Potato Bread

During the Easter I saw everyone was making hot cross bun and I was very much inspired by their good looking buns. So my hand started itchy for making some for myself. 

I have no time to go through any new recipes so I flipped through my old recipes which can be easy to make and produce soft texture.

This recipe I had chosen was a good choice as my boy and hubby love soft bun, it even stay soft until the 3rd day. Guess what, it can bit the tesco potato bun really.

After I made the hot cross buns, I was so encouraging to make another one but in loaf version. The texture is equally soft, my boy can just eat as it is without any jam.

There are a little difference of making this recipe into buns and in loaf. For buns, it can be simply rolled into balls whereas loaf version need to be rolled up in different shape and place in a bread tin to rise up before bake. I cover the bread tin with a lid to produce a square shape of bread toast. Another reason I cover it with lid is to get a compact texture result, just like massimo bread or even better because no bread improver or softener added. The potatoes help the dough produce soft fluffy texture.  To be frank, the dough is not easy to handle, it is quite sticky though. As for me, I oiled my hand to roll up in ball shape but for loaf version,  it would be better to floured your hand in shaping the dough.

Although this is a repeated recipe in my blog but I still like to share again as it is so good to share and also like to jot down here as my diary for reminding myself this good recipe can be used again and again no matter make them into any version either savory or sweet buns or big loaf of bread.

Recipe (makes 16 buns or one loaf):
(A)
220g bread flour
80g plain flour
30g caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
140g cold water
4g yeast (1 teaspoon)
60g mashed potato
2 egg yolk

(B)
30g butter

(C)
40g butter (soften)
25g sugar powder
15g Plain flour

Mix ingredients (A) with a dough hook mixer at low speed follow by the mashed potato. Turn to medium speed continue kneading until it become a smooth dough. Add in the (B) unsalted butter and knead with low speed until the butter combine with the dough. Turn to medium speed continue the kneading process until it become a smooth and elastic dough. (the dough will slightly wet, I oiled my hand then...) place the dough into a lightly grease bowl and cover with cling wrap to proof for 80 minutes. For bread machine, I suggest to give extra 10 minutes in the kneading process.

To produce a loaf of bread:

Oil the hand a little, divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and roll to form 'ball' shapes. Cover with cling wrap and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Flatten each dough and roll out into a longish shape with a rolling pin (you may need a floured surface and floured rolling pin and a floured pair of hand at this stage). Roll up the dough like a swiss-roll. Put vertical shape and roll it out into longish shape then roll up again. Continue with the other two dough then place in the bread tin to rise for 30 minutes. Cover with lid to produce compact texture.

Bake at 210C preheated oven for 35 - 40 minutes.

For buns:

Divide the dough into 16 portions and with oiled  hand round them into small balls. Let them rest for 10 minutes. Mix up all ingredients (C) and put in a piping bag. Let the dough rest for another 25 minutes.

Egg wash the dough and squeeze the mixtutre on top of each buns. Bake  at 190'c preheated oven for 25 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy!