I made a rye bread yesterday, that started out as bread sticks, but ended up as a larger piece of dough, so I made it into a loaf!

I started by putting some mashed potatoes (actually flakes, made into mashed - the only thing I use this for), but had to many for the amount I usually make (around 32 oz, or slightly less) for 8 bread sticks, to go on one sheet in the convection oven. Since I like potato in breads, I just had the idea to put some in these, but I should have weighed the potato, before and after adding the water, so I knew how much I had! Anyway, I ended up with a 41+oz piece of dough, so I ended up making a large loaf, in the clay pot shown here. It only has, in addition to the generous cup of potato, 1/4 c water + 1 tb yeast, 1 c WW flour, plus 1/3 c gluten, and the rest of the flour is rye (about 3 c). Not as much molasses as usual, so it's lighter, and a half tb salt, and the usual caraway, and a little nigella. I rose it twice, since it didn't get that usual preferment that I use for bread.

This bread was very much like an early favorite rye bread of mine - a potato rye with a cup of potato to 2 c ww and 4 c rye. The essential wheat gluten in this made it rise more, however.

I usually don't bake just one loaf, but this came at the right time, as my weather is getting hot again, so I don't want to heat things up again!
A large loaf of potato rye bread. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Baked loaf of potato rye bread, about 41 oz by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Today I made another batch of that potato rye, since it was quite cold and I just wanted to bake something. I only baked one large loaf, like last time.
Potato rye, almost ready to bake. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Baked potato rye. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I made another similar batch of potato rye these last two days, using a biga, started early Friday, and today, after dinner, I finished making the bread. It has almost 50% rye, plus about 1/3 c gluten, to make up for the high rye to WW ratio. A little to late to try it, but it smells fantastic baking (as always), and that biga smelled nice and sour, after fermenting half the day at room temperature, then in the fridge for another day plus a little.
Potato rye, ready for the oven. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Potato rye bread, just out of the oven. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Potato rye bread, cooling. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

It's driving me batty they don't have rye flour in the store.
They used to but not anymore.
Everywhere I look it's not available or higher than a cats back.
I used to keep this stuff on hand all the time.

Yesterday, early on, I made a new batch of buttermilk, and had some milk and old buttermilk left (always have that from the 1/2 gal), so I made some rye bread - another potato rye. Not what I usually use for the liquid, but it works well! Started with a sponge with the BM and rye, in between garden jobs, and later I continued with it, and even later, finished the bread, in between separating all that garlic! With about 60:40 of WW to rye flour, I put 1 1/2 c mashed potatoes in this, and 1/4 c gluten, which made it very moist and it rose very well, for so much rye. More dough than my usual 4 lbs, so I used the 2 lb pan and the clay pan, for about a 43 oz loaf, which went into the freezer. The other, for more sandwiches.
Potato Rye bread, starting to bake. by pepperhead212, on Flickr



Potato Rye bread, finished and cooling. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

More potato rye bread, just one loaf this time. Good day to bake, as it's a little cooler today, and will be warmer tomorrow, for sandwiches.
Potato rye dough, ready to rise. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Rye dough, almost ready to bake, waiting for oven to heat. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Potato Rye bread, cooling. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

More rye bread! I had to use the last 1¼ c of rye flour, so I'll have to grind some more. I only made one loaf again, as my freezer is getting packed, with all that butter for the cookies! I made it with a cup of mashed potato, plus some WW flour, and only a third or a half cup of unbleached, for when it was moist at the end. I also used about 10 oz of yogurt in the end of a jar - something I don't use often, but gave it that tang that buttermilk usually gives. The overnight sponge helps that, too.
More rye bread - I have to grind more rye flour now! Probably outside tomorrow, so the dust will stay out. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I baked a loaf of potato WW/rye bread today, in between making the cookie dough, which I started with a sponge last night.

A loaf of potato WW rye bread, made while making some more logs of cookie dough today. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Another loaf of potato rye, which I started a couple days ago. I don't like to make those usual dishes I make, loaded with onions, garlic, and spices when I'm preparing those cookies, since the aromas can permeate, and sandwiches are something good to have around, along with some greens around, along with some fruits. As soon as the cookies are out of the way, I can get back to my usual cooking.
Another loaf of potato rye, this loaf a larger one in that clay pan. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

About 3 days ago I started some rye bread, again, this time, adding a cup of mashed potatoes to 1½ c rye flour, 1 c water, 1 tb caraway, and 1 tb yeast, and let it ferment, this time for the full 3 days. Today I continued with it, and ended up with a slightly larger loaf, in addition to the 2 lb loaf, due to the mashed potatoes. I figured this last "cool" day would be the best day to bake more bread, given the heat that is forecast.
33 and 43 oz loaves of potato rye bread, ready to bake. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Baked potato rye bread, started 3 days earlier. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I baked a batch of potato rye, that I started 3 days ago. I also started some sourdough starter - only thing that made me do this was that Acme started carrying their own brand of bread flour - everyone else only has ridiculously expensive brands, which I refuse to buy. I don't use a lot of white flour, but sometimes I want this. The firm sourdough culture is preferably made with bread flour - it lasts almost forever in the fridge, just needs refreshed, and it's up there already. The last refresh, instead of throwing out the excess, it went into the bread. Only 10 g of the culture of 80 g gets recycled, when refreshing (with 25 g water + 45 g bread flour). For the rest of the bread, it was the usual rye and WW flours, plus that potato added to the sponge.

Potato Rye, started 3 days ago. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I baked another batch of potato rye today, this time a batch made with the end of the buttermilk I had, while making another fresh half gallon of the BM. I also used the end of the rye flour - about 2½ c - so I'll have to grind another batch of that. I made a sponge with this, a cup of mashed potatoes, 1/3 c cornmeal, and 1/3 c vital wheat gluten, plus 2 tsp instant yeast, and let it sit about 6 hours. Then I added the usual salt, caraway seeds, blackstrap, and vegetable oil, and I used about the last 4 c of WW flour, and less than a c of bread flour, to get the right stickiness, while kneading in the KA.
I oiled the ball of dough, then let it rise 75 min. Punched down, and divided it into about 32 oz and 40 oz loaves, shaped the loaves, covered, and let rise about 35 min. Then baked in a 300° convection oven for 40 and 45 minutes, before cooling on wire rack.
A 40 oz and a 32 oz loaf of Potato Rye, almost finished rising. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Finished Potato Rye, with large loaf baked 5 minutes longer. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I made another batch of WW/rye bread today, this time some potato rye. It was a larger loaf than normal, in that terra cotta pan, weighing about 38 oz.
Another loaf of potato rye bread, with just 2 tb black strap, and a cup of potato. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Potato Rye, about a 38 oz loaf. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Who eats all this bread?

I eat most of of it, though a few friends help me with it sometimes! The flour is mostly whole grain, though I do add that gluten sometimes, when using a lot of rye, or using some bread flour when the dough is stickier than usual. I do eat a lot of sandwiches!