Ingredients
Method
1.Put the water and sugar into a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast on top and set aside for about 10 minutes for the yeast to soften.
2.Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl then rub in the mashed potato with your fingertips. (I steam a medium-sized Agria potato in its skin, peel it, put it through a potato ricer and weigh out 150g. Or you could just mash it thoroughly.)
3.Stir in the dill seeds, onion and herbs and then add the yeast and the warm milk and water. Mix to a soft dough with a wooden spoon.
4.Knead the dough until it is smooth and springy and not sticky. This will take 3-4 minutes with the dough hook of an electric mixer or 7-8 minutes by hand (knead on a floured board).
5.Put dough in an oiled bowl, turn it over to make sure all the surface is oiled, cover with a wet cloth and set aside to rise. This takes about 1 hour in a warm place, or leave it at room temperature overnight.
6.Heat oven to 210°C and oil a loaf tin. The tin I used was 20cm x 9cm at the base and 7cm deep, but any tin around that size will be fine.
7.Turn the risen dough out onto a floured board, knead lightly and shape into a long cylinder. Put the dough into the tin, cover with a cloth and leave to rise until it reaches the top of the tin. This will take about 30 minutes in a warm kitchen.
8.Bake the bread for about 45 minutes, rotating the tin after 25 minutes. The loaf should be golden-brown and well risen. Turn it out onto a rack and knock on the bottom crust – it should sound hollow. If it doesn’t, return it to the oven for 5-10 more minutes. Undercooked bread is to be avoided, so cook the loaf for longer if you need to. Cool on a rack and slice when completely cold.
