Texas West Kitchen Sourdough Potato Bread and Starter

Many, Many years ago in a land far away,(San Angelo, Texas), I was a young mother with three young children and an active duty husband I loved to cook then as well, but had not perfected baking.  

My next door neighbor was a super sweet retired lady and she knocked on the door one day with this amazing loaf of potato bread, a small jar of goo, and a printed recipe. It is honestly still the best bread recipe I have ever made. 

I have shared it and the starter a million times, every time just the same way. A loaf of bread, 1 cup of starter, and a recipe.  If you do not have a starter available I will include the recipe to start your own. It is a very forgiving starter and the more you use it the less it tastes like sourdough. I use my starter in almost every bread recipe I make with the exception of dinner rolls ,(another blog post), cinnamon rolls, and donuts. 

Starter Ingredients and Feeding

• 3 Tablespoons Instant Mashed Potato Flakes (or one small boiled and peeled potato)
• 3 Tablespoons white sugar
• 1 cup warm water (not hot not tepid)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast. 

You may do this without the use of store bought yeast, but you will need to leave it uncovered or loosely covered with a mesh cloth by a window or in the porch out of the sun to collect wild yeast. 

Add all to a glass jar (I use at least a quart jar) 

stir with wooden spoon, cover witch cheesecloth or lid with a few holes. 

Let sit for 5 days on the counter, stir with a wooden spoon once everyday

On the morning of the fifth day, feed the starter with 3 tablespoons instant potatoes, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1 cup warm water. 

In the evening, take out 1 cup of the starter to use in a sourdough recipe. Refrigerate the remaining starter.

Every five days, feed the starter 3 tablespoons instant potatoes, 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 cup water.

 If starter is to be used in a recipe, let the fed starter rest at room temperature 6 hours before use.

 If starter is not being used in a recipe, keep refrigerated and discard 1 cup of starter after each feeding.

Making the Bread:

This is a process...but dont let it scare you! Really each step on takes a few minutes then you just wait. When I am making bread I start proofing the starter before I go to bed at night. 

I also let the dough rise in my oven. i live in a colder climate at high altitude, so this keeps the drafts away. Also occasionally I turn the oven light on to help with the rising.

 BUT WATCH IT!

 Don't let it sit too long as this dough is a high riser and will rise over the edge of your bowl if you are not careful. 

Also depending on where you live this may make 3-4 loaves. I tend to consistently get 3 out of this recipe 

Bread Ingredients

·         1 cup sourdough starter- left out at room temp and bubbly

·         1 1/2 cups warm water

·         2 cups bread flour

·         1 cup plain prepared mashed potatoes

·         3/4 cup warm water

·         2 teaspoons salt

·         1/3 cup oil or melted margarine or butter

·         1/3 cup sugar

·         6 1/2 to 7 cups bread flour 

 

 

         Combine the active starter with 1 1/2 cups water, 2 cups flour and the mashed potatoes.

 (I always use leftover mashed potatoes, butter, salt, pepper, and anything else that happened be in there.)

         Beat well, cover and let this "sponge" stay in a warm place until very light and bubbly.

       This will take several hours in warm surroundings or overnight in cooler surroundings.

         Then stir down the mixture and add the 3/4 cup warm water, salt, oil , sugar and half the remaining flour.

    Beat well by hand with a wooden mixing spoon.

 Gradually stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a medium firm dough.

 (I use my Kitchen Aid for the mixing and kneading, basically I add flour until it doesn't stick tot he sides anymore after mixing for 20 seconds or so, and I knead it for about 7 minutes) 

         Knead the dough well, only adding additional flour to prevent the dough from sticking.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl , cover, and let rise until doubled in a warm place 

(depending where you live and where you put the bowl this could take a few hours.In the oven with only the light on it takes about 5 in my altitude)

When doubled, lightly punch down the dough and divide it into three equal portions.(depending on how much flour you add and the size of your pans you might get 4)

·         Shape the dough and place into oiled bread pans. Cover and let the dough rise in the pans until doubled or well above the rim of the pans.

         Again, have patience as this will take hours. 

(With the oven light on only about 1.5- 2 hours)

         Then bake in a 375 F degree oven until golden and tested done about 45 minutes or more.

         When done carefully remove form the pans and let cool completely on a cooling rack.

         Bread freezes well.

        Bread has a creamy white moist interior and excellent taste and texture and is a high riser.