Julie Clark
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Old Fashioned Potato Bread with Leftover Mashed Potatoes
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Potato bread is a soft, fluffy white sandwich loaf made with mashed potatoes worked into the dough. The potatoes add moisture to the tender crumb, so the loaf stays soft for days. And it slices clean for sandwiches and toast.
This is my grandma’s old fashioned recipe. I’ve baked this bread too many times to count. I often make it after holidays when there are plenty of leftover mashed potatoes.
Try our easy milk bread recipe, too.
What’s the secret to fluffy potato bread?
The secret is mashed potatoes. Potato starch holds onto moisture and softens the crumb. This helps the potato bread stay softer than traditional sandwich bread. It also rises a little higher!
All it takes is ½ cup of mashed potatoes.
What ingredients are in potato bread?
Potato bread uses simple pantry staples: milk, sugar, egg, salt, butter, yeast, flour…and of course mashed potatoes.
- Use bread flour in this recipe. It just makes the bread a little sturdier and gives it a bit of a chewy texture. If you’re looking for the ultimate in softness, stick with all-purpose flour.
- I’ve used straight up mashed potatoes, and also mashed potatoes that had butter and milk added. Both worked. A quicker option is instant potatoes. The best potatoes for mashed potatoes are Russet potatoes.
- I recommend Instant Yeast. It works perfectly and has never let me down. If you’ve never worked with yeast, read our guide to baking with yeast.
Potato Bread Dough
Just as with our cinnamon rolls, homemade dinner rolls and buttermilk bread, it’s easy to mix dough in the stand mixer (or when I’m really lazy, the bread machine).
Do you need a stand mixer to make this bread? No. You can just as easily mix the ingredients by hand, then knead by hand for 6-8 minutes on a lightly floured surface.
If you’re kneading the bread by hand, I always warn not to add too much flour. The dough should be slightly sticky so that the bread does not turn out dry.
A trick for making bread dough rise faster.
Many people want to know how to make dough rise faster.
Turn the oven to the lowest temperature and allow it to heat for 1-2 minutes. Then turn the oven off and place the covered bowl with the dough inside on the oven rack and close the door. Allow the dough to rise in the warm oven. Remember to turn off the oven so the dough doesn’t bake!
How do you get a golden brown crust on bread?
This mashed potato bread recipe has the most beautiful shiny golden brown top. I put together a resource detailing all of the different bread washes so you can achieve the look you want.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this homemade potato bread…it’s one of the best bread recipes. Here are a few of our favorite ways to serve it:
- Make toast, spread with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Or, brush freshly baked slices of this bread with our cinnamon butter.
- Serve as the base for egg salad sandwiches or tuna melts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use instant potato flakes instead of real mashed potatoes?
Yes. If you don’t have leftover mashed potatoes, make a small batch of instant potato flakes. Use half a cup of cooled potatoes. Prepare the flakes on the thicker side so you don’t add extra liquid to the dough.
Can I make this potato bread in a bread machine?
Yes. Add the ingredients in the order your machine recommends and set to the dough cycle. Once the dough has risen, shape it into two loaves, let them rise in the pans, and bake at 350°F. It’s so easy!
Can I use leftover mashed potatoes that already have butter and milk in them?
Yes, and that’s how I usually make it. Plain mashed potatoes and seasoned mashed potatoes both work. Just avoid any that are very loose or watery so the dough doesn’t end up too sticky.
Can you freeze potato bread?
Yes. Cool the loaves completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, or slice before freezing so you can pull out what you need for toast.
Soft & Fluffy Mashed Potato Bread
My grandma's potato bread turns out soft and fluffy every time. Use leftover mashed potatoes, follow my tested tips, and skip the dense-loaf mistakes.
Servings 20
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Rise Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup warm water (110-115ºF)
- 1 cup 2% milk warmed to 110-115ºF
- 1 package instant yeast (or active dry yeast)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup mashed potatoes
- 1/4 cup salted butter melted
- 4 cups bread flour
Instructions
- Pour the warm water and milk (about 110-115 degrees F) into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over the liquids. Allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes until it is slightly frothy. ¼ cup warm water (110-115ºF), 1 cup 2% milk, 1 package instant yeast
- Add the sugar, egg, salt, potatoes, butter and flour. Use the paddle attachment to mix the ingredients just until combined. Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes. ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ cup mashed potatoes, ¼ cup salted butter, 4 cups bread flour
- Switch to the dough hook and beat on medium-high speed for 5-7 minutes. The dough should be slightly sticky.
- Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Place the kneaded dough ball into the greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Set the bowl in a warm place until the dough has nearly doubled (about 30 minutes).
- Divide the dough in two and shape into two loaves. Place the dough into two greased 9×5 loaf pans. Cover the pans and put them in a warm place, allowing the dough to rise again white the oven is preheating to 350ºF.
- If you want a golden brown top, whisk together one egg and a tablespoon of water. Brush this egg wash over the top of the loaves before baking.
- Bake the bread (uncovered) for 30-35 minutes or until the tops are dry and firm, with a golden brown color. Remove the bread from the pans and allow the loaves to cool on a wire rack.
Video
Notes
To make mashed potatoes, peel about 2 Russet potatoes, then cut them into chunks. Boil them in a small saucepan until they are fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain off any water (or save the potato water to use in this recipe!). Mash the potatoes and allow them to cool before adding to the recipe.
I have not tried this bread with gluten-free flours.
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
This recipe makes two loaves, about 20 slices total (10 per loaf). The servings and nutrition are based on 1 slice per serving. Ingredient brands vary, so the nutrition numbers are an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 69mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 105IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Can I use the same amount of dried yeast instead of instant yeast?
Yum! Made this with alterations. I had some sour dough starter that needed used as well as left over mashed potatoes. Omitted the milk and added an extra 1/4 cup water and a half cup less flour. (1 1/2 cups starter). It was great! Can’t say much for the rise and bake time though, baked in an airfry oven, and my starter was not fed as well as it should have been so took most the day to rise. But the end result was good, will be making again.
I used my bread machine to mix this and go through a couple of the three rises and then took it out and pinched into golf ball size rolls let them rise in the oven,. Best rolls ever
Does this recipe call for unsalted or salted butter?
Can I bake only one of the loaves and refrigerate the other one to be baked two days later? Do I forgo the second rise on the one that I will refrigerate, so that the second rise happens after I take out of the refrigerator on the day I bake?
My grandmother who would be 116 made potato bread every holiday.
I’ve carried on and have made it every year since I’ve been in my 30’s.
I’m surprised some of my family members don’t realize it’s Grandmother’s recipe.
They can’t get enough of the bread or dinner rolls I make out of the dough.
It also makes great cinnamon rolls.
can i use instant mashed potatoes
I’ve been trying to make good, soft regular sandwich bread for a while now. This is by far the best of the bunch. I used leftover instant mashed potatoes that had butter and sour cream in them. I used my bread machine to do the mixing and then let in knead in there for maybe 6-8 minutes. Turned in out to a floured board and rolled it around a bit to get it nice and smooth, less than a minute. Formed it and put it into two buttered loaf pans and baked for 32 minutes. Brushed with butter while hot… Read more »
This recipe is perfect! So soft on the inside, and what a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes.
If you aren’t sure about whether to try this recipe or not, let me assure you it’s worth trying!
Hi, just to clarify…how much yeast to use? It says 1 package but just wondering how much is that. Thanks!
Hi! Could this bread be made using your Amish friendship bread starter instead of the yeast? Have you done it before?
Thanks !
I am gluten free, can I use gluten free flour?
This bread dough seemed very loose and sticky. I added almost another cup of flour. Turned out great!
I always make my mashed potatoes rustic, with skin on. I wonder if that would make the bread too weird?
Wonderful recipe! I made this with instant mashed and it was great. Best slicing bread I ever made.💕