Potato Leek Bread

Ingredients

Leeks and Potatoes

20 grams (1 ½ tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil

250 grams (about 3 cups) chopped leeks

250 grams (about 1 ½ cups) cubed russet potato (peel if desired)

20 grams (a little over a tablespoon) water

4 grams (1 teaspoon) kosher salt

Dough

500-620 grams bread flour (4-5 cups, divided into 500 grams and 120 grams)

350 grams water

4 grams (1 ½ teaspoons) instant yeast

10 grams (2 ½ teaspoons) kosher salt

Preparation

Leeks and Potatoes

Heat olive oil in a Mini Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add the leeks, potatoes, water, and salt. Stir and cover. Cook until the leeks and potatoes are fully softened and cooked through, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook for an additional 5 minutes to reduce some of the moisture.

Cool the leek and potato mixture completely while you make the bread dough.

Dough

To make the dough, combine 500 grams (4 cups) bread flour, water, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl. Mix for 2 minutes on low speed (or knead by hand for 5 minutes) until a soft dough forms.

Add 1 packed cup (250 grams total) of the leek and potato mixture to the dough and continue to mix or knead until a smooth dough forms. It will be sticky. If the dough is very wet, slowly add the remaining flour until the dough is workable.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Allow to rise for one hour at room temperature, then refrigerate the dough, tightly covered, overnight.

Bread

The next morning, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Take each side of the dough and stretch it up and to the center, forming a loose ball. Cover and allow the pre-shaped dough to rest for 10 minutes.

Use a bench scraper, a spatula, or your hands to scooch the ball of dough around the surface to form a tight ball, then transfer, seam side up, to a proofing basket or colander lined with a tea towel that has been dusted with flour. Allow the dough to proof for 1-2 hours, until puffy, jiggly, and risen.

While the dough proofs, preheat a Classic Dutch Oven to 500°F for one hour.

When the dough is fully proofed, flip the dough onto a Precut 9-Inch Parchment Paper Round and carefully lower into the preheated Dutch oven. Score in an X with a lame, razor, or sharp knife, then cover the Dutch oven.

Bake for 20 minutes covered, then remove lid, reduce oven temperature to 475°F, and continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the internal temperature of the bread is 200°F.

Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.