Source: Baking with Julia/ Dorie Greenspan. Baker: Leslie Mackie
Makes 16 servings.
Preparation time: 3 hours
Tips: Fast to make, very mild flavor, good for sandwiches.
Rustic Potato Bread
Ingredients
Preparation
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (about 3)
4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup reserved potato water (85 degrees), tepid
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 3/4 cups unbleached flour
1. Scrub the potatoes and cut them into quarters, peel and all. Toss them into a 2 quart pot, cover with water, add 2 teaspoons of the salt, and boil until soft. Reserve 1/2 cup of the potato water. Drain the potatoes, spread them out and let them cool and air-dry for 20-30 minutes. It's important that the potatoes be dry before they're mashed.
2. When the potatoes are cool, stir the yeast into the reserved warm potato water and allow it to rest for 5 minutes; it will turn creamy. Meanwhile, turn the cooled potatoes into the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mash them. With the mixer on low speed,add the dissolved yeast and the olive oil and mix until the liquids are incorporated into the potatoes.
3. Replace the paddle with the dough hook and, still mixing on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes, then increase the speed to medium and mix for 11 minutes more. The dough will be firm at first and soft at the finish. At the start, it will look dry, so dry you'll think you're making a pie crust. But as the dough is worked, it will be transformed. It may even look like a brioche, cleaning the sides of the bowl but pooling at the bottom. Have faith and keep beating.
4. FIRST RISE: Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, at which point the dough will have risen noticeably, although it may not have doubled.
5. While the bread is proofing, position a rack in the bottom of the oven and fit it with a baking stone or quarry tiles, leaving a border of at least 1 inch all around. Preheat the oven to 375F. Place a linen towel on a baking sheet, rub the towel with flour, and set aside; this will be the resting place for the bread's final rise. Rub a baker's peel or baking sheet with cornmeal or flour. Fill a spray bottle with water; set aside.
6. SHAPING THE BREAD: Turn the bread out onto a lightly floured surface and, using a dough scraper, cut the dough in half. To shape each half into a torpedo shape, first shape it into a ball and then flatten it into a disk. Starting at the end farthest from you, roll up the dough toward you. When you're on your last roll, stop and pull the free end of dough toward you, stretching it gently, and dust its edge with flour. Finish the roll and, if necessary, rock the loaf back and forth a little to taper the ends and form a torpedo, or football.
7. SECOND RISE: Place the loaves on the floured towel, seam side down, and cover them with the ends of the towel(or another towel) .Let the breads rise at room temperature for 20 minutes.
8. BAKING THE BREAD: When you're ready to bake, spray the oven walls with water and immediately close the oven door to trap the steam. Turn the breads out, seams side up, onto the peel or baking sheet and transfer them to the oven. Spray the oven with water again and bake the loaves for 45- 50 minutes, or until the crust is very brown. If using a instant thermometer, the interior temperature measures 200F. Remove to cooling rack, wait 20 minutes before slicing. Great for sandwiches. Slice and freeze for future use.
NOTES : 1) This bread has little flavor as a dinner bread however it makes good sandwich bread. Slice and keep frozen to use a needed.
Makes two large loaves, about 2 lbs. each.
