This buttermilk potato bread recipe is flavorful, moist, and fluffy on the inside with a golden-brown crust – perfect for sandwiches or toast! Use leftover mashed potatoes to make it even easier.
I used to buy our bread at the store. But one day, I ran out of bread, and I thought that it couldn’t possibly be that difficult to make. So, I attempted my first batch of homemade bread using an easy bread recipe like this one, and while it was good, I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep making my own.
My second batch of homemade bread was potato buttermilk bread. One slice and I was hooked! It was SO delicious, and suddenly I didn’t mind the little bit of work that it took to make.
However, what SOLD me on skipping store-bought bread was this:
Unbleached enriched wheat flour, buttermilk, sugar, yeast, soybean oil, salt, water, wheat gluten, calcium propionate, monoglycerides, calcium sulfate, citric acid, soy lecithin, calcium carbonate, datem.
In a single store-bought loaf of bread, there are more ingredients listed that I DON’T know than I DO know.
Since then, baking bread has been part of my regular routine. I’ve made No-Knead Overnight Artisan Bread, 90-Minute Man Bread, Oatmeal Bread, and even No-Yeast Bread…All of which I know you’ll love, in addition to this amazing recipe for buttermilk potato bread!
BUTTERMILK POTATO BREAD
Not only is this buttermilk potato bread delicious, but it’s also:
- Made of simple, easy-to-find ingredients
- Perfect for toast or sandwiches
- Moist and fluffy, with a tender crumb and airy texture
- Rich, buttery, and slightly tangy
- The most flavorful white bread ever
- Plus, it has a nice firm crust! YUM!
POTATO BREAD RECIPE INGREDIENTS
Here’s what you need to make this homemade potato bread recipe (and I bet you know what all of these ingredients are!):
- Russet Potatoes. Peel and cut into large chunks (or use leftover mashed potatoes – see recipe tips below).
- Unsalted Butter. For rich, buttery bread. Mix with the hot potatoes or use softened butter.
- Buttermilk. Buttermilk adds a richness and tangy flavor to the bread dough.
- Eggs. This is an enriched dough, with butter, milk, and eggs in addition to your typical bread ingredients.
- Sugar. Sugar activates the yeast and gets it nice and bubbly.
- Salt. For flavor!
- Yeast. You want active dry yeast, not instant yeast.
- Bread Flour. All-purpose flour would work too.
- Additional Egg. For the egg wash, which gives you that perfect golden-brown crust.
Psst! If you’re going to add salt, I highly recommend Ava Jane’s Kitchen. You may think all salt is created equal, but unfortunately, 90% of the salt produced around the world contains microplastics (gross, right?). Ava Jane’s Kitchen is an exception. Their salt is 100% microplastic-free, and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt (just pay shipping and handling!)
INSTRUCTIONS HOW TO MAKE POTATO BREAD
Step 1: In a large pot, boil the potatoes until fork-tender. Drain the liquid and either mash the potatoes in a large bowl with a potato ricer or potato masher, or add the hot potatoes to a stand mixer and mix well with the butter. Alternatively, use 1 cup of leftover mashed potatoes. *
Step 2: Add buttermilk, 2 beaten eggs, sugar, salt, and yeast, and mix the dough ingredients well.
Step 3: In the bowl of a stand mixer, gradually stir in the bread flour until the dough is moist but not sticky. Knead with a dough hook on low to medium speed. Transfer to an oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise at room temperature until it doubles in volume. If you don’t have a warm spot, use the oven with the light on.
Step 4: When the dough has doubled in size, grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans. Punch the dough down and divide it in half. On a lightly floured surface, form into two loaves. Place them seam-side down in the pans. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise again at room temperature until almost doubled in size.
Note: This makes 2 really large loaves. If you have 3 loaf pans available, you can always split it into 3 loaves instead of 2.
