Daring Bakers and the Tender Potato Bread

First off, there is no difference between Idaho potatoes and russets, as I've found out by a conversation and then looking stuff up online. From Chow: Potato. More specifically from the article,

"Russet potatoes are the most widely used potato in the U.S. Note that “Idaho Potato” is a registered trademark; the same potato grown outside Idaho must be called a russet. They have thick, netted brown skin and white flesh. Their low moisture and high starch content make them light and fluffy when cooked. They are excellent for baking, French fries, and mashing. European chefs often return home with a bag of russets, because they are unlike any European potatoes."

Secondly, this month's recipe was for Tender Potato Bread, and our wonderful host this month was Tanna from My Kitchen in Half Cups.

My first attempt resulted as a mass of thick porridge, the baked result gave me potato glue while chewing a piece. My next attempt, however, was golden, thanks in part to the help of some DBers. THANK YOU!

This is the mixture after the yeast did it's job.

This reminds me of the porridge that was served to the orphans in Dickens' novels. It's not, by the way.

After I added some of the flour, the result was a very shaggy but somewhat firm-ish dough, ready to be kneaded.

Here is the ball of dough, post-kneading. I'd describe it as a firm yet tacky dough.

And I forgot to take a picture of the dough after it had risen, so...

Out of my first mistake, I realized that it made stellar garlic bread so I replicated that here. I punched down the dough, made a mixture of slightly boiled garlic (even though it reduced the garlic breath effect the garlic taste was rather hidden, which I didn't like), softened butter, asiago cheese, kosher salt, and coarse black pepper, spread it on the dough, then I rolled the dough up into a loaf shape...

And placed it into the loaf pan to...

Rise!

After baking for 10 minutes, I took it out and brushed it with olive oil so it would brown. Look at the oven spring!

I'm so proud, it looks beautiful and it grew up so nicely! His name is Timmy...

I love the crumb, the moistness, the small holes, the sponginess of the bread, and the great potato taste. As you can tell, though, the top part split from the bottom... >.<

With Manhattan-style fish chowder, the perfect compliment.

To make this bread, visit Tanna's blog.

What I did the second time: Cut the recipe in half because I was running out of flour and needed to also make stuffing bread for Thanksgiving, but I used the max amount of potatoes, which I riced. I then decided to make a spiraled bread with a garlic-cheese-butter filling. I baked it for 10 minutes at 450˚ and then I took it out, brushed the top with olive oil, and stuck it back in at the reduced temperature to finish baking.