potato bread
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 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, 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!
Print
Potato Bread
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Rising Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
- Cuisine: American
Description
This homemade potato bread is so soft and fluffy! This loaf is delicious, filling, and easy to make. The mashed potatoes give this bread a unique and tasty flavor!
Ingredients
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 1/4 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.
“This potato bread recipe is a game-changer! I never thought mashed potatoes could make bread so incredibly soft and flavorful. The texture looks amazing, and I can almost smell that freshly baked aroma just by looking at the pictures. I can’t wait to try making this at home and savoring the comforting taste of homemade potato bread. Thanks for sharing this fantastic recipe!”
Hi! If I wanted to use leftover mashed potatoes, do you have a measurement for how much the russet in your recipe add to the dough? Two cups? Two and a half cups? Thanks.
Hi Ceralee, I know that is very frustrating. I am the new owner and this particular recipe was developed by a third party, so I do not know. I have asked her for more details, but until then I can tell you that my potato roll recipe uses 1 3/4 cup mashed potatoes for about the same amount of flour. I will report back when I get more details or I remake the recipe myself. Best, Lindsey
This bread looks delicious and so fluffy! I have to try it – I never tried potato bread before 🙂
Hi, I have same question as another person. I’m using leftover mashed potatoes – how many cups would 2 potatoes be? 1 cup, 1.5, 2?
Hi Margaret, I know that is very frustrating. I am the new owner and this particular recipe was developed by a third party, so I do not know. I have asked her for more details, but until then I can tell you that my potato roll recipe uses 1 3/4 cup mashed potatoes for about the same amount of flour. I will report back when I get more details or I remake the recipe myself. Best, Lindsey
This came out beautifully! I used one russet potato, slightly on the larger side of most russets, and I used the water from the potato boiling. I also do not spoon and level because I find it tedious. Instead I used scant cups, although I made this on a rainy day so it was humid enough, plus the potato was on the large side. Everything else was exactly to the recipe.
I’m so happy to hear that Ann! Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment and rate!
Great recipe, lucky enough I have bread making experience, I found that I almost use two cups of water, my bread flour is quite strong and can handle the extra hydration, for those that worry about how much potato is used, I don’t go by weight I find a generous handle full of mash is enough or a cup, anything more and the bread will have way too much moisture. I divide the dough by using a kitchen scale, for it can easily be split and put into two bread tins. I definitely take the bread out at 40mins or slightly just over, really depends on the weather and how hot your water was blooming the yeast.
Happy baking
Hi Joany!
Love to be in community with fellow bread nerds! Thanks for leaving a comment with your experience and taking a moment to rate. Love that you love this recipe, and happy baking to you too!
Easy and soft! The kids prefer this to store bought!
Hi Herb! That’s what we like to hear! Thanks for taking a moment to comment, and happy baking! ~gvd team
Just starting to proof! I used the potato water for the liquid and increased the sugar to 1/2 tbsp as like a slightly sweeter bread. Although really don’t like Hawaiian rolls. The dough was soft and slightly sticky but not a game changer. Thanks for the recipe. Reminds me of my Hungarian grandmother’s potato rolls which I loved as a child with her homemade strawberry jam.
That sounds great! Good idea using the potato water for the liquid! ~lindsey
How manu cups of mashed potatoes do you use?
Hi Mary, I know that is very frustrating. I am the new owner and this particular recipe was developed by a third party, so I do not know. I have asked her for more details, but until then I can tell you that my potato roll recipe uses 1 3/4 cup mashed potatoes for about the same amount of flour. I will report back when I get more details or I remake the recipe myself.
My dough never raised. I used the suggested amounts of 1 3/4 c of both flour & potatoes but the dough is more like my gnocchi dough than bread. My yeast doesn’t expire until 2026, so I can’t figure it out.
This is my first try at gluten free bread, having made all types of breads & rolls for years. What a disappointment.
I’m adding more flour & putting it back in a moist oven for another hour. Hopefully the amount substitutions were the problem.
Hi Deb, You mention that this is your first try at gluten free bread but this isn’t a gluten free recipe. Yeast consume sugar, part of which is from the flour. There is another issue with trying to make a yeast-risen gluten free bread, and that is that the gluten structure is what traps the gasses produced by the yeast and thus leavens the bread. Your bread didn’t rise because there was no way for the bread dough to trap the air. Even if it did rise slightly when proofing, it would flatten after baking because, again, you need the gluten structure to trap the gasses.
If you did use glutenous bread flour as the recipe calls for, you could still have a wet dough depending on how wet your mashed potatoes were. That, unfortunately, is the variable here. It also isn’t my recipe, so I was merely trying to help other commenters with a volume measurement for the mashed potatoes. The recipe also calls for 4 cups of bread flour not 1 3/4
I really don’t appreciate you posting 2 negative reviews within the span of 5 hours accusing us of only posting positive reviews. One must also ask themselves, if the recipe worked for hundreds of others, perhaps, could the issue be with something I did? Rather than lambasting the blogger, perhaps consider other possibilities as well. Also technical comments are reviewed by me personally, rather than a member of my team. I am a mother and I run 2 businesses, I don’t always get to them as quickly as you might like.
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!