buttermilkbread

I’ve often used potato water in making bread, or milk, but this time I thought I would try buttermilk, seeing as how I had some left over in the fridge just waiting to be used… I thought it would make a tender loaf, and it did.

Buttermilk Potato Bread

1 cup warm potato water
2 tsp yeast (I happened to use bread-machine yeast, which is what I had on hand)
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature (Remove from fridge and set on counter ahead of time to take the chill off. I use store-bought cultured, but you could use homemade, if you happen to have it!)
4 – 5 cups unbleached flour, all-purpose or bread flour

Warm (or cool!) potato water to wrist-comfortable temperature (think baby bath water or baby bottle).
Stir in yeast and sugar to dissolve. Add salt, vegetable oil and buttermilk (room temperature, or close to it). Beat in about 2 cups flour. Stir in more flour until you have to work it in with your hands. Turn out on counter and knead, adding more flour as necessary to prevent dough from sticking. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 – 10 minutes. Let rest/rise about 20 minutes, cover lightly to prevent drying out.

Form loaves and/or rolls. (I made one loaf and one 9×9 pan of cinnamon rolls.) Place in greased pans. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. Remove from fridge about one hour before you want to bake. Expect it to take about 30 minutes in the oven at 375*F. When the house fills with the aroma of baking bread, it gets golden brown on top and sounds hollow when you tap it, it should be done.

Note: Potato water is the water drained off and saved after boiling potatoes. You can use it fresh, but I always let it sit on the counter for awhile, and often overnight, before using – or refrigerating in hopes I will get around the making bread in the next few days. It will usually keep in the fridge for 2 or 3 days just fine, often longer. At any rate, though, if you’ve left it out or it’s been in the fridge for awhile, make sure you give it a good inspection – look at it, stir it around, and smell it before you use it to make sure it hasn’t started to ferment or go bad!