Leftover Bread

You know when your car acts up and you take it in to the mechanic and say, "it makes this funny noise, then cuts out."  However, when it's in for service, do you think that (traitor) car will make the noise or cut out to prove you're not crazy?  Nope, not even a peep!  That's the same with my oven.  Today, I thought, let's see if it will turn on without flipping the breaker--yeah, you guess it, no problems.  I'm thinking it's a short and it will eventually cut out for good, but today, I baked.  I just couldn't bring myself to go to the grocery store and buy bread when I can make it.  After all, I have leftovers; mashed potatoes, that weren't enough for another dinner, but perfect for bread.

Bread is significant for us.  In the Lord's prayer we say, "Give us this day our daily bread," and it's one of the elements, along with wine, in the Eucharists--sacramental bread.  In other cultures, bread goes beyond just something to consume and is a metaphor for basic necessities.  Furthermore, the household person who works to pay bills is called the "bread-winner" and Beatniks were the first to associate the word bread for money.

Bread was a staple in Europe and those cultures who found their way to America, brought their recipes with them.  When I think of bread, I remember my mother getting out her large wooden bowl and mixing flour, salt, and yeast, in addition to honey or sugar, sometimes eggs and milk, and maybe dried fruit.  I don't think we ever had mashed potatoes leftover (hey, we're Irish!) but I remember once being with my mom at an Amish market in St. Mary's County and she bought a loaf of potato bread.  When she replicated the recipe, she would boil a couple of potatoes and then, mash them with a fork.  My leftovers are usually prepared mashed potatoes, complete with butter and cream, but it works.

Leftover Bread
1/2 very warm water (about 105F-degrees)
2 scant Tablespoons of dried yeast
1 tsp. honey

5 cups King Arthur Bread flour
1 cup whole wheat bread (I had ground my own)
2 tsp. kosher salt
2/3 cup whole milk
3 T unsalted butter
3/4 cup of prepared mashed potatoes
1/4 cup honey
1 cup water

4 T unsalted butter, melted, for pans and bread

Start by proofing the yeast.  Mix the dried yeast into the warm water and add the honey.  Whisk lightly and let sit about 7 minutes.

While that is resting, heat the milk, butter, mashed potatoes, and honey in a small sauce pan over a medium heat.

In a stand mixer, using the bread hook, add the flours and salt, mix briefly.  First, add the milk mixture and mix on Speed #2 to combine, then, add the proofed yeast.  While the mixer is running, slowly pour the water over the dough, adding all or enough to bring the dough together.  It should be away from the sides and not sticky to the touch.

Lightly flour a bread board and invert the bowl, allowing the dough to "drop" onto it.

Note--the bowl should look almost clean if it has mixed properly.

Knead dough a few times, adding any additional flour to create a smooth dough.  Butter a large bowl or use a dough tub to place the dough in, right-side down, then, turn right-side up.  Allow to rise about 40 minutes.

Again, sprinkle a bread board with some additional flour and invert the bowl with the dough onto it.
Divide dough in half, then in to half again, giving you 4 pieces.

Flatten each piece, to the size of the loaf pans (I used two 9" x 5").  Roll up the side, away from you, pushing down to seal as you roll until you get to the end.  Pinch to seal.

Repeat with the other quarter, then place the two pieces into the buttered loaf pan.

Repeat to fill the second loaf pan.  Brush melted butter on top and cover with plastic wrap.

Because it's chilly out, I also covered the pans, lightly, with a cotton dish towel.  Let rise about 30 minutes or until doubled.  Preheat oven to 375F-degrees.

Removed plastic wrap and brush with additional melted butter.  Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until a thermometer reads 190F-degrees from checking the center of the bread.

If desired, brush with some additional melted butter and allow to cool completely before slicing.

I love the smell of bread baking and I'm thankful the oven decided to cooperate.  Enjoy!

