Potato Buttermilk Bread

 When I baked bread for the week on Saturday, I wanted to try something a little different. My kid's like the buttermilk bread that I occasionally buy at  the store. Since I had a quart of buttermilk that needed to be used A.S.A.P., I thought I would try to recreate it at home.  I couldn't find a recipe that was quite what I was looking for, so I combined a couple of recipes and created my own. The bread actually turned out great!!! It was soft (from the potato flakes), had a little tang to it (from the buttermilk), and had a fabulous texture (not crumbly at all). My family ate most of a loaf for toast Sunday morning. I will definitely by adding this recipe to the bake often file!!

Potato Buttermilk Bread

(makes two loaves)

5 1/2 - 6 1/4 cups bread flour

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

1 cup potato flakes

2 1/2 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons sugar

11/2 tablespoons butter or shortening

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1. In a large mixing bowl combine 2 1/2 cups flour, yeast, and potato flakes.
2. In a medium saucepan combine buttermilk, sugar, butter/shortening, and salt. Heat and stir until mixture is warm (shortening is starting to melt, but not completely melted).
3. Add warm liquid to the flour mixture.
4. Beat mixture with a electric mixer on low for 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl.
5. Beat  mixture on high for 3 minutes.
6. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as possible; until  a medium dough forms.
7. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and  elastic. Add flour in small increments, if necessary, to keep dough from sticking to the kneading surface.
8. Place dough in a greased bowl (turn dough over once to grease the top). Cover and let rise until double (about an hour).
9. Divide dough in half . Form into loaves and place in greased loaf pans.
10. Cover loaves and let rise until dough is one inch above the pan
11. Bake at 350 for 25 - 30 minutes
12. Remove from loaves from pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

This bread works great for toast and as a sandwich bread.