Mom's Crusty White Potato Bread

This is a bread that bakes with a hard crust on the outside and soft flavorful bread inside. For me, the crust comes out a bit dark but it might just be my oven. The flavor is superb though! To decrease rising time, I set up a space heater on my granite counters to warm the counters and increase the air temperature near the dough.I have taken 1/4 of the ingredients and made it successfully in the bread machine, too!

• Ready In: 3 hrs
• Serves: 24
• Yields: 4 loaves

Ingredients

• 3⁄8 cup dry yeast
• 4  cups warm water
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 3  tablespoons  instant potato flakes
• 1⁄3 cup wheat gluten
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons salt
• 1  cup