Sweet Potato and Flax Meal Bread
This couldn't be simpler.
You'll end up with an irresistible orange-colored bread
that's slightly sweet and rich.
- 1 1/8 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice
- 1 3/4 cups milk
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast, dissolved in 31/2 tablespoons warm water
- 5 2/3 cups bread flour (13/a pounds) or use unbleached all purpose and/or ½ and ½ this amount with stone ground whole wheat
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Place the sweet potato and milk in a pot, put the lid on and bring to a boil. Cook until the potato is done, then remove the lid and boil until the milk has reduced by half. Put the milk and cooked sweet potato into a bowl and allow to cool until lukewarm.
- Add the yeast dissolved in the water and mix well, then add all the flour and the salt and knead for 5 minutes (you can do this by hand or in a food mixer). The dough should be moist but not sticky, so if it needs a bit more flour just add some.
- Leave it in a warm place to double in size; this should take about an hour.
- When risen, punch the dough down with your fist and divide it into two lumps of equal size. Roll each piece into a long sausage shape, cut into bun size or shape into rolls, [your choice but beware that each style effects overall rising and baking time respectfully], and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Again, leave in a warm place to double in size.
- Preheat an oven to 350°F. Brush the dough with warm water and sprinkle with a little coarse sea salt, then place in the top half of the oven. After 20 minutes test by tapping a loaf on the bottom - it should sound hollow. If it doesn't, cook until it does; this should take no more than another 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and let cool on a cake rack.
- Adding a ¼ cup of Flax Meal is a great idea … during the initial kneading process.
FOR TWO 1 3/4-POUND LOAVES