How To Make Potato & Rosemary Sourdough Bread
There’s something deeply comforting about the pairing of potatoes and rosemary. Soft, earthy potatoes bring a tender, moist crumb to sourdough bread, while rosemary adds a fragrant lift that fills your kitchen with the smell of a rustic countryside bake. This combination isn’t new—it’s been a staple in Italian baking for generations—but when folded into a tangy sourdough loaf, it feels both homely and special at the same time.
This potato and rosemary sourdough bread recipe is simple enough to bake at home yet produces a loaf with bakery-quality flavour and texture. Mashed potato adds moisture and softness to the crumb, while rosemary infuses the bread with an irresistible herby aroma. Whether you’re new to sourdough or already hooked, this loaf is one you’ll want to bake again and again.
Why add potatoes to sourdough bread?
Adding mashed potato to sourdough dough is a baker’s secret for creating softer, more flavourful loaves. Here’s why it works so well:
Moisture: Potatoes increase hydration, making the crumb more tender.
Longer shelf life: Potato starch helps keep bread fresher for longer.
Flavour balance: The natural sweetness of potato complements the tangy notes of wild yeast.
In short, sourdough with mashed potato not only tastes fantastic but also lasts longer on the counter.
What potatoes work best for bread?
For this recipe, floury varieties like Maris Piper, King Edward or Yukon Gold are great choices. These types mash smoothly and incorporate well into the dough without adding excess moisture. Waxy potatoes (e.g., Charlotte) can be used but may result in a slightly denser crumb.
Maris Piper is widely available and known for its light, fluffy texture and all-round usability in baking.
King Edward is a classic floury potato; great for mash, roasting, and baking.
How rosemary enhances sourdough
Herb sourdough bread is always a hit, but rosemary is especially evocative. Fresh rosemary adds a fragrant, slightly piney note that pairs beautifully with the rustic flavour of sourdough. In the oven, its aroma mellows and spreads evenly throughout the loaf, infusing a warm, earthy character into every slice.
Recipe Step-By-Step
For this article, the bread was made using 85% white bread flour and 15% whole grain flour, with 74% hydration. If you prefer, you can use your own sourdough bread recipe, with different ratios of flour and water and add potatoes and rosemary. For this recipe we recommend hydration up to 80%.
Ingredients
Yields 1 medium-size loaf
70g active starter/levain (refreshed and at peak activity)
300g strong white flour (about 13% protein content)
50g whole wheat flour (about 13% protein content)
250g water (+10g)
9g salt
100g mashed potato (ideally floury variety like Maris Piper)
5g fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing after baking
Steps
STEP 1 | Prepare your stater and potatoes
Refresh your sourdough starter so that it is active and bubbly when you begin. While you wait, bake the potato in its skin until tender. This should take approximately 1-1.5 hrs. Once cooled slightly, peel it, mash it until smooth, and set aside to cool completely.
STEP 2 | Mix the dough
In a large bowl, combine 250g of water with the active starter and whisk until fully dissolved. Add both flours and stir until no dry patches remain. Knead for 2–3 minutes until the dough just comes together. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rest for 60 minutes.
STEP 3 | Add salt
Add 9g of salt and 10g of water and knead for a few minutes until the dough is smooth and supple. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 min.
STEP 4 | 1st coil fold set
Perform one set of coil folds, cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 min.
STEP 5 | Incorporate the potatoes and rosemary
Gently fold the mashed potato and chopped rosemary into the dough until evenly distributed. Perform another set of coil folds to help integrate the ingredients. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 min.
STEP 6 | Continue bulk fermentation
Conduct two more sets of coil folds, spaced about 30 minutes apart.
After the final set, cover the bowl and leave the dough to bulk ferment until it’s airy, with visible bubbles and roughly a 80-100% increase in volume.
STEP 7 | Shape and cold proof
Transfer the dough onto a work surface, gently shape it into a boule or batard and transfer to a proofing basket. Cover with a towel and let the dough rest at room temperature for 60 minutes. Then, transfer it to the fridge for an overnight cold proof (about 12 hours).
STEP 8 | Bake the bread
In the morning, preheat the oven with a Dutch Oven inside to 250°C/480°F for about an hour. Then, remove the dough from the fridge, lay a sheet of parchment paper on top of the basket and gently flip the dough onto a work surface.
Score the dough and carefully place it into your baking dish. Cover with a lid and place the dough into the preheated oven.
Bake for 25 minutes at 250°C/480°F, then remove the lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes at 230°C/450°F.
Once baked, remove the bread from the oven and brush the warm crust with extra virgin olive oil for a glossy finish and enhanced flavour.
If you have any questions, leave a comment below.
Happy baking! 👩🏻🍳🌾🤍
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you add mashed potato to bread dough?
Absolutely! Mashed potato enhances hydration and softness, and its starch helps keep the bread fresher longer.
Do I need a Dutch oven to make this bread?
A Dutch oven gives the best oven spring and crust, but you can use a baking stone or tray with a pan of water for steam.
Can I use dried rosemary instead of fresh?
Yes—use about 2 g dried rosemary. Since it's more concentrated, use it sparingly.
Are other herbs suitable for sourdough?
Definitely. Thyme, sage, or oregano also pair wonderfully—though rosemary remains a classic choice.
If you require more detailed recipe instructions, refer to our Beginner’s Sourdough Recipe.
And if you haven’t baked sourdough bread before, or need more guidance, check our New To Sourdough Baking section, where you can find details such as how to make your starter from scratch or the tools required to bake your first loaf of bread (including some of the tools we personally recommend).
What’s Next?
Stencils can be a great way to transform your sourdough bread into a beautiful centrepiece. Our Sourdough Fever stencils are easy to use and will add a special touch to your loaves. Visit our store to see the full range.
We also highly recommend keeping a record of your process, timings, ingredients and techniques. Our Sourdough Fever Record Keeping PDFs will help you do all that and more. This 4-page PDF includes a record-keeping page, a basic sourdough recipe with instructions, and troubleshooting notes. You can download and print it at home. Click the photo below to find out more!