.
- Note: to prevent the dough from drying out, spray with a light coating of cooking spray oil.
- This should take about 30 minutes depending on the weather outside.
- Start your charcoal briquets.
- When your charcoal briquets and ready, “Dock” your bread with 3 shallow slices using a razor blade or sharp bread knife.
- Apply egg wash to the surface.
- Use 7 coals on the bottom and 14 coals on the top.
- Bake until the internal temperature reaches 200° F, about 35 – 40 minutes.
- Repeat for the second loaf and enjoy!
- Note: Your proofing, rising and cooking times will vary depending on the weather and temperature conditions.
