Potato Sandwich Bread
This recipe for potato sandwich bread will surprise you with its incredibly pillowy soft texture, moist crumb, and super thin delicate crust. The addition of potato transforms the loaf into something truly special. Not only does it make the bread noticeably softer and fluffier, but it also helps the loaf stay fresh much longer than traditional sandwich bread. It’s one of those simple ingredients that completely changes the texture and quality of homemade bread in the best possible way.
Potatoes naturally retain moisture, which is why breads made with potato tend to stay tender and soft for several days without drying out quickly. The crumb becomes light, airy, and wonderfully smooth while still holding together perfectly for slicing and sandwiches. The crust stays thin and tender rather than thick or overly chewy, making this bread especially popular with children and perfect for everyday family meals.
One of the things I love most about this potato sandwich bread is how versatile it is. It works beautifully for classic sandwiches, grilled cheese, toast with butter and jam, breakfast sandwiches, or even French toast. The mild flavor pairs well with both sweet and savory toppings, making it an excellent everyday loaf to keep in the kitchen.
The dough itself is soft and pleasant to work with, producing a loaf that rises beautifully and bakes into a gorgeous golden bread with an incredibly inviting aroma. As it bakes, the kitchen fills with the comforting smell of fresh homemade bread, butter, and warm potato — the kind of aroma that instantly makes a house feel cozy.
Another advantage of this recipe is how approachable it is for bakers of all levels. Even if you are relatively new to bread baking, this dough is forgiving and reliable while still delivering bakery-quality results. The final loaf slices beautifully without crumbling and maintains its softness for days when stored properly.
Fresh from the oven, lightly toasted, or used for sandwiches throughout the week, this potato sandwich bread quickly becomes a household favorite. Once you experience how soft, moist, and flavorful homemade potato bread can be, it’s difficult to return to regular store-bought sandwich loaves again. It’s simple, comforting, practical, and absolutely delicious.
Ingredients
Dough
- 340 g lukewarm water
- 5 g dry instant yeast
- 40 g sugar
- 30 g dry milk powder
- 500 g bread flour
- 170 g boiled and mashed potato
- 12 g salt
- 25 g olive oil
- 15 g soft unsalted butter
Directions
Dough
- Boil the potato in advance and let it cool down and mash it up before adding to the dough.
- 8 am In a bowl of stand mixer, dissolve dry instant yeast in the lukewarm water, add sugar, dry milk powder, all flour and all mashed potato.
- Mix the dough on low speed of your mixing machine for 5 minutes, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 7 minutes until well incorporated.
- Add salt, continue mixing for 3-4 minutes until dough will come up together , then add soft butter and olive oil, increase the speed of mixer, knead for 10 more minutes until the dough comes up together wrapping up the hook or paddle attachment of your mixer, the sides of the bowl has to become clean, without any sticky dough.
- Cover the dough and let it proof for 1-2 hours at 78-86F/ 28-30C until double or more in volume.
- 10 am Dump proofed dough on a floured work surface. Spread it with your hands creating rectangular, Fold long side to the middle. Roll the dough tight into a roll.
- Transfer shaped dough into a loaf pan. I was using large Pullman pan (13×4 inch) , cover, and let proof for 1-2 hours at 78-86F/28-30C until double or more in volume.
- 12 pm Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Sprinkle some flour on top of the loaf. Score the loaf.
- Bake it for 10 min at 375F.
- Lower the temperature to 350F, bake for 25-30 more minutes until golden brown.
- Let the bread cool down.
Enjoy!
