A pretty, orange-hued bread, chewy and almost oily yet light, well-mannered and great for sandwiches, outstanding for toast.
I have adapted a recipe for Potato Bread by Nigella Lawson, purely on a whim. I expected potato bread to be a poor-keeper, but quite the opposite. It stays delicious for several days and when at last too stale for any but the wettest of sandwiches, makes toast to sell your soul for. I was thrilled with the original, which uses white potatoes, but as I strolled past the sweet potatoes in the supermarket, I had a flash of inspiration and a pioneering urge that would not be ignored. I reasoned that sweet potatoes are prepared like any other potato, have a sweeter taste, but even better – they have that colour. Oh… that colour. So I tried it. And it worked.
It’s not vivid enough to look artificial, but would be a nice addition to a more natural Halloween meal. Apart from that, any pretty coloured bread has to be a welcome addition to the table.

So begin by peeled, chopping and boiling the sweet potatoes. You need 300g of mash, so I usually use about 350g raw.
Once they are tender, drain them over a bowl (you must reserve the cooking water!), put them into a large bowl and mash them. Allow them to cool to warm. Measure 300ml of the cooking water into a jug and allow that to cool to tepid.

Measure 600g strong white (bread) flour into a medium bowl. To that, add 1 tbsp salt and a packet of easy-blend yeast. I’m showing you the packet in the picture. I assure you I cut the packet open and sprinkled the yeast over the flour

Stir well to combine it all, then add that to the warm mash

stir around with a spoon

then gradually add the 300ml of potato water

and a tbsp greek yogurt or sour cream

Once it looks like it’s going to come together, get in there with your hands and persuade the dough together

Tip it out on to a floured work surface and begin to knead it, adding flour as needed because it’s really sticky. Reckon to add another 200g of flour.

St the timer for 15 minutes and put the radio on. Now knead.

until the dough is looking more like bread dough – smoother, less sticky and much more elastic. this can take 20 mins, even 25 mins, you’ll see the difference when it’s done, but this dough is a much less genteel dough – it’ll never be silky smooth like most bread doughs are.
That’ll do.
Place it in an oiled or buttered bowl, cover it with clingfilm and sit it somewhere warm and most importantly, draught-free, for about an hour or until it’s doubled.

After 50-60 mins, have a peek
My, haven’t you grown.

Punch it down. You always get references to anger at this point, but I don’t get that. I ‘punch’ it down by slowly pressing my knuckles in. I enjoy the feeling of it deflating; it’s very bubble-wrap, sensation wise.

Knead it just for a minute or so and shape it into a round or an oblong. Don’t get too over-excited here because it billows and rises in the oven in my experience. I’d hate for you to hand-craft a shape for ages, only for it to not even remotely resemble your dream once it’s cooked.
Sit it on a well floured baking sheet and cover it loosely with a tea towel for around 30 mins.

Preheat the oven to GM7/220C/425F
Once 30 mins has passed and it’s looking puffy again, put your loaf into the oven for 20 mins.

After the 20 mins at GM7, turn the temperature down to GM5/190C/375F and cook for another 15 mins.

Check that it has cooked by knocking the bread with your knuckle. Check the top first – it will sound hollow.
Turn the loaf over (I usually have to run a spatula under it to release it) and knock its bottom. If it doesn’t sound hollow, put it back on the sheet upside down and cook for another 5 mins.
Check again. If it still doesn’t sound hollow, put it back in for another 5 mins.
Once it sounds hollow, remove from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack.
Woah! Hello my beauty!

Yum. Yummo.

It’s hard to convey its colour. Here is a slice on a white piece of paper.

Pretty, non? It’s easy – I’m no bread maker, but this recipe works. You’ll feel like the master of the Universe. Have a go.

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Blushing Bread

PRINT THIS RECIPE (opens in a new window)
adapted from Nigella Lawson’s ‘Potato Bread’

300g sweet potatoes, boiled and drained (water reserved)
800g strong white bread flour
1 tbsp salt
7g (1 sachet) easy-blend yeast (or 15g fresh yeast)
1 tblsp Greek yogurt or sour cream
300ml tepid potato water (the water you boiled the potatoes in)

Boil the sweet potatoes until soft, then drain – reserving 300ml of the water.
Allow the potatoes to cool, then put them into a large bowl and mash them.

Add 600g of the flour, the salt and yeast.
Mix together with a spoon, then gradually add the water and yogurt.
When it’s beginning to come together, turn the shaggy, bitty dough onto a floured work surface and start to knead it.
Add the remaining 200g flour as you knead because it is a very sticky dough. You don’t have to use all of the remaining flour, but invariably I need to.

The original version suggests putting it into the mixer with a dough hook, but when I did this, it practically climbed out, so I knead it by hand.
Be prepared to knead for around 20 minutes. I suggest putting the radio and a timer on.

After 15-20 mins and once the dough has become less sticky, more elastic and looking more like raw bread than a weird cellulite-ridden ball, you can rest.
Put the ball of dough into an oiled or buttered bowl and cover it with clingfilm.
Put the bowl somewhere warmish and draught-free for around an hour.

When the dough has doubled in size (this does only usually take 50-60 mins), punch it down.
Turn out of the bowl and knead just for a minute or so. Form it into a shape – round or oblong and place it on a floured baking sheet. Don’t get over excited about the shape, because it rises and swells significantly in the oven.
Cover the loaf loosely with a tea towel to allow a second rise for around 30 mins.
Preheat the oven to GM7/220C/425F

Once the 30 mins has elapsed and the loaf is looking puffy again, put it into the oven for 20 mins.
The turn the temperature down to GM5/190C/375F and cook for another 15 mins.

Check that it has cooked by knocking the bread with your knuckle. Check the top first – it will sound hollow.
Turn the loaf over (I usually have to run a spatula under it to release it) and knock its bottom. If it doesn’t sound hollow, put it back on the sheet upside down and cook for another 5 mins.
Check again. If it still doesn’t sound hollow, put it back in for another 5 mins. Be cautious.
Once it sounds hollow, remove from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack.