St. Patrick’s Day Recipes: Irish Potato Bread

Can anything be more Irish than potatoes? Americans love the tasty tubers also; that are the number one selling vegetable in the United States.

In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, the United States Potato Board shares a recipe for Irish Potato Bread:

Irish Potato Bread
(Recipe created by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, authors of The Ultimate Potato Book)

2 3/4-pound russet potatoes
1 large egg plus 1 large egg white
1/3 cup canola oil, plus additional for greasing the baking sheet
3/4 cup fat-free milk
2 tablespoons minced chives (or the green part of a scallion)
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting and kneading
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Bring 1 inch of water to a boil over high heat in a vegetable steamer or a large saucepan fitted with a portable vegetable steamer. Peel one potato and cut into eighths; steam the pieces until tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Rice or mash pieces in a large bowl; set aside to cool for 15 minutes.

Position the rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a large baking sheet with canola oil dabbed on a paper towel.

Peel the other potato and grate it through the large holes of a box grater. Squeeze off any excess moisture; add to the riced or mashed potatoes.

Stir in the egg, egg white, oil, milk, chives, and caraway seeds until fairly smooth. Add 3 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a soft but sticky dough.

Lightly flour a clean work surface as well as your cleaned and dried hands. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and knead for 1 minute, adding flour in 1-tablespoon increments to keep the dough from turning too sticky. Too much flour and the dough turns tough; it should remain a little tacky but workable. Shape into an 8-inch circle, flatten slightly keeping the loaf mounded at its center, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Use a sharp knife to slash an X in the top of the dough, cutting into dough about 1/2 inch.

Bake until golden brown, firm to the touch, and somewhat hollow sounding when tapped, about 55 minutes. Cool 1 hour on a wire rack before slicing and serving.

Makes 1 large loaf (16 slices).

Nutrition information per slice: 183 calories; 5 g fat; 14 mg cholesterol; 298 mg sodium; 30 g carbohydrates; 1 g fiber; 5 g protein; 222 mg potassium; 6 mg vitamin C.

^{(photo courtesy of the US Potato Board)}