OMG! Potato Bread

A few weeks ago, for pasta night, Felicity offered to bring the bread, I was happy she was and when she told me it was potato bread, I was curious, having heard about it and knowing it was not a traditional leavened bread.

Sooooo, here was the bread in front of me, I loved the shape and color right away, I touched it and wow, the bread had a bark to it, a lovely hard crunchy exterior. All things were looking good for this potato bread.

Before supper was served, I decided to have a taste, I was dumbstruck, I was in love, I could only imagine how much of this bread I could eat in one day, “never mind the pasta,” my brain was telling me, “have more bread!”

Which I did. On top of this, she had replaced the eggs with apple sauce because she had no eggs, oh, she was a smart cookie and it was good.

So, I went searching for a many recipes to see what called to me and some things came up regularly, the herbs used, and quantities.

I made a lot of mashed potatoes, just using yellow potatoes because I know how good they are to mash. I then used a cheese that could stand up to the thickness of the mashed potatoes and chives and paprika with garlic powder to add depth.

The bread came out better than the others versions I had seen and made with other herbs and spices, but, I know that you can substitute almost any cheese, herbs and spices and it will still be amazing!

INGREDIENTS:

¾ c. cooked mashed yellow potato (or other, I prefer yellow)

¾ c. raw grated potatoes (I also use yellow)

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil or other of your choice

¾ c. milk

½ c. cheddar or brick cheese, grated

¼ c. chopped chives

½ tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. paprika

3 12/ c. unbleached flour

5 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 375° F.

Beat the mashed potatoes and raw grated potatoes in a large mixing bowl, till well combined. Add the eggs and cheese, chives, milk and oil to the bowl, beat till homogeneous.

In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, garlic powder, paprika and salt, stir to combine. Add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until a soft dough is formed. On a lightly floured surface, drop the dough and knead for a minute to form a ball.

Sprinkle a layer of cornmeal in a cast iron pan or skillet. Place the ball of dough within and flatten slightly to create a large 10 inch-wide and 2-inch thick patty. Use a knife to slice a quarter inch deep cross on top.

Bake for 45-55 minutes. It should be golden brown on top.

Cool on a wire rack about 10 minutes, remove from pan, place on a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing.

Serve with your favorite stew, soup and chilies, and I was told it makes a great toast also!