There is truly nothing like the smell of homemade bread baking the oven.
Homemade Potato Bread bakes up light and fluffy, with a tender golden crust and a mild buttery flavor! This bread is soft yet sturdy enough for sandwiches or dunking into your favorite beef stew.
Serve a slice fresh from the oven with a slather of butter, make a gourmet sandwich, or cool and freeze for another day. Potato bread is one of the easiest, most delicious bread recipes in our recipe box.
What is Potato Bread?
There are different types of potato bread, this version is similar to white bread but a little bit heartier. It is different from Irish potato bread (which is more like a skillet bread).
- This quick and easy yeast bread recipe will have you feeling like a professional baker.
- Chances are, all of the ingredients are already in the pantry.
- We store this bread in the fridge and it keeps for about a week, although it never lasts that long!
- There’s nothing quite like fresh bread from the oven for toast, sandwiches, or even pizza.
Ingredients in Potato Bread
POTATOES Russets are the best potatoes to use since they have a high starch content. However, any variety will do. The potatoes are cooked and mashed, leftover mashed potatoes have added milk/butter and may or may not work well in this recipe. For the best results, I’d recommend cooking the potatoes on their own for this recipe.
FLOUR All-purpose white flour is used in this recipe as it bakes into the perfect texture with the potatoes.
YEAST/SUGAR/BUTTER These ingredients are required for the proper rising of the dough. Sugar is needed to activate the yeast so it can properly bind with the potatoes and flour. Butter is added to the dough to create flavor and bake some color into the crust.
MILK In this recipe the milk is heated to just before boiling and then cooled. This is known as scalding and it helps the bread rise better as it denatures some of the proteins. This step can be skipped but I do find it gives a better rise. Heat the milk just until small bubbles form along the sides of the pot. As soon as you see small bubbles on the side, remove it from the heat.
How to Make Potato Bread
Put a new twist on a simple bread recipe!
- Boil potatoes and mash (save some of the potato water).
- Heat and cool the milk per the recipe below.
- Combine sugar, potato water, and yeast. Let rest a few minutes.
- In a mixer combine potatoes, milk, butter, salt, some flour, and yeast. Knead with mixer.
- Cover and allow the dough to rise. Add to loaf pans and rise again.
- Bake.
Tips for the Best Bread
- Use a kitchen thermometer to gauge the temperature of the scalded milk and potato water. If one isn’t available, scald the milk until small bubbles form around the inside of the pot. Yeast is ready to use when the top of the liquid is foamy.
- Let bread ‘proof’ or rise in an area away from drafts where the temperature is constant. Cover lightly with a kitchen towel.
- Rise the bread until doubled in size.
- Allow cooling in the pan a few minutes before removing the loaf from the pans.
- Because homemade potato bread is made without preservatives, it will last longer if kept covered in the refrigerator. Or freeze a loaf or slices for up to 6 weeks.
More Homemade Bread
- Homemade White Bread
- Homemade Crescent Rolls
- Cheese Bread (Quick Bread)
- Homemade Crescent Rolls
- Homemade French Bread
- Homemade Easter Bread
Did you make this Potato Bread? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Potato Bread
Ingredients
- ¾ pound Russet potatoes or baking potatoes, about 2 medium + 1 cup of potato water
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 packets active dry yeast or 4 ½ teaspoons
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 7-8 cups flour
Instructions
Mash Potatoes
- Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks. Place in a saucepan and add water to cover 1-inch above the potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender. Reserve 1 cup of the potato water and let cool slightly.
- Drain potatoes well and mash until very smooth, cool slightly. You'll need 1 cup of mashed potatoes.
Scald the Milk
- Meanwhile, place the milk in a saucepan and heat just until the milk forms bubbles along the side of the pot or until it reaches 181°F on a thermometer. Allow the milk to cool to 105-110°F (it should be warm but not really hot).
Prepare the Dough
- Combine the reserved warm potato water (1 cup) with sugar. Sprinkle yeast over top and let sit for 10 minutes or until foamy.
- In a large bowl or a mixer with a dough hook, combine mashed potatoes, warm milk, melted butter, salt, 4 ½ cups of flour, and the yeast mixture. Mix on medium-low until combined.
