Bread with Cream and Potatoes (BBD #17)

(Magyarul itt.)

Lien has chosen a superb theme for BBD #17: Bread and Potatoes. I immediately had some ideas, and also found some promising recipes to try. I've already written about these in Hungarian, and now I'm going to share the best ones in English, too.

The first one is a hearty loaf with cream and potatoes. The potatoes are included in the dough, but they aren't cooked beforehand. I especially like the texture of this bread and the fact that the pieces of shredded potatoes can be seen in the slices. And, thanks to the cream and the potatoes, it doesn't go dry as quickly as other breads usually do. It was so successful with me and my family that I've baked it several times this month and I'm definitely going to keep the recipe for future use.

Recipe: Bread with Cream and Potatoes (lacto-vegetarian)

Ingredients:

• 200 ml whipping cream
• 50 ml water
• a little unrefined cane sugar
• 20 g fresh yeast

• 4-5 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and shredded
• 500 g whole spelt flour, sifted
  
• 2 teaspoon salt
• cca. 100 ml water, as needed

Method:

1. Warm the cream and the water, and start the yeast in it with the sugar.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients.
3. Knead a soft dough from the ingreadients, adding more water as needed. Finally, sprinkle with a little flour.
   
4. Grease a large loaf pan and put the dough in it.
   
5. Cover it and put in a warm place until it doubes in volume (cca. one hour).
6. Cut the top with a sharp knife.
7. Bake it at 200 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes, then lower the heat to 180 degrees Celsius and bkae it for 20 more minutes. Turn off the oven, but leave the bread there for 15 more minutes, without opening the door.
8. Remove it from the oven and the pan, and let it cool on a wire rack.
9. Slice and enjoy. It's deliciuos as is, or with butter, home-made jam, etc.

Note:

• I suspect it should work with a bread-maker as well. However, I prefer kneading the dough by hand and baking it in a regular oven. This way the bead keeps moist longer.

My other choice fitting the theme is a vegetable pie. For the entry about it please click here.