Why it works: Sugar and potato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 30% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,032 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Good Bread
four small loavesIngredients
Directions
Prepare the potato and sponge
Boil four large potatoes.
Drain the water; when the potatoes cool, add yeast cake.
Mash the potatoes very finely and sieve the mash.
Pour boiling milk over the flour.
Let the mixture stand until cool.
Make and rise the dough
Add the mashed potato, yeast, a large teaspoon of salt, and one tablespoon of sugar.
Stir vigorously, adding flour as needed.
Let the dough stand in a warm place until it becomes light.
Dissolve one teaspoon of soda in a little hot water and mix well into the dough by hand.
Shape the dough into loaves and let rise again.
Bake
Bake the loaves in a moderately hot oven, keeping a steady fire.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 3 of 4 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Sugar + potatotop 30% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together3,032 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Potatoes
- Add moisture and starch that keep the bread soft and moist.
- Yeast (in the method)
- Produces gas that makes the dough rise and become light.
- Flour (in the method)
- Forms the gluten structure that traps gas and holds the loaf's shape.
- Sugar
- Feeds the yeast and adds a little sweetness and browning.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with acid in the dough to add extra lift.
The step that matters
Let the dough rise until light. The yeast needs time and warmth to produce enough gas; underproofed dough stays dense, while the dough must be stirred and kneaded enough to build gluten that holds the gas.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
More potato bread recipes
You might also like
Potato Croquettes255 recipes
Potato Rolls78 recipes
Potato Chips53 recipes
Sweet Potato Croquettes53 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.