Mashed Potato Bread

Use up your leftover mashed potatoes in this super easy potato bread recipe!

Those leftover mashed potatoes sitting in the refrigerator are about to become something truly wonderful. This mashed potato bread is rich, soft, and comforting. This is the kind of homemade loaf that makes the whole house smell incredible and disappears quickly once it’s sliced.

Savory but not overpowering this easy white bread recipe is a great base for sandwiches, toast, and more.

Use Leftovers

While one could make mashed potatoes specifically for this recipe, it is honestly an excellent way to use up leftovers hanging out in the refrigerator.

It doesn’t honestly matter how you made your mashed potatoes. If you use milk or broth, add salt or black pepper or have some herbs in there. It’s all going to add more flavor to this bread, so go with the leftovers.

Flour & Liquid Notes

The original recipe is written with bread flour but unbleached all-purpose flour could also be used.

Substitute some of the bread flour with whole wheat flour if you’d like some whole grain.

Do know that changing flours may mean that you will need more or less flour based on how each absorbs water.

The amount of liquid in the mashed potatoes will also change how much flour is needed – looser, wetter mashed potatoes will need more flour, thicker, drier mashed potatoes may need less. This is an area will you will need to just experiment to see how the bread dough feels as you work with it and adjust as necessary. Always start slow and add more flour as necessary. Stop when you have enough flour to form a smooth, elastic ball of dough.

Optional Additions

This is a fairly basic yeast bread that allows for flavorful additions should you want to add some.

Keep it savory by adding some chopped fresh herbs like chives, rosemary, oregano, etc. Up to 1/2 cup of fresh herbs, 2-3 Tablespoons if using dried. My fresh herb bread is another great option if you love herb-forward loaves.

A couple tablespoons of chopped fresh garlic would also be nice. A teaspoon or two of dried onion or garlic powder could also be added.

Want a sweet bread? Add another half cup sugar to the bread dough.

Keep it sweet by adding some raisins or a teaspoon or two of dried spice like cinnamon or cardamom.

Bread Shape

A standard loaf pan is perfect for this recipe, however; like any bread you can make it any shape you like.

Shape into rolls to serve along side soup at the dinner table. Cook them in a cast iron pan, if desired, and bring them straight to the holiday meal table for rustic charm.

Do round or oblong loaves and bake on cookie sheets, if desired.

Adjust the baking time based on the shape, checking earlier for doneness than called for in the recipe below.

Difficulty Level : Intermediate

This is a straightforward recipe that most bakers with a little yeasted bread experience will find manageable. The dough is stickier than a standard bread dough because of the mashed potatoes — resist the urge to add too much flour to compensate. A slightly tacky dough produces a softer, more tender finished loaf.

How to Serve

This bread is wonderfully adaptable. Toast it and slather with peanut butter for breakfast. The soft texture is perfect for egg salad or tuna salad sandwiches. Toasted it holds up well for BLTs and other heartier fillings. It makes an excellent grilled cheese. Serve thick slices alongside a bowl of Hubbard Squash and Sausage Soup for a deeply comforting meal.

How to Store

Keep leftover bread in an airtight container. A fresh loaf kept well, will last up to 5 days at room temperature – assuming it lasts that long.

For longer term storage, freeze the bread. Simply place baked and cooled loaf of bread in a freezer bag and store in the freezer. Alternatively, slice the baked and cooled loaves and keep the slices in an airtight container. Thaw at room temperature.

Eat any frozen bread up within 6 months for best flavor and to prevent freezer burn.