The unique flavor and texture of this bread comes from letting the yeast gorge itself on a mush of potato and sugar, a diet which makes it particularly happy and jumpy, as it would anyone. The super-spongy texture is terrific for dipping and dunking, but it is also a great bread for sandwiches and delicious toasted, with a little olive oil.
Makes a 8–8½ in/20–22cm round
1 large potato (about 4oz/125g)
1¼ cups/300ml water
¾ oz/20g fresh yeast or 3½ tsp active dry yeast (fresh is better)
1¼ tsp sugar
2 cups/250g unbleached bread flour, plus ¾ cup/100g for the second kneading
2½ tsp salt
2½ tbsp olive oil, plus extra for oiling the tin and dough
Peel the potato and cut into large dice; how big isn’t important, just make sure all the pieces are similar in size so they cook in the same time. Cover with the water and boil until the potatoes are very soft. Allow to cool in the liquid—you want to proceed when the liquid is just warm. If you prefer to boil the potatoes in advance, then I suggest you heat the liquid slightly before continuing. Strain the potatoes, but measure out ⅓ cup/150g of the cooking liquid, as you will need it for the bread.
Pour the reserved liquid back in with the potato, add the yeast and the sugar and blitz together—you can use a potato ricer if you don’t own a stick blender or a food processor. It should create a gloopy, sticky paste. Sprinkle the first amount of flour (2 cups/250g) all over the paste and then sprinkle the salt on top of that.
Set it aside in a warm place until the mix begins to bubble up and cracks appear in the flour. Mix it all together. This is a very sticky mix and I hate touching it with my hands, so either use a machine or a large spoon. Work the dough in circular motions until it is all combined. It will seem very wet, but this is totally normal. Cover the surface with the remaining ¾ cup/100g of flour, and allow to rest in a warm place until doubled in size.
Start mixing the dough and add the olive oil. Again, it is best to use a big spoon or an electric mixer to bring the dough together. It will resemble a strange glue that doesn’t go shiny or supple; it just flops there, looking like a huge mistake. Don’t worry, it’s the result you are looking for. Oil a 8–8½ in/20–22cm round tin (at least 1½–2 in/4–5cm deep) or use an ovenproof frying pan. Scrape all the dough into the tin and, with some extra olive oil on your hands, smooth the dough down.
Now it is time to turn your oven on to preheat: set it at 475°F.
Allow the bread to proof in a warm place until it has doubled in size. You can sprinkle it with sea salt just before baking, if you want. Place on the upper-middle shelf of the oven and set a timer for 10 minutes. Once the timer goes off, carefully open the oven, turn the tray and close the door again. Reduce the oven heat to 425°F and set the timer for another 10 minutes. Again open the oven and turn the tray, checking that the bread is not coloring too quickly—it should have a lovely golden crust at this stage. Reduce the heat again, this time to 375°F, and bake for the last 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven carefully and flip onto a rack to cool. This bread will keep well until the next day, but I doubt it will get the chance.