Why it works: Flour and potato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,355 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Potato Bread
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the dough
In a large bowl, place the flour and create a hollow in the center.
Add the mashed potatoes, warm water, and salt into the hollow.
Stir in enough flour to make a smooth batter, then add the yeast.
Stir in the remaining flour until combined.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for 15 minutes, using just enough flour to prevent sticking.
Flour the bowl, place the dough back in, cover, and let it rise overnight.
Shape and bake
In the morning, divide the dough into four parts and shape into loaves.
When the loaves are light, prick them with a fork and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 30-40 minutes.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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.
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Flour + potatotop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,355 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Flour
- Forms the gluten network that gives the bread its structure and chew.
- Mashed potatoes
- Adds starch and moisture, keeping the crumb soft and tender.
- Yeast
- Produces carbon dioxide gas that makes the dough rise and gives it an airy texture.
The step that matters
Letting the loaves rise until light before baking. Yeast gas must fill the shaped loaves to give a light crumb. Loaves that are underproofed stay dense, while overproofed ones may collapse in the oven.
“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.
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