Potato Bread

This takes the potato-water idea one stage further: you’re actually adding cold, cooked potatoes to the dough. This doesn’t make a heavy bread, as you might suppose; the whole deal is that the starch in the potato seems to facilitate the yeast and lighten the loaf. But if this is light, it isn’t airy: there is a certain chewiness about it, and an almost waxy softness, which makes it perfect for dunking into the wine-dark juices of a rich meat stew. And the toast it makes is incredible.