Potato Rosemary Bread Recipe

Use LearnToCook.com’s recipe for that perfect specialty bread to accompany your holiday dinner this year!

Potato Rosemary Bread

Yields Two 1-lb. Loaves or 18 Dinner Rolls

Ingredients:

Biga:

5.5 oz.        Bread flour

¼ tsp.         Instant yeast

3.5 – 4 oz.  Water, room temp.    – 70°

Final Dough:

7 oz.          Biga

15 oz.        Unbleached bread flour

1 ½ tsp.     Salt

¼ tsp.        Black pepper, ground

1 ¼ tsp.     Yeast, instant

6 oz.          Mashed potatoes, room temp.

1 Tbs.        Olive oil

2 Tbs.        Fresh rosemary, chopped

7 – 8 oz.    Water, room temp. – 70°

4 Tbs.        Roasted garlic, chopped

Semolina flour for dusting

Method:

Biga:

1. Mix flour and yeast together.  Add water and mix until everything comes together and makes a coarse ball.  Make sure it’s not too sticky or stiff.  May have to adjust water or flour to insure this.
2. Switch to a dough hook and knead for 4 minutes until dough is pliable and tacky.
3. Lightly oil a bowl and place dough in bowl.  Cover with plastic and let rest for 2 – 4 hours at room temperature.

Remove dough from bowl, degas and return to bowl.  Cover and keep refrigerated overnight.  (This can keep refrigerated up to 3 days.)

Final Dough:

1. Remove biga from refrigerator one hour before you make the bread.  Cut into small pieces, cover and let rest for 1 hour to take off the chill.
2. Add the biga pieces, mashed potatoes, oil, rosemary and 7 oz. of water to a mixing bowl.  Add the salt, flour, black pepper and yeast.  Mix with the paddle attachment for 1 minute or until the ingredients form a ball.  Add more water or flour to insure dough is tacky and pliable.
3. Switch to a dough hook and knead for 6 minutes by machine.  Remove the dough and flatten it on the counter.  Spread the roasted garlic over the top (if using).  Gather the dough into a ball and knead it by hand for 1 minute.
4. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rest until doubled in size.
5. Degas and divide dough into 2 equal pieces (or 18 for dinner rolls).  Do an initial shaping and let rest for 5 – 10 minutes.
6. Shape into boules and place on a parchment lined sheet pan that has been sprinkled with semolina flour or cornmeal.  Make sure the boules are spaced so they will not touch – even after proofing.
7. Cover with plastic wrap and let proof until the dough doubles in size.
8. Preheat oven to 400° and have rack in middle of oven.
9. Remove plastic from bread, brush lightly with olive oil.  Slash if desired, it’s not necessary.
10.  Place pan on middle rack in oven and bake for 20 minutes.  Rotate pan 180° for even baking.  The loaves should take 35 – 40 minutes to bake.  The rolls should bake for 10 minutes, rotate pan and bake 10 minutes more.
11. The bread will be a rich golden brown all round and internal temperature should register at least 195°.
12. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before serving.

Recipe courtesy of Escoffier School of Culinary Arts