Potatoes are a common ingredient used in many bread recipes. There are a few reasons why bakers and home cooks add potatoes to bread dough:
Moisture
Potatoes add moisture to bread. The starch in potatoes helps retain water which keeps bread fresh and soft. This is especially helpful for lean doughs that don’t contain as much fat or oil. The extra moisture prevents the bread from drying out too quickly after baking.
Tender Crumb
Along with moisture, potatoes contribute to a soft and tender crumb texture. The starch gelatinizes during baking which gives the bread a pleasant smoothness in the bite. Potatoes create a lighter and fluffier interior crumb versus denser breads without potatoes.
Nutrition
Potatoes can add nutritional value to bread. Potatoes provide carbohydrates, vitamin C, iron, potassium and fiber. While bread is often thought of as an empty source of calories, adding potato to the dough boosts its nutritional profile. This makes bread more of a complete, nourishing food.
Economical
Using potato in bread dough helps stretch expensive ingredients like flour. Potatoes are more affordable than wheat flour. Substituting a portion of flour with mashed potatoes reduces the overall cost to bake bread. This allows bakers to produce higher yields of bread for less money.
Flavor
Potatoes provide a subtle flavor to bread. They have an earthy, slightly sweet taste that complements bread dough nicely. The potato flavor integrates into the background of the bread and highlights other ingredients like herbs, cheese or grains.
Rise
The starch in potatoes aids the rising process. Starch provides food for the yeast as it ferments and feeds on sugars. This allows the dough to rise higher with more oven spring. The potatoes must be cooked first to release their starches. Uncooked potatoes can actually inhibit rising by interfering with gluten development.
Types of Bread with Potatoes
Many types of bread benefit from the addition of potatoes. Here are some of the most common varieties:
Potato Bread
This bread gets its name directly from the main ingredient. Potato bread uses cooked mashed potatoes in place of a portion of the wheat flour. The potato content ranges from 30% to 50% of the total dough ingredients. This gives the bread its characteristic soft texture.
Irish Soda Bread
Traditional Irish soda bread contains both cooked potatoes and buttermilk. The acidity of the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda for rise instead of yeast. The potato adds moisture and structure. Caraway seeds are also commonly used to flavor Irish soda bread.
Potato Rolls
The same method of including cooked potatoes can be applied to sweet rolls and dinner rolls. Potato rolls have a reputation for being extra soft, fluffy and chewy. The potato starch lends itself well to the rich doughs used for rolls and buns.
Rye Bread
Hearty rye bread benefits from potato to lighten up the dense texture. Soaking raw grated potato before mixing hydrates the starch for better rising power. Potatoes balance the strong flavor of rye flour and complement caraway seeds typically used for rye bread.
Multigrain Bread
Potatoes help bind together the different grains and seeds used in multigrain bread recipes. Whole grains can make dough dry and less extensible. Potato retains moisture for a better rise and more cohesive crumb with mixed grains.
Sourdough Bread
Long-fermented sourdough bread can handle the addition of potato without becoming too moist. Cooked potatoes provide a counterpoint to the acidic tang of sourdough starters. The potato starch feeds the lactobacilli bacteria in the starter.
Focaccia
Focaccia benefits from the moisture retention of potato. This flatbread can dry out easily without enough water in the dough. Cooked potatoes give focaccia a light texture to balance the olive oil and create the signature dimpled holes.
Tips for Using Potatoes in Bread
Follow these tips when substituting potatoes for a portion of the flour in bread recipes:
- Use starchy potatoes like Russets or Yukon Gold
- Cook potatoes first to gelatinize the starch
- Allow cooked potatoes to cool completely before adding to dough
- Reduce water in the recipe to account for moisture in potatoes
- Add cooked potatoes to food processor first before dry ingredients
- Let dough rise fully to develop gluten and structure
- Use potatoes up to 50% of total flour amount
- Consider decreasing yeast slightly compared to plain bread
- Avoid overmixing to keep potato bread soft
The Science Behind Potatoes in Bread
There are a few scientific reasons why adding cooked potatoes produces favorable results in bread:
Starch Gelatinization
Heating starch granules in potatoes causes them to swell with water and burst. The starch becomes hydrated and dissolves into a viscous gel. This thick gel lends moisture and stretch to bread dough.
Starch Retrogradation
As gelatinized potato starch cools, the molecules begin recombining in a more ordered structure. This process called retrogradation creates a spongy texture that lightens the bread crumb. It improves moisture retention and shelf life.
Dietary Fiber
Potatoes contain resistant starch and fiber. These long chain carbohydrates limit water mobility. This helps maintain freshness and delays starch crystallization which makes bread go stale.
Amylose Content
Potatoes contain 20% amylose which are linear starch molecules. Amylose contributes to a soft and resilient texture versus brittle bread. The flexible amylose chains reinforce the gluten network.
Potato Protein
Protein in potatoes has positive impacts on dough rheology. Potato protein increases extensibility similar to vital wheat gluten. It also contains protease inhibitors which delay enzymatic degradation of the gluten structure.
pH Level
The pH of potatoes promotes more efficient yeast fermentation. Potatoes help maintain an acidic environment which allows the yeast to produce more carbon dioxide gas. This gives dough a better rise.
Enzyme Activity
Enzymes like amylase and phosphorylase break down complex starches into simple sugars. Yeast feeds on these sugars to produce the gases that cause rising. Cooked potatoes provide available starches for enzymatic reactions.
Conclusion
Adding potatoes to bread dough provides many benefits beyond just moisture. The starch and fiber in potatoes create a light, fluffy texture that stays fresh longer. Potatoes give bread more nutrition and stretch expensive flour. They also aid yeast in rising by providing fermentable starches. While optional, potatoes can take bread to the next level with their synergistic impacts on texture, shelf life and nutrition.