The joy of baking homemade bread, for me, is second only to the bliss of eating it. Or is it the other way around? When I established my sourdough culture in early 2016, I wasn’t sure how successful the adventure would be or if I would tire of eating “only” sourdough. As I’ve declared here several times, though, sourdough is not exclusively a flavor of bread, but a method of giving rise to the dough, and I rarely use commercial yeast in any form of bread anymore—whether it’s pizza dough, English muffins, waffles, soft pita breads, challah or focaccia. For me, there’s no turning back, and I cannot imagine tiring of it. Sourdough rules!
The potato bread I’m sharing today is my adaptation of a sandwich bread recipe I’ve grown to love by King Arthur Baking Company. KA’s version of this bread uses dry active yeast, but I’ve converted it by conjuring my math skills; I’ve swapped out equal amounts of liquid and flour (by grams, of course) for the appropriate percentage of my ripe-and-ready starter (sourdough nerds understand me). The result is terrific on its own, but I’ve recently taken the recipe a bit further with the addition of minced onions and a dill swirl and—well, wow.
The recipe itself is unusual, in that the mixed dough does not have an initial rise at room temperature; it moves directly to the refrigerator for cold overnight fermentation. It’s very sticky dough that is not easily kneaded, so I recommend use of a stand mixer if you have one. After chilling overnight, the cold dough is easier to handle and shape into a loaf to proof at warm room temperature until it’s ready to bake. Words don’t adequately describe the aroma that wafts from the oven.
The cooked Yukon gold potato and softened butter lend a soft texture and lovely gold color, and the onion and dill I’ve added make it a great choice for all kinds of sandwiches. My hubby declared a few mornings ago that this sourdough potato bread may be his favorite bread ever for breakfast toast. Of course, he has said that about my soft sourdough rye, too (I’ll share that one soon).
My ingredients are measured by weight, because that’s how I bake. I highly recommend a digital scale for consistent results in any kind of baking, but especially for bread. If you’re not ready to get on the sourdough train, you can still enjoy this bread. Follow the original instructions offered by King Arthur, but halve the ingredients, as KA’s recipe makes two loaves. The onion and dill flavors are my own Comfort du Jour twist.
Adapted from King Arthur Baking Company
Makes one loaf
Ingredients
1 large Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into large chunks (boil and mash the potato, then measure out 100g for use in this recipe)
100g ripe sourdough starter (fed 8 to10 hours earlier; my starter is 100% hydration)
100g lukewarm water* (include the potato cooking water in this total)
40g (about 3 tablespoons) sugar
260g unbleached all-purpose flour*
80g white whole wheat flour*
1 large egg (room temperature)
1 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened to room temperature.
2 Tbsp. dried minced onion, rehydrated 15 minutes in 2 Tbsp. warm water (optional)
2 tsp. dried dill leaves (or 2 Tbsp. fresh dill if you have it)
*Notes
Reserve the water used in cooking the potato, and add more water to total the amount needed for the recipe. The potato starch in the cooking water will add to the fine texture of the bread.
The original KA recipe calls for only all-purpose flour, but I always swap in at least some amount of whole grain flour. Make it as you like, but don’t swap more than 25% of the total flour without also adjusting the ratio of liquid. My swap is within that suggested limit, and it works great.
Instructions – Day One
Use all white flour if you prefer, but I like to swap in about 25% whole grain. I used pink Himalayan salt here, mostly so it’s easy to see in a picture. 
Sourdough starter is considered ripe when it looks bubbly and active like this, about 8 hours after a feeding. 
The warm color and creamy texture of Yukon gold potatoes makes them my favorite for this bread recipe. I’ve used my potato ricer to get a soft, fine texture. 
Add barely enough warm water to cover 2 tablespoons of dehydrated minced onion, and then give it about a half hour or more to soak in. 
Everything but the butter gets mixed together first. I always allow the flour to hydrate in the wet ingredients before adding butter or oil. 
When the flour is fully incorporated into the initial dough, cover it and rest 20 minutes. Then use the dough hook to knead about 2 minutes before adding butter. 
It may seem that the butter doesn’t incorporate well, but it helps to knead it in a little at a time. The butter adds flavor, but also makes a soft, tender texture.
- Combine all ingredients, except butter and dill, in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed until ingredients come together and form a shaggy ball on the beater blade, and all flour is incorporated. Scrape dough from beater blade. Cover and allow dough to rest 20 minutes.
- Switch to the dough hook and knead the dough on low speed for about 2 minutes.
- Add the pieces of softened butter, one or two at a time, and mix on speed 2 until each addition of butter is worked into the dough. Continue to knead at this speed for about six more minutes. The dough will be very soft and sticky.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap or elastic cover and transfer immediately to the refrigerator at least overnight or up to 24 hours.
On Baking Day
After a night in the fridge, the dough is much easier to handle. Turn it out onto a counter sprayed with oil. 
Use your fingers to gently press the dough into a long skinny rectangle shape. Use a rolling pin if it’s easier. 
Sprinkle dill leaves all over the surface of the dough. 
Use a bench scraper or spatula to help lift one short end to begin the rolling up process. 
Roll the dough tightly, tucking in the ends of the roll as needed to keep it in a neat cylinder shape. 
Pinch the end of the roll tightly to the shaped loaf. This helps create tension on the surface of the bread for a nice rise in the oven. 
Pinch and tuck the ends as needed, so that the roll is a perfect fit in the greased 9 x 4″ bread pan. 
The dough should go into the pan, seam side-down. Cover with plastic wrap or shower cap-style covering. Proof at room temperature until dough rises slightly above the top of the pan. 
The dough may seem somewhat jiggly when it’s ready for the oven. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, turning and tenting with foil halfway through baking time. 
This color is not retouched! Cool the bread about 5 minutes on a rack, then carefully turn it out onto the rack to cool completely. 
The bread will feel very soft straight from the oven. Resist the temptation to cut into it too soon! The inside needs time to set up, and cutting too early will collapse the loaf. 
The soft texture of this bread makes it ideal for eating just with butter, but it also makes terrific sandwiches and breakfast toast!
- Lightly spray a clean countertop (and a 9 x 4” bread pan) with olive oil spray. Remove the refrigerated dough to the counter and use your fingers to spread it out into a rectangle shape, about 6 x 18”. Sprinkle the dough with the dill leaves.
- Beginning at one of the short ends, roll the dough up tightly, tucking in the ends as you go to keep the dough in a smooth cylinder shape. Use a bench scraper if needed to release the sticky dough from the counter. When you get to the end, pinch the seam closed. Tuck the ends as needed to fit the dough into the greased bread pan. Cover with plastic wrap or elastic “shower cap” cover and proof at warm room temperature until the dough rises above the top of the pan. This may take anywhere from 4 to 6 hours, depending on the strength of your starter and the temperature of the room.
- Near the end of rising time, preheat oven to 350° F, with baking rack in center position.
- Remove plastic wrap from pan and gently transfer the loaf to the oven. At this point, the dough may appear “jiggly;” you don’t want to cause it to collapse, so try not to jostle it too much. Bake at 350 for a total of 45 to 50 minutes, turning halfway through baking time to ensure even browning. At the halfway point, cover the loaf loosely with a foil tent to prevent over-browning. Bread is fully baked when it reaches 190° internal temperature. Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then carefully turn it out onto a cooling rack. You may need to run a clean knife or plastic scraper along the edges of the bread for easier release. Cool at least two hours before cutting, and completely (this may mean overnight) before wrapping it up in a plastic bag.
Comfort du Jour 
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