Potato Sourdough Bread

Ingredients

• 150 g boiled potatoes in their skin
• 350 g wheat flour
• 50 g whole rye flour
• 11 g salt
• 150 g water
• 250 g sourdough

Method

Peel the boiled potatoes while still warm—the skin separates cleanly at this stage—then pass them through a ricer or fine sieve. This breaks them into a starch slurry that hydrates evenly throughout the dough, rather than leaving lumps that resist gluten development. You're aiming for a smooth purée, not chunks.

Mix the potato, flour blend (wheat and rye), salt, water, and sourdough starter in a single bowl. Incorporate fully by hand or machine—a stand mixer on low speed works well for the first three minutes—until no dry flour remains and the dough is shaggy. Rest it for 20 minutes (autolyse), then knead for eight minutes by hand or four minutes machine time. The dough will feel tacky and slightly slack; this is correct. Potato starch absorbs less water than wheat flour alone, so the final hydration sits lower than you might expect for sourdough.

During bulk-fermentation, the 250 g starter (about 35% of flour weight) will drive rapid sourdough activity. Keep the dough at 25–27°C for five hours, performing a single stretch-and-fold after one hour to strengthen the gluten network. You'll notice the dough become airy and domed within the bowl—look for the surface to dimple when you press it gently, indicating sufficient gas development. Don't rely on timer alone; the potato adds density that slows visual rise.

Shape the dough tightly into a round or batard, seam-side up in a floured banneton. A second proof of 45–60 minutes at room temperature is sufficient; the dough should spring back slowly when poked, not collapse or resist entirely.

Preheat a Dutch oven to 250°C for 45 minutes. Score the top of the loaf in your chosen pattern, then load it into the pot with the lid on. Bake covered for 20 minutes with steam trapped inside—this creates oven spring and a thin crust. Remove the lid, lower the temperature to 220°C, and continue for 30–35 minutes until the crust is deep mahogany and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the base. The potato creates a tender crumb with subtle sweetness that lingers against the bread tang.