Soft potato brioche bread

To prepare the soft potato brioche, start by working with the potatoes. Boil them in unsalted water for 30-40 minutes, depending on their size 1. Once cooked, drain and peel them 2, then slice them 3.

Mash the potatoes well with a fork 4 and let them cool completely. The amount of cooked potatoes to use in the dough will be 150 g (5.3 oz). In the meantime, melt the butter in a saucepan and let it cool 5. Place half of the flour (150 g / 1.2 cups) into the bowl of a stand mixer 6.

Add the 150 g of boiled potatoes (5.3 oz), the crumbled yeast 8, and the honey 9.

Then add the milk 10 and turn on the stand mixer with the K or leaf beater at low speed 11. Mix until you get a homogeneous mixture 12.

Add the egg 13, sugar 14, and turn on the machine again, still at low speed 15, until fully absorbed.

Then incorporate the rest of the flour (150 g / 1.2 cups), a few tablespoons at a time 16. Continuing to knead 17 you will notice that the dough will start to take shape and come away from the sides of the bowl 18.

Lastly, add the melted butter, now cool 19, and the salt 20. Now turn the machine to medium speed and work the dough 21 until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.

Replace the leaf with the kneading hook 22. Work the dough for 10 minutes at medium speed; it should be well-bound and elastic 22. Grease a rather large bowl with a little oil. Lightly grease your hands as well, take the dough, form a ball, and place it inside the bowl 34.

Cover with plastic wrap 25 and let rise in the turned-off oven with the light on for 2 hours, or until doubled in volume 26. After this time, turn the risen dough onto a floured work surface 27.

Flatten it with your fingertips and roll it out with a rolling pin, creating a rectangle of 12x10 inches 28. With a knife, cut the rectangle lengthwise into 3 strips of the same size 29. Roll each strip from the long side to form 3 cords 30.

Starting from the center, braid the 3 cords 31, always bringing the outer one to the center, first from one side, then the other 32. Continue this way until you finish one of the sides 33.

Now braid the other side 34 to create a braid. Grease a 10x4.5 inch loaf pan and place the braid inside, lifting it at the ends with your hands. Cover the pan and the braid with a clean cloth 35 and let rise in the turned-off oven with the light on for 45 minutes 36.

Once your braid has risen, gently brush it with milk using a kitchen brush 37 38. Now bake it. Bake in a preheated static oven at 180°C (356°F) for 30 minutes. To prevent the surface from burning, cover with a sheet of aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes. Once baked, take your brioche out of the oven 19.

Remove it from the pan without burning yourself and transfer it to a wire rack 40. Cover with 2 clean tea towels 41 and let cool before serving your soft potato brioche 42.