Leftover Potato Bread

My mother was an expert at turning leftovers into another meal.  Leftover ham, not enough to feed a family of eight, became Ham & Egg Pie; leftover spaghetti, with a few eggs and some cheese, became spaghetti pie; leftover vegetables became soup for the next night; leftover corned beef became hash for dinner or breakfast with poached eggs: and mashed or boiled potatoes would be made into yeast bread or rolls, which is what I decided to make this morning.

Potato bread has been a favorite in our family for years and most of the time, I use leftover potatoes, but occasionally, I will go to the trouble of boiling some potatoes, mashing them, and then, make up a loaf.  Potatoes are used to replace some of the wheat flour used in bread recipes, proportions dependent upon what texture you want. For the most part, real potatoes are used, but you can also use a product called "potato flakes," which are dehydrated potatoes, found in the supermarket if you're sans potatoes. However, never having that problem, I can't guarantee how potato flakes affect the final product.

Since the leftover mashed potatoes, I used this morning, had milk and butter (plus salt and some pepper) in them, I decreased the measurement of those ingredients in the recipe.  However, I will give in "( )" the amount of liquid (milk) and melted butter, and salt needed if you just boil potatoes and smashed them.  One last note--I usually like to use Yukon Gold potatoes for my mashed potatoes, but the store I shopped at, were out of them.  This variety of potato will produce a lovely "golden" color to the bread, which I prefer.

Leftover Potato Bread

Proof Yeast: In a 2 cup glass measure, mix together 2 packages of dry yeast in 1/2 cup very warm water [about 105F-degrees] with 1/2 tsp. honey.  Let stand until foamy, about 5-7 minutes.  This insures you have active yeast for your recipe!


In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment mix:
3/4 cup leftover mashed potatoes (about 3 medium potatoes, cooked and mashed)
1 large egg
3 T honey
1 tsp. Kosher salt (2 tsp.)
Add the Proofed Yeast
Mix in 1 cup King Arthur Bread Flour

Microwave:
1/4 cup 2% milk (1/2 cup + 4 T unsalted butter)

Add: 1/4 cup water to the milk mixture and slowly add it the liquid to the ingredients in the bowl, while on low.

Add:  1 cup more of Bread flour and as the mixture starts to come together, change to the dough hook.  Knead in another 1 to 1 1/2 cups of flour (or more, as needed) for dough to come away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn dough out onto a board, lightly dusted with flour and knead until smooth.  Heat about 2 T unsalted butter and brush the bowl [or container] used to allow the dough to rest and rise.  Let rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the temperature of your kitchen!

When the dough has doubled in size, about 45 minutes, turn out onto the board and pat it to a rectangle to fit a 9"x5" loaf pan.

Brush the loaf pan with melted butter.  Roll up the dough, lengthwise, pinching ends together, then, place in the prepared pan (pinched ends down).

Brush the top of the dough with additional melted butter and place a piece of plastic wrap on top.

Cover with a clean dish towel to create the "heat" needed for a second rise.

Preheat oven to 375F-degrees while the bread is rising.  Once the dough has again doubled, remove the towel and plastic wrap and using a serrated knife, make a slit down the center of the dough.

Bake for approximately 35 to 40 minutes, turning the loaf pan once during baking. To check if the bread is done, insert a thermometer into the center of the bread, it should read 190F-degrees internally.

Remove from oven and let cool about 10 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a board.

The final touch for Potato Bread is to dust the top with flour--(If you do this prior to baking the flour will brown and not be attractive.)

COOL COMPLETELY before slicing.  I know it's hard to resist not digging into warm bread, but trust me, it's for the best!


I recently saw a commercial on television that said, "Americans throw out half of the food they buy, ..."  I think it was an advertisement for a storage bag, but it made me think back on the fact, I never saw my mother waste food, especially leftovers!   I'd love to hear if you have any family recipes that incorporates leftovers--I think it's one of the traditions we really need to pass on to the next generations. Enjoy!