I said it yesterday and I’ll say it again today…Potato bread is special.  The basic dough makes a great loaf of simple and simply delicious white bread.  Or form the dough into dinner rolls…you know, the warm, light fluffy kind.  Think pillows of goodness to mop up gravy…Don’t you just love Sunday dinner?  I added dried chives and chopped fresh dill to the dough, but you can leave these out and have a perfect loaf to use as you wish.  I’m making this dough into rolls; we’re having the rolls with an Herbed Pork Roast.  There will be some mustard in the Port, Mushroom and Onion Gravy.

Yesterday we made this same recipe by hand; today I made the basic recipe in the bread machine.  This is a very soft, sticky dough (look at the edges; this is after it’s risen) and whether made by hand or bread machine, that’s the way good potato bread doughs.  They will stay that way more with the bread machine, than hand-made.  Again, please don’t be tempted to add flour.  It is better to add a bit of flour when you form the rolls or loaf, after the dough raises.  Also, this was done with the dough cycle only.

One thing I don’t think I mentioned in earlier bread posts.  Sometimes you will see optional amounts of flour given in recipes, such as “3-3 1/4 cups flour.”  This is because flour absorbs liquid at differents rates, depending on the type of flour, the amount of humidity in the air and even they type of liquid you’re using.  Always begin with the lesser amount and add 1 teaspoon at a time, letting the dough “eat” up the flour as it kneads.  With many bread doughs, the dough may look too soft when it begins the kneading process, but will stiffen as the gluten develops.  The more you make bread, the easier it will be for you to recognize what the dough looks like at different stages and you can then adjust accordingly.

Since we are using dried potato flakes, don’t be tempted to put them in with the liquid ingredients.  It’s the same as by-hand made bread; they will begin to absorb water and the dough will be too dry.  Put the potato flakes into the pan on TOP of the flour, with the yeast.

By the way, if a loaf of bread turns out to be too dry, don’t worry…be happy.  It happens.  People get distracted.  It isn’t the end of the world.  Simply slice it, toast it, tear it into chunks and make bread pudding, either sweet or savory!  Or panzanella.  Or croutons and breadcrumbs.  European cooks waste nothing and neither should we.

To form dough into rolls, you simply break or cut off small, even-sized pieces of the dough, then dip the lightly in flour and place the blob of dough in the palm of your left hand (if you’re right-handed).

Next, cup your right hand and gently but firmly roll the dough,

until if forms a perfect ball.

Place the ball in a well-greased pan; in this case I used a spring-form pan, simply because it was the sized I needed for this amount of dough.

Place the pan in a cold oven and follow that same procedure we did with by-hand-made bread,

removing the pan of baked rolls from the oven when lovely and brown.  Wait 10 minutes, remove the rolls from the pan and serve immediately or cool completely, and either eat them at room temperature or rewarm them in a 200°F degree oven for 10 minutes or wrap them well and freeze them for up to 1 months.  That’s it!

I think after The Goddess rambled on enough yesterday, you pretty much got the jist of the process, except today it’s done in the bread machine.  You’re smart; you’ll get it from the pictures and if not, you’ll tell The Goddess she’s got some ‘splainin’ to do!