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sponge ingredients:

1/2 C leftover mashed potatoes, cold
3/4 C 2% milk, scalded
3/4 C unbleached flour
2-1/4 tsp active dry yeast

remaining loaf ingredients:

1/2 tsp salt
2 Tb corn oil
2 C unbleached flour
flour for kneading

Non-stick cooking spray

1. Combine sponge ingredients in large mixing bowl. Whisk briskly to mix thoroughly. Cover with damp cloth and place in warm location to proof. (Sponge is proofed when the surface looks curdled.)
2. Add salt & corn oil to sponge; stir briskly with wooden spoon. Add flour to sponge in half-cup increments, stirring to mix after each. Dough should form a ball.
3. Turn dough onto well-floured board and knead until smooth, about ten minutes. Add flour as needed to prevent sticking.
4. Form dough into ball, place in mixing bowl sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, cover with damp cloth and let rise until doubled.
5. Punch down risen dough, turn out onto floured board, and form into loaf. Place in loaf pan, cover with damp cloth, set in warm place and let rise for 20 to 30 minutes.
6. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes, until browned. Loaf is done when it sounds hollow when pinged with a finger or gently knocked.
7. Turn loaf out of loaf pan onto cooling rack. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before trying to slice.

Makes one loaf.

Serve this anyplace you would like a soft-textured white bread.

Notes:

• I scald milk for a single loaf of bread by microwaving on high using the “beverage” setting at 1 cup.
• The second rising is not meant to allow the loaf to reach its full height; it should “pop” in the hot oven when the gas created by the yeast in the second rising expands as it heats.