Use up those turkey dinner leftovers!

Soooo… My bread was a fail, BUT IT WASN’T THE FAULT OF THE RECIPE!

It way my own stubborn, midwestern fault.

Look, last week it was in the 60’s. This week it is in the 40’s.

We are too stubborn to adjust the thermostat until we KNOW there won’t be more warm days.

Because of this, my house is chillier than it should be to be proofing dough. So When I took it out of the bread machine for the kneading and second rise, it fell. And it didn’t get back up.

I stuck it out and baked it anyway, and the results weren’t as advertised, yet didn’t actually disappoint. My bread was flat, yes, and useless for sandwich bread. HOWEVER the texture and taste was great, so we decided to slather it with apple butter and it was a real treat!

Hopefully yours will turn out better.

I did mention in the VIDEO that I would drop a link to my Bread Machine and here it is. I can’t say enough good things about mine. It gets used VERY often and this one has been kicking for 5 years now! Before this one, I’d had an expensive one with so many menu settings and one of those add-in bins with the auto timer. It met with an unfortunate dough accident, so it had to go. I replaced it with the same brand and the motor burned out. This Hamilton Beach machine is a beast and I love it.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup (113g) wheat flour

• 2 1/2 cups (300g) bread flour

• 2 tablespoons (28g) soft butter

• 1 1/4 teaspoons table salt

• 1 tablespoon (14g) granulated sugar

• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

• 2/3 cup (152g) lukewarm milk

• 1 cup (128g) prepared stuffing

• 1 cup (213g) mashed potatoes, white or sweet

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Directions

• Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Place all of the ingredients in a bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer; or a bread machine bucket); and mix and knead to make a smooth, elastic, and somewhat sticky dough. The dough will feel tacky, but should hold its shape nicely; you should be able to handle it easily with greased hands.
• Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or 8-cup measure (for easiest tracking of the dough as it rises). Allow it to rise until it’s quite puffy, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Gently deflate the dough. Shape it into an 11″ to 12″ log, and place it on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet.
• Cover the loaf with lightly greased plastic wrap or a dough cover (the plastic cover of a disposable supermarket deli tray or cake platter may work well for you here), and let the loaf rise until it’s noticeably puffy, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Bake the bread for 35 to 45 minutes, until it’s golden brown on top, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers at least 190°F.
• Remove the bread from the oven, and place it on a rack to cool. When completely cool, wrap airtight and store at room temperature for 3 to 4 days; freeze for longer storage.

I’m going to share the very pitiful photo of my poor bread now. Brace yourselves…