Potato Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
- 340 g Water Lukewarm
- 5 g dry instant yeast
- 40 g Sugar
- 30 g dry milk powder
- 500 g bread flour
- 170 g Boiled and mashed potato Must be fully cooled down before adding
- 12 g Salt
- 25 g Olive oil
- 15 g Unsalted butter softened completely to room temperature
Equipment
- Stand Mixer Fitted with the dough hook or paddle attachment
- Large Pullman Pan 13×4 inch size
- Kitchen Scale Highly recommended for precision bread baking
- Plastic Wrap or clean towel
- Sharp Bread Lame or razor blade
Method
- Preparation: Boil your potato well in advance. Allow it to cool down completely to room temperature, then mash it up thoroughly so no large, hard lumps remain.
- 8:00 AM: In the bowl of your stand mixer, dissolve the 5g of dry instant yeast in the 340g of lukewarm water. Add the 40g of sugar, 30g of dry milk powder, all 500g of bread flour, and all 170g of cooled mashed potato.
- Mix the dough on the low speed of your mixing machine for 5 minutes (or if using a KitchenAid mixer, run it on speed 3 for 7 minutes) until all components are well incorporated.
- Add the 12g of salt and continue mixing on low for 3 to 4 minutes until the dough begins to draw together.
- Add the 15g of soft unsalted butter and 25g of olive oil. Increase the speed of your mixer to medium-high and knead continuously for an additional 10 minutes. The dough will look slick initially but will soon come together, wrapping entirely around the hook or paddle attachment. The sides of the mixer bowl must become completely clean, without any sticky residue left behind.
- Cover the dough tightly and let it proof for 1 to 2 hours in a warm environment at 78–86°F (28–30°C) until it completely doubles or triples in volume.
- 7. 10:00 AM: Dump your expanded, proofed dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.
- 8. Use your hands to gently spread and pat the dough out, creating a clean, flat rectangular sheet.
- 9. Fold the long outer sides inward cleanly toward the middle line. Starting from the short edge closest to you, roll the dough up tightly from top to bottom into a firm cylinder to build internal crumb tension.
- 10. Transfer your tightly shaped log seam-side down into a greased large Pullman pan (13×4 inch). Cover loosely and let it proof a second time for 1 to 2 hours at 78–86°F (28–30°C) until it doubles or fills out the pan completely.
- 11. 12:00 PM: While the dough completes its final rise, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- 12. Sprinkle a light dusting of flour across the top surface of the loaf, then use a sharp razor blade or lame to score a clean line down the center.
- 13. Slide the pan into the oven and bake at 375°F (190°C) for exactly 10 minutes to lock in a proud, open oven spring.
- 14. Lower the oven temperature down to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for an additional 25 to 30 minutes until the top is an even golden brown. Take the bread out of the pan immediately and let it cool down completely on a wire rack before cutting.
Nutrition
Notes
- The Soft Crumb Potato Science: Adding 170g of boiled mashed potato does something magical to the starch matrix of sandwich bread. Potato starches absorb and hold significantly more moisture than standard wheat flours. During baking, this high water-retention prevents the gluten network from drying out, resulting in a cloud-like crumb that feels wet and pillowy at the same time, while ensuring the loaf stays fresh on your counter for days.
- Managing High Hydration Patiently: Beginners often get nervous during step 5 because the total calculated liquid profile sits around a standard 68% hydration, but the added moisture from the fresh potato can make the raw dough feel incredibly soft and sticky at first. Do not add extra flour! Be patient and let your mixer run for the full 10 minutes—the starches will slowly drink up the water, and the dough will cleanly pull away from the bowl walls.
- Why Fully Cooled Potatoes are Crucial: Never add warm or hot mashed potatoes directly into your mixer bowl. High residual heat will raise the temperature of your dough quickly, which can damage or completely kill off the dry instant yeast cells before fermentation even starts. Always cook your potato ahead of time and ensure it is cold or entirely room temperature before mixing.
- Substituting with Dry Potato Flakes: If you want a quick shortcut and do not have fresh potatoes to boil, you can substitute them by using standard unseasoned instant mashed potato flakes. Substitute the 170g of fresh potato with roughly 35 grams (approx. 1/2 cup) of dry flakes added directly into your liquids before mixing in your flour. Keep an eye on the dough; since flakes absorb moisture rapidly, you may need a small splash of extra water if the mass looks too stiff.