Step 5: Preheat oven to 375F. Brush the top of the loaves with the single beaten egg and bake the loaves until they are a deep golden brown, about 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
*Note: Yeast wants a warm environment. If you’re making fresh hot potatoes for this recipe, add the ingredients in the order listed (the butter, buttermilk, and eggs will help cool the hot potatoes, so they do not kill the yeast). If you are using leftover mashed potatoes, warm the potatoes or the buttermilk first so that your mixture will be warm enough to activate the yeast.
BREAD WITH POTATO RECIPE TIPS
If you have leftover mashed potatoes, you can use them for potato bread. This recipe calls for 2 potatoes, so the equivalent would be about 1 cup of mashed potatoes.
You can also freeze leftover mashed potatoes for future batches of the bread with potato recipe. Just thaw in the refrigerator before mixing up your bread dough.
To freeze buttermilk potato bread, wrap the bread loaves individually in plastic wrap and place them in freezer bags, or slice before freezing to easily pull out the amount of bread that you need.
You can also make this potato bread with freshly ground flour. If you’re interested in milling your own grains or making your own flour, I highly recommend Mockmill. For my full review, check out this post.
TO SERVE BREAD POTATO RECIPES
Cool the potato buttermilk bread for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Then dig in! Here are a few of my favorite ways to serve potato bread:
- Perfect for piling high with sliced turkey.
- It also has the perfect spongy texture for spreading jam, butter, or nut butter because of all of the little nooks and crannies in it!
- Toast a thick slice, slather it with butter, and serve it with The Best Scrambled Eggs for a yummy, easy breakfast.
MACRO-FRIENDLY POTATO BUTTERMILK BREAD
As with most bread recipes, potato bread gets its calories mostly from carbohydrates, with a smaller amount from fat and protein.
To keep your macros on track with your nutrition goals, then, will largely depend on what you serve with the potato bread.
Enjoy a slice with a serving of lean protein, plus plenty of produce, for a balanced and satisfying meal.
BUTTERMILK POTATO BREAD ROLLS FAQS
Can I use leftover mashed potatoes for homemade bread potato recipes?
Yes, if you have leftover mashed potatoes, you can use them for potato bread. This recipe calls for 2 potatoes, so the equivalent would be about 1 cup of mashed potatoes.
Is potato bread gluten free?
As written, this potato bread recipe is not gluten-free, but you could try substituting the bread flour (or all-purpose) with gluten-free all-purpose flour.
What does homemade buttermilk potato bread taste like?
The flavor is so good that Mr. Crumbs asked me to make this instead of buying bread, which I think speaks volumes. And it doesn’t taste like potatoes – they’re just there for the light and spongy texture. Hands down, this homemade bread is a winner. It’s just melt-in-your-mouth delicious!!
Why is potato bread yellow?
The mashed potatoes give potato bread its delightful yellowish hue! You could probably make similar sweet potato breads, which would turn out orange.
Can you make potato bread rolls?
Sure! After the first rise, instead of shaping the dough into 2 loaves, shape it into 18-24 small rolls and place them in a 13×9 pan or on a baking sheet for the second rise. Potato rolls only need to bake for 15-30 minutes instead of the longer baking time for the loaves.
MORE HOMEMADE BREAD RECIPES
- No-Knead Overnight Artisan Bread
- Rosemary Olive Oil Bread
- Soft Buttery Brioche Bread
- Homemade Focaccia
- Homemade Pita Bread
- Light & Fluffy Hawaiian Bread Rolls
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This buttermilk potato bread recipe is flavorful, moist, and fluffy on the inside with a golden-brown crust – perfect for sandwiches or toast! Use leftover mashed potatoes to make it even easier.
- Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 loaves 1x
- Category: Breads
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 potatoes, peeled and quartered (350g)
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature (113g)
- 4 tsp active dry yeast (12g)
- 2 cups buttermilk, room temperature (454g)
- 2 large eggs, slightly beaten (100g)
- 2 Tbsp sugar (25g)
- 1 ½ tsp salt (9g)
- 6 to 6 ½ cups of bread flour (or all-purpose flour) (780g)
- 1 egg, slightly beaten (50g)
Instructions
- In a large pot, boil the potatoes until fork-tender. Drain the liquid and either mash the potatoes in a large bowl with a potato ricer or potato masher, or add the hot potatoes to a stand mixer and mix well with the butter. Alternatively, use 1 cup of leftover mashed potatoes. *
- Add 4 tsp yeast + 2 cups buttermilk + 2 beaten eggs + 2 Tbsp sugar + 1 ½ tsp salt and mix well.