- Continue adding flour, a bit at a time until the dough pulls away from the bowl. Allow to knead in the mixer on low until smooth and glossy, about 5-7 minutes.
- Place in a greased bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Rest in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Divide dough in half, place each half into a greased (or parchment-lined) 9x5 loaf pan. Allow to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
- While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the bread until golden on top, about 45-55 minutes.
Notes
Scalding milk means it is heated just below boiling. I use an instant-read thermometer but if you don't have one, heat the milk just until small bubbles form along the sides of the pot. As soon as you see small bubbles on the side, remove it from the heat. Scalding the milk helps the bread rise better as it denatures some of the proteins. If the bread begins to brown too much, loosely cover with foil.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Bread
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Recipe slightly adapted Knott, Opal. “Potato Yeast Bread”. Recipe. Favorite Eastern Star Recipes. Nashville, TN, 1968. 311. Print.
Pulled the potatoes out of the garden this morning. then used plant based milk and butter. Man, this bread is perfect. Will be using this again and again. Next task is to incorporate some sourdough discard into it.
thank you for the recipe
Yummy! Fresh garden potatoes would be amazing in this!
Rose too fast and crashed at the oven.
We have not experienced this problem. Did you use active dry yeast (and not quick acting or fast rise)? Things that can cause the bread to collapse include not kneading long enough, too much liquid, being underbaked or proofing too fast.
Times given for proofing are estimates, and can vary slightly based on the conditions in your kitchen (for example if it’s very warm or cool, the time can change) so I do suggest allowing the bread to rise just until doubled in both the first and second rise. I hope that helps.
First time making potato bread….great recipe and bread was delicious.
Could white whole wheat flour be substituted for all purpose?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure Becky. Generally when substituting whole wheat flour, you want to do about a 50/50 blend with all purpose because it can otherwise become dense. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
My Husband’s grandmother made Sweet potato Bread
That sounds delicious Bill!
This bread was delicious. It rose really well and had a nice texture and flavour. I halved the recipe and made it twice – a practice run and then on Christmas Day. I got a bit distracted on Christmas Day and forgot to turn the oven on, so the bread was left to rise a bit too long (while waiting for the oven to heat), but still tasted lovely. The practice loaf was perfect. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
You’re welcome Heidi! So glad you love this bread so much!
Can I make dinner rolls put of one of the loaves?
How many rolls would I divide a loaf into?
We haven’t tried making this recipe into rolls but you could try dividing one of the loaves into about 8 rolls, let them rise, and then baking for about 20 minutes or until golden on top. We would love to hear how it turns out for you!
I just love your recipes. They are simple and almost always contain ingredients I have in my pantry. Even on the days I don’t feel like cooking, I get your post and feel inspired.
In making the potato bread, can I assume it’s okay to only make one loaf. The recipe is easy to “half”.
Thank you so much, I’m glad you’ve loved the recipes Laura! I can’t see any reason this recipe can’t be halved, let us know how it goes!
Hi, I have a problem with yeast. Could I use baking powder or soda instead.
We have only made this as written. If you’re looking for a savory bread without yeast, I would suggest our cheese bread here. It’s very versatile, you can leave the cheese out or make other additions to the cheese bread.
I haven’t tried this recipe yet….
My thought is, that you should mention not to use salt while cooking the potatoes, since the water would be used to help the yeast rise and supposedly yeast doesn’t like salt….
Just a suggestion, thanks!
JR
Thank you for sharing your tip Judith!
I have quite a lot of instant potatoes (covid) I wonder if I can use these instead of actual potatoes….
I haven’t tried this with instant potatoes so I can’t say for sure but I’d love to hear how it turns out for you.
I just love your recipes! Before I go to find other recipes I go to you to see if you have it. In most cases you do.
Your Chili recipe is delicious! I have b en asked to bring “my” Chili to numerous places! (Crock Pot Chili
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes with all of us!
Jo Ann MacMillan
I’m so glad you’ve loved the recipes Jo Ann, thank you so much for following!
Hi, can you do the Potato bread in a bread machine?
thanks!
Ooo, we have never tried but would love to hear if it works for you, Donita!