Tender is the Daring Baker

Look at me. Only my second month in the Daring Bakers, and already I'm a day late!! I feel terrible about it, but I simply couldn't fit it in yesterday (first day at the new job followed by a hockey game led to a really late night). I know, I know, I totally should have written it up early, and that's what I'll do going forward... I honestly meant to on Sunday... but then was one with the couch in an amazing bout of mopiness... From this day on, I will be a better DB! (Especially considering how badly I wanted to be a part of this marvelous group!!) This go around, the lovely Tanna chose for us a Tender Potato Bread. I don't know about you, but I LOVE potato bread! I was so happy to tackle this challenge!!

Now, I'm no bread maker. I'm frightened of yeast. I try to hide my feelings from the yeast, but its like a dog.. or a bear... or those scary jumping spiders... it smells my fear. However, being a Daring Baker means fighting that fear, forging on, taking charge, trying something new. So I took my potatoes and got a move on. [Some advanced warning... I followed the recipe plainly. I have comfortable-ness issues tweaking unfamiliar recipes until I've made them a couple of times... so I def. plan to try this again, but sassed up.]

Plain, peeled and diced.

I don't have a food scale... this recipe called for between 8 and 16 ounces of potato... I kinda went with it, figuring that I'd know when to stop with the flour. For the most part, I think that worked out ok for me.

Boy, was this dough sticky!!! Sticky and TOTALLY FUN!!!! I always use my stand mixer to knead in dough, so the actual process of kneading by hand was a new experience for me. Yah, you'll read about hour therapeutic it can be... how relaxing... and while you might think its weird or bunk... it isn't. (unless, of course, you have hand/arm problems, and then I can see it being much more of a chore.) I worked about 8 cups of the flour called for and it came together in a nice, elastic dough. (And as you can see, my rise was big and poofy!!

I don't think I took shots of my loaf and rolls after the second rise. The rolls came out funny-looking... I think I either fiddled with them too much getting them into roll-shapes, or they didn't rise enough.

The bread was thick and chewy yet nicely soft and tender. I don't have enough experience with breadmaking to be able to tell you how this is possible... chewy yet tender... but it defies science. Defied-Science that tasted great slathered with ham salad! :)

Please head on over to Tanna's site, My Kitchen in Half Cups, for the delicious and satisfying recipe. To see almost 400 other versions of this bread (because mine is certainly way less interesting than theirs!!), head on over to the Daring Baker Blogroll!!

(and again, my apologies for being Ms. Late-ypants!!)