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I have been adding mash potato flakes to all my bread/roll recipes, yeast or sourdough for a long time. Easier to use than cooking the potatoes.
Just make sure they aren’t seasoned!
Thank you, Barbara for a great tip 🙏
How much of the flakes will you have to use?
I usually use about 35 grams of potato flakes, about 1/2 cup. The flakes absorb moisture from the dough, so you may need a little more liquid, but wait until you see if the dough is too dry. I add the flakes to the liquids, before adding the flour. Since I have been using them for a few years, my recipes have been adjusted to add the right amount of liquids.
Check the directions for making mashed potatoes on the package. According to Google, 1 serving of prepared mashed potatoes = 1 cup = 210 grams, which is more than what is in the recipe. Mashed potatoes made from flakes: 1 cup water plus 3/4 cup flakes or 50 grams. You can also make mashed potatoes from the flakes and then add them with the other ingredients. I just find it easier and quicker to just use the dry flakes, and have not had an issue with my bread/roll recipes.
Hope that information helped!
Could this be made without the dry milk powder?
Yes, but fermentation will take little longer
I need your help, Natasha. Is the amount of water to flour correct? It is more than 50% water to flour. There is no way my dough would clean the bowl and dough hook. It was so thin. Please help; I love the concept of potato bread.
Doreen, I just made this and it turned out great. Check to make sure you are using the right amount of water and flour and that the mashed potatoes are not too thin. Using thick, well cooled potatoes helps. Also important to make sure that you use a decent quality kitchen scale (never cup measures) for bread. Should be ~70% hydration – this is pretty standard for soft sandwich breads. Good luck 🙂
Luca, thank you for your detailed explanation 🙏
Hi!
The hydration is about 68%, but starches in potato will absorb the water. So everything is correct. Just be patient. Dough will come up together.
hi, do you have to let the instant yeast proof any in the water before adding all of the other ingredients?
You can do it to activate the yeast.
I made the Oatmeal sandwich loaf, and I thought it was amazing! The kids weren’t super happy about the oatmeal “chunks”. Probably because I used a hardy, sprouted rolled oat. But the flavor was very good. So, I’m trying this one for this week’s bread. So excited! Thank you!
Thank you so much ☺️
OK – just to update you – Everyone loved this loaf! I love it because it is in a pullman pan, so a big loaf!! Absolutely amazing! Thank you! God Bless!
Thank you so much for your feedback 🙏
Hello! So delicious. Quick question. If you were baking 2 loaves at a time would you adjust the temp or cook time?
Hi!
Usually it has to be the same time. But depends on the oven and how heat is distributed.
This is such a success with my friends and family. I love it.
Last week I changed the flour brand and location, meaning a different oven. Twice, the loaf was undercooked and collapsed when I tried to take it out of the pan. Any idea what might the cause be?
Hi, would this work with sweet potato? If so do you recommend adjusting any of the other ingredients?
Thanks
Curious as to why you use a paddle attachment on your mixer rather than the dough hook?
Can you use potato starch instead of a potato? and how much would one use if you can?
Yes, you can use potato starch as a substitute for a potato in certain recipes. Potato starch is a fine powder made from the starch of potatoes, and it is commonly used as a thickening agent in cooking and baking.
If you are looking to replace a whole potato with potato starch, the general rule of thumb is to use about 2 tablespoons of potato starch for every medium-sized potato. However, keep in mind that the texture and flavor may vary slightly when using potato starch instead of a
I have made this recipe many times and we love it! On occasion, my loaf will have a small area that is denser than the rest of the loaf. Do you have any idea what I am doing wrong?! The loaf is tasty and fluffy, except for that area. I’m just wondering if it is my proofing time, or if it should have been baked longer. I just hope to figure it out for consistency! Thank you!