Making KAF's soft bread wraps. It calls for potato flour or potato flakes. I have neither, but do have potatoes. What can I use?

SK
  • Posted by: SK
  • October 18, 2016
  • 3665 views
  • 21 Comments

21 Comments

SK October 20, 2016
I wanted to thank you all for your help!
I made these today and they are great! Tender, as you said! I have never made this sort of thing before, or used potato in baking, so I was pleasantly surprised at my success and would recommend the recipe.
I measured the mashed potato by weight (the same 43 grams as the potato flour called for in the recipe) and the potato water as the boiling water.
The mashed potato was drier than I expected, but whisked up well with the appropriate ingredients. I ended up using only 3 cups plus about a tablespoon of AP flour and the final dough was sticky, but I prefer that so I can be liberal with the flour when handling and rolling the dough.
I cooked them for more than 1 minute on a side. I did it by eye - were they getting toasty/browning on the outside and look cooked inside? Kind of like cooking pancakes, but not as brown!
I want to try Smaug's pizza dough tomorrow with the leftover mashed potato, though I only have white wine open. It may be an experiment.
Thank you all again for chiming in!
 
Nancy October 19, 2016
agree whole-heartedly with windischgirl - potatoes in bread dough are great for texture and moisture.
See these 2 recipes using potatoes - one by Erin McDowell for hamburger buns & hot dog rolls, one by the late great James Beard for a refrigerator rise bread
https://food52.com/recipes/29066-hot-dog-and-hamburger-potato-buns
https://www.jamesbeard.org/recipes/refrigerator-potato-bread
 
SK October 19, 2016
Thanks! I have seen potatoe flakes or flour in recipes, but Idk if I have seen potatoes. I am more likely to have potatoes in the pantry!
 
Smaug October 19, 2016
Don't know about these other guys, but if I use potatoes in bread dough, they're cooked and grated.
 
SK October 20, 2016
Idk who can see my answer below, but they were a success! Thanks!
 
Smaug October 18, 2016
The potato will have a significant amount of moisture of it's own that will need to be accounted for.
 
Windischgirl October 18, 2016
Yes, but the total amount of potato is small--about 1.5 ounces. If the dough is very sticky, SK, add flour about a tablespoon at a time. But go for moister rather than drier.
 
SK October 18, 2016
I am thinking that if I undercook them just a little, blot them dry before mashing, lay them out to dry before I mix them in, it might cut down on that. Windischgirl - I will keep that in mind about the flour. I do like dough moist over dry.
 
Smaug October 18, 2016
It's no lots, but I sometimes add a small potato to my pizza crust if I have a leftover, and a 1-1 1/4" potato makes a very noticeable difference in a recipe with about 1 1/2 c. flour. My feeling about breads in general is that you really need to know what you want the dough to feel like when it's done, and just work toward that- I usually measure liquid and add flour by feel.
 
SK October 18, 2016
It is good to know what the dough should feel like. I should, at some point, use potato flour or flakes.
Potato in pizza crust. Does that make it airy and fluffy? I would like to try it.

When you say 1.5 cups flour with 1-1 1/4" potato, you mean the length of the potato is 1.25"? I will keep that proportion in mind when adjusting for . This recipe is 3 to 3.25 cups of flour.
 
SK October 18, 2016
Also, do you replace some of the flour with the potato? How much flour do you sub out for the 1- 1 1/4" potato?
 
Smaug October 19, 2016
Potato in the pizza crust- doesn't make a startling difference, but I do feel it makes for a slightly better chewy/crisp texture. I once made a crust (a Giuliano Bugiali recipe, but I believe traditional) that used fermenting potato in place of yeast- took several days, but it did rise and, as I recall, made a good, if fairly dense, crust.
 
SK October 19, 2016
Do you replace some of the flour with the potato? How much flour do you sub out for the 1- 1 1/4" potato?
 
Smaug October 19, 2016
Why do they post replies in inside out order? Anyway, my pizza crust uses 1/2c. water, 1 Tb. red wine and, if I use it, a potato about 1" round- it takes about 1 1/2c. flour to get to the proper texture, but I don't really measure it- with the potato it's maybe another 1/4c. flour.
 
SK October 20, 2016
Idk who can see my answer below, but they were a success! Thanks!
 
SK October 21, 2016
Made pizza dough with potatoes. What a nice tender crust Thanks!
 
Windischgirl October 18, 2016
Any way you can measure by weight? It will provide more accurate results. There's a discrepancy in the volume measure because flakes are fluffier than flour.
If not, do 1/4 c. Mashed potatoes and yes, use the cooking water. If you can, peel and dice the potato, measure out 1 1/4c water (plus a splash more for evaporation) and use that to cook the potato. Once it's soft, use a slotted spoon to remove the potato and pour the water directly onto the flour...it'll already be hot and the correct amount. Slightly wetter dough is preferable to too dry.
This is an interesting technique akin to tangzhong, an Asian approach that enhances the fluffiness of breads.
Mash the potatoes and spread out on a plate to cool faster while waiting for the water-flour mix to do its thing. Then stir them into the rest of the flour. If you're using the bread machine, the potato will blend into the dough, no problem.
And for the leftover potatoes: top with herbs and cheese and eat for lunch. Or make homefries...
 
SK October 18, 2016
Weight! Yes! The website gives the choice to do volume, ounces, or grams! Great thinking! Thanks for all of the tips! I will tell you how it works. I hope to do this in the next few days - by the end of the weekend at the latest. I am looking at your recipes. I have to explore!
 
Windischgirl October 18, 2016
You can use mashed unseasoned potatoes...and use the cooking water as the liquid! The potato adds to the soft texture, fluffiness, and keeping qualities of the bread. Potato water is one of my favorite resources for bread baking...and any leftovers make a good vegetarian base for soups, too.
 
SK October 18, 2016
Thanks for answering so quickly!

Here is the recipe:
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/soft-wrap-bread-recipe?utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=content&utm_medium=social

So, do you think I would use 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup of mashed unseasoned potatoes? Then I would use the potato cooking water as the 1 1/4 cup of boiling water? I would let the potatoes cool and whisk them in at step 2, with the remainder of the flour?
Thanks for your input!
 
SK October 20, 2016
Idk who can see my answer below, but they were a success! Thanks!
 
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