Potato Bacon Cheese Bread
Makes two loaves
I make this bread for people I love all of the time. It's a favorite of many people.
2 T butter
1 c milk scalded, skimmed, and cooled
to slightly warm
2 T agave nectar
¾ c potato water
2 T yeast
2 cups cooked bacon ends and pieces
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 T bread dough enhancer or vital wheat
gluten
2 t Chef's Essence
or Emeril's Essence
5 ½ -6 c all purpose flour
- Cook some mashed potatoes for a meal and plan for about 1 cup extra . I never peel my potatoes unless I have someone I'm feeding that hates the potato skins. I just scrub them well. Chop them up into 1 inch or so pieces and boil them in sea salted water ( about 1 t). By the time the bread is baked you will hardly see the potato skins they'll just be barely noticeable flecks in the dough.
- Scald the milk and skim the film off of the top This will help it rise higher and lighter since there is a protein in a milk including dried that retards growth. Skimming removes some of that protein.
- Add the butter.
- Let the butter melt into the milk and let the mixture sit for 20 minutes.
- In the mixing bowl, add agave nectar, yeast and potato water and let it proof for 10 minutes. You can use sugar , honey or whatever you have but I prefer agave nectar because it's lower in the glycemic index. The potato water does make a difference, it makes a softer bread.
- Add the butter/milk combo.
- Then the potatoes.
- Then the bacon ends and pieces.
- Then the cheese
- Then the Chef's Essence or Emeril's Essence.
- Add the vital wheat gluten or bread dough enhancer.
- Mix
- Add in the flour one cup at a time
- Run mixer for 7 minutes and it becomes a firm, smooth, dough
- Oil the dough with cooking spray and let it rise for at least an hour.
- Gently punch down the dough.
- Divide in two portions.
- Oil with cooking spray again and let it rise until doubled in the load pans.
- Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to and hour
