This homemade potato bread is a soft and fluffy loaf of bread made with mashed potatoes! The potatoes add moisture and starch to the bread, which makes it moist and tender. Potato bread is a great choice for sandwiches, toast, or just eating plain. This from-scratch version is way better than store-bought!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This potato bread is easy to make.
- There are only a few pantry staple ingredients required.
- The bread is soft and fluffy with a slightly sweet flavor.
- It is a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes.
- There are endless flavor variations, so you can customize the bread to your liking.
- Use it for toast, French toast, homemade croutons, and sandwiches.
- Great for any time of the day!
- Check out this whole wheat bread or tomato basil bread for another delicious homemade bread recipe!
Ingredients & Substitutes
These are the ingredients and substitutions for this potato bread. Scroll down to the bottom for the full recipe.
Boil the potato cubes until fork tender. Russet potatoes are the best potatoes for potato bread.
Mix warm water with active dry yeast.
A little granulated sugar adds a hint of sweetness.
Vegetable oil helps add moisture. Use avocado oil or olive oil if needed.
Add in a teaspoon of salt.
Bread flour is the perfect light and fluffy flour for this recipe! I have not tried this bread recipe with another flour.
Dust with additional flour if desired.
Taste & Texture
The taste and texture of potato bread are simply amazing like a classic brioche loaf but softer!
The bread is soft and fluffy, with a slightly sweet flavor from the potatoes.
The bread is also moist and tender, thanks to the starch from the potatoes.
How to Make
Step 1
First, place the diced potatoes in a saucepan and cover them with water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain the potatoes and mash them until smooth. Then, set aside to cool.
Step 2
In a small bowl, combine warm water and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the mixture and let it sit for about 5 minutes, or until foamy.
Step 3
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled mashed potatoes, yeast mixture, vegetable oil, salt, and 2 cups of bread flour. Stir well to combine.
Step 4
Gradually add the remaining flour, half cup at a time, until a soft dough forms. You may need slightly more or less flour, depending on the moisture content of the potatoes.
Step 5
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
Step 6
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a greased bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Step 7
Once the dough has risen, punch it down gently to release any air bubbles. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for a few minutes to remove any excess air.
Step 8
Shape the dough into a loaf and place it in a greased 9×5-inch bread pan. Cover with the kitchen towel and let it rise for another 30 to 45 minutes, or until it reaches just above the rim of the pan.
Step 9
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
Step 10
Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Step 11
Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for a few minutes. Then, transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Step 12
Finally, once cool, slice and serve!
Expert Tips for Success
Here are a few expert tips and tricks for making the best potato bread.
Use cold mashed potatoes. This will help to prevent the bread from becoming tough.
Don’t overmix the dough. Overmixing will develop the gluten in the dough, which will make the bread tough.
Let the dough rise in a warm place. This will help the yeast to activate and the bread to rise properly.
Don’t overbake the bread. Overbaking will dry out the bread.
Flavor Variations & Add-Ins
There are endless flavor variations for potato bread. Here are a few ideas.
Add cheese: Cheddar cheese is a classic addition to this bread.
Add herbs: Rosemary, thyme, and sage are all good herbs to add in.
Similarly, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika are all delicious.
Add nuts: Walnuts, pecans, and almonds are all good nuts to add some crunch.
How to Serve & Store
Potato bread is best served fresh.
Once sliced, top with butter, peanut butter, almond butter, jam, or Nutella!
This bread works well for sandwiches like panera turkey bacon bravo, French toast, and toast.
However, it can also be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Store individually wrapped slices in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, you can use instant mashed potatoes. However, the bread has the best texture with homemade mashed potatoes.
The bread is done baking when it is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
It is a type of bread that is made with mashed potatoes added to the dough. This bread is typically made with the same basic ingredients as other types of bread, such as flour, water, yeast, and salt, but the addition of potatoes gives it a denser texture and a slightly sweet flavor.
Yes, potato bread is generally healthier than white bread because it contains more fiber and nutrients.
Potato bread has a slightly sweet and earthy flavor, with a dense and moist texture. It tastes like a cross between white bread and mashed potatoes.
Equipment Needed
Pyrex 3 Glass Mixing Bowls: Use these mixing bowls for baking bread.
Pyrex Glass Measuring Cups: These glass measuring cups are easy to use and clean.
Bread Pan: This is my favorite bread loaf pan for baking homemade bread!
You May Also Enjoy
- Cinnamon Scone Bread
- Banana Bread Muffins
- No Knead Dutch Oven Bread
- Italian Bread Recipe
- The Best Sourdough Bread
If you enjoy this bread recipe, please leave a rating and review! You can find more great recipes on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Check out these for Quick Breads and Muffins or these Yeast Breads for more recipes!
Potato Bread
Ingredients
- 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 packet
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups bread flour
- Additional flour for dusting
Instructions
- Place the diced potatoes in a saucepan and cover them with water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain the potatoes and mash them until smooth. Set aside to cool.
- In a small bowl, combine warm water and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the mixture and let it sit for about 5 minutes, or until foamy.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled mashed potatoes, yeast mixture, vegetable oil, salt, and 2 cups of bread flour. Stir well to combine.
- Gradually add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms. You may need slightly more or less flour, depending on the moisture content of the potatoes.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a greased bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down gently to release any air bubbles. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for a few minutes to remove any excess air.
- Shape the dough into a loaf and place it in a greased 9×5-inch bread pan. Cover with the kitchen towel and let it rise for another 30 to 45 minutes, or until it reaches just above the rim of the pan.
- Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for a few minutes. Then, transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
- Finally, once cool, slice and serve!
Notes
- Boil the potatoes until fork tender.
- After kneading, the dough should be smooth and elastic.
- Allow the dough to rise until doubled in size. This takes about an hour.
- The bread is done baking when tapping on it produces a hollow sound.
- Allow the bread to fully cool before slicing into.
- Store the bread wrapped up at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freeze individual slices for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Waiting for my potatoes to cool as I type. Wondering if you could use sweet potatoes instead? Just curious!
Hi Robin! Um, YES. You can absolutely use sweet potatoes, it’ll just be slightly, well, sweeter! Here’s a sweet potato rolls recipe and a pumpkin herb dinner roll recipe for inspo. Happy baking!