Potato Water Bread Recipe
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Category: |
Category: |
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Ingredients: |
Ingredients: About 11 pounds all-purpose flour (approximately 40 cups), or enough to make a soft dough
¾ pound lard
⅓ cup sugar
¼ cup salt
2 packets active dry yeast (or 2 yeast cakes)
Potato water (water potatoes were boiled in), cooled to warm
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Directions: |
Directions:Peel and boil potatoes in water until tender. Remove potatoes and reserve the cooking water. Let water cool until warm.
Dissolve sugar in warm potato water. Add yeast and let stand until foamy.
Melt lard and allow it to cool until warm, not hot.
In a very large bowl, combine yeast mixture, melted lard, and salt.
Gradually add flour, mixing until a soft, workable dough forms.
Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.
Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled.
Punch down dough, divide into loaves, and place in greased bread pans.
Let rise again until dough crowns slightly above the pans.
Bake at 375°F for 35–40 minutes, until golden brown and loaves sound hollow when tapped.
Remove from pans and cool on racks. Brush tops with butter if desired. |
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Number Of
Servings: |
Number Of
Servings:5-6 loaves |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: Potato water was commonly used in bread making because it was never wasted and was believed to strengthen the dough. The starch released from the potatoes gives the bread a softer crumb, better moisture, and longer keeping quality.
Bread made with potato water tends to stay fresh longer, slice well, and brown evenly. Cooks saved the water from boiling potatoes and allowed it to cool until just warm before using it to dissolve yeast. Water that was too hot could kill the yeast, while cool water slowed the rise.
This type of bread was favored for everyday table use in large households, as it kept well for several days without drying out.
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