- Gradually stir in bread flour until the dough is moist but not sticky. Using the dough hook, knead on low to medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise at room temperature until it’s doubled in volume, 1 to 1 ½ hours. (If your kitchen is too cold, you can preheat the oven to the lowest setting, then turn it off and place the dough inside.)
- When the dough has doubled in size, lightly grease two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Punch the dough down, divide it in half, and form into two loaves, placing them seam-side down in the pans. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise again at room temperature until almost doubled in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours. (If you don’t have loaf pans, you can free-form an artisan loaf on a cookie sheet).
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush the top of the loaves with the single beaten egg and bake the loaves until they are golden brown and the bottoms sound hollow when thumped, about 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- If you have leftover mashed potatoes, you can use them for potato bread. This recipe calls for 2 potatoes, so the equivalent would be about 1 cup of mashed potatoes.
- This recipe makes 2 really large loaves. If you have 3 loaf pans available, you can always split it into 3 loaves instead of 2.
- You can also freeze leftover mashed potatoes for future potato bread. Just thaw in the refrigerator before mixing up your bread dough.
- To freeze buttermilk potato bread, wrap the bread loaves individually in plastic wrap and place them in freezer bags, or slice before freezing to easily pull out the amount of bread that you need.
This bread recipe was so easy and very delicious. Made two huge, beautiful loaves. I think next time i will try splitting the dough into thirds and making rolls with 1/3 of it. Thank you Tiffany.
How wonderful that you and your family enjoyed the bread! Definitely large loaves, which is why I split them into 3rds as well. You’re very welcome Ann Marie!
So happy to find a new, fun blog! This recipe looks amazing! I’m going to try it with whole wheat flour and honey and see what happens!! Can’t wait to see what else you have going on here 🙂
Thanks for coming by Carole! I’m glad you’re enjoying my blog!
I have a friend who’s been experimenting with homemade bread and wheat flour. She’s found that when she uses whole wheat flour for the entire recipe, her dough doesn’t rise well. But, when she adds just a bit of vital wheat gluten (1 Tbsp per 1 cup flour), she has a successful and beautiful rise. I don’t know what your specific plans are for the recipe, but here’s some advice in case you need it!
Thanks for what looks like a great recipe. Have always loved potato bread, and made it, however, it never was anything special. This sounds very good, and never thought of using buttermilk.
I think buttermilk is the key to this particular recipe – a delicious, warm tang with each bite!
The header for the recipe says that it makes 3 loaves, but the directions say only 2. Can you confirm the yield on this recipe?
This recipe should make two loaves. Perhaps my loaf pans are smaller, because when I split the dough in half and put it into my pans for the second rise, there wasn’t enough room in my pan for each loaf to double in size. So I re-kneaded the dough together and split it into three to better fit my pans. I hope that clarifies!
DELICIOUS!!!
Thanks so much for sharing this at The DIY Dreamer.. From Dream To Reality! I’m looking forward to seeing you at the party this evening!
Hi Tiffany. Congratulations. You got the most clicks for this delicious recipe and it is being featured, this week. I can understand by looking at the photo, why people would be clicking to find out more.
Saving this recipe for fall / winter baking 🙂 Thanks for sharing it.
JoAnn
I LOVE potato bread! This looks so yummy! Can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing at the Pomp Party! Pinning to our Pomp Party board!
I’ve been wanting to start making my own bread instead of buying it. It really is so much more economical, and tasty! This looks like a great recipe to start on!
Stopping by from Transformation Thursday!
Oh, it truly is more economical. I plan to detail this fact next week!
