German Potato Bread (Kartoffelbrot)

This beautiful German potato bread is made with Russet potatoes with their skin on. You will love the crisp crust and the soft & moist crumbs inside. They will stay fresh for up to 5 days.

I like a crusty bread and this German potato bread called” Kartoffelbrot” definitely hits the spot. I love the rustic look this bread presents and the smell coming out of oven is like a baked potato (but in the form of bread).

If you like to bake breads, I urge you to try this German Potato bread (and my bran bread recipe, too). The crust is crisp, and the crumbs are so soft and moist. The secret of the texture combination is in using the fresh potatoes, and with their skin on. As a result, this German potato bread will keep fresh for 5 days or even longer. You can, of course, freeze them as well.

The recipe itself is extremely simple, which I always look for. All you need is bread flour, a couple of russet potatoes, instant yeast salt, and a little bit of olive oil.

I always use instant yeast when I make my bread. I like its convenience for not needing the proofing in advance. You can certainly use active yeast and proof with water before adding it to the flour mixture.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• potato: I used russet potatoes with their skins on. Make sure to wash and potatoes clean.
• potato liquid (water): It is the water you boiled potato with.
• bread flour
• instant yeast: You can mix it right away with flour and liquid. You can use active yeast but you will need to proof it before adding to the dough mixture.
• salt
• olive oil

How to make German Potato Bread (Kartoffelbrot)

Boil the potatoes until soft. Toward of end of cooking, reserve 1/2 cup of its liquid. You will use it to moisten the dough. Make sure to let it cool down.

Drain and mash the potato. Let it cool down as well. Meanwhile, combine flour, yeast, and salt. Stir well.

Add 1 cup of the flour mixture, olive oil, and a little bit of the reserved liquid to the mashed potato; stir to combine.

Stir the potato mixture into the remaining flour mixture with a wooden spoon, adding more of the reserved liquid.

Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes. I used an electric mixer with a dough hook attachment. Depends on the moisture level of potato you might need more liquid or flour. The finished dough should be somewhat sticky but not overwhelmingly. Let the dough rise until it becomes double in volume.

Divide the dough in half. You can shape them anyway you want. Let them rise again. Score the top with a knife and sprinkle with a little flour.

I like to bake my German potato bread on a baking steel. It will enhance its crisp texture on the outside. Spray some water to create steam.

Bake them in 425˚F oven for 45 minutes and voila~! You have the crusty bread. You will almost smell the baked potato coming out of oven. Yum!!!!

The crusty bite at first, then the soft, moist, and chewy texture comes after. I don’t know how many slices I had. I couldn’t stop eating.

German Potato Bread Storage Tips

German potato bread will stay fresh up to 5 days in the room temperature. They also freeze well. Wrap the bread with a piece plastic wrap, then put it in a zip bag. Keep it in the freezer up to 3 months.