And this recipe is great for beginners (myself included). 😉
I can just smell this. Bread is my ultimate pleasure! Please come share on my linky party.
Marcie
How yummy….I just pinned this and tweeted my pin! 🙂
This look so good! I think I’ll have to pin it now. 🙂 I use vinegar and regular milk as a buttermilk substitute too, it works like a charm.
Missy
Thanks Missy! I hope your family enjoys it as much as we do (it’s now replaced our “normal” bread recipe, lol).
This looks like a great recipe. I love potato bread. =D MY hubby is really into bread making right now, so I’m going to pass this on to him . =D I would love for you to link up at Sweet Sharing Monday!
Thanks Kayla!
Hi,
I,also had a problem with using up milk before it went bad. I switched to using the powdered buttermilk in the can and it works beautifully!You just mix it with water.Solved the whole problem and can’t tell the difference. I do a LOT of baking so I know.
I read somewhere that you can freeze buttermilk and it works. Now mine never goes to waste. Plus it lasts a long time in the fridge.
Thanks Lisa! I’m a novice photographer so I appreciate the encouragement!
Sweet potato sounds like a delicious alternative. Thanks for the idea!
Yummy, I love bread, cannot eat too much now. I never buy butter milk, I just make it with vinegar and regular milk, that way I always have it on hand:)
I’ve never considered regular milk and vinegar – thanks for the tip!
Lemon juice will work too!
Actuslly, I have a question too. Does this make two loaves or three? Because at the top you say it works out to 50c from a cost of $1.50 total, so I assumed three, but then in the directions you say make two loaves.
As written Debs, the recipe can make 3 average loaves. I wrote 2 in the recipe since most people only have one or two loaf pans. But those two loaves are REALLY BIG, and I usually split the dough into thirds, then make mini loaves with the third portion just to keep the loaf size normal.
Ah gotcha! Think I missed the subtleties cos I was reading late at night!
Tiffany,
If you are making 2 loaves and one mini loaf, about how long do you cook the mini loaf?
Yay for homemade bread! And without the bread machine…I was beginning to think I was alone in my old-school practices! Haven’t tried a potato bread…will put this one on my list of to-makes!
LOL, you’re definitely not the only one who doesn’t use a bread machine! I sometimes wish I had one, especially for the simplicity, but the end results are worth the effort when doing it by hand.
Oh my goodness this is amazing stuff. One slice of this bread and a little bit of butter – all you need for a well rounded diet : )
Drooling now! I’m a midnight baker and I can hardly ever say no to a sampling of the ends of fresh baked bread and melting butter over it. Good thing I have bread rising now! 🍞😋
This is my husband’s favorite bread and yours looks amazing. I want to make it as soon as our temperatures drop a bit. What amount of potatoes is that in a measuring cup? I plan on using instant (too hot-over 100 here).
It’s about 3/4 cup. You have my sympathy on those temperatures!! I think this is my husband’s new favorite too!
Tiffany, I enjoyed reading your article on sourdough bread. I have been baking bread most of my adult life, but I’m venturing out into new things. You can buy powdered buttermilk at the store. It comes in a 12 ounce plastic container. It is Saco Pantry Cultured Buttermilk lend. I have used it for year because my children loved buttermilk biscuits.
It’s so easy to make Buttermilk by adding some lemon juice. Google it for the exact amount.
I use dry buttermilk for biscuits, pancakes, fritters, etc…it will work just fine for bread; mom used to make potato bread, no buttermilk; she used leftover mashed potatoes from a meal….dividing 1.50 equals .75; homemade bread or anything you make from scratch is better for the body and avoid nitrates/nitrites like they are poison…they are.
Well, I guess I’m the only one on here that has a breadmachine! Has anyone tried this recipe in your breadmachine, maybe halving the ingredients?
Most of the time I use instant mashed potatoes added to any milk or potato water that I saved in the freezer. When you poor off the water from boiling the potatoes, cool it down and save it in the freezer. The potato water gives the bread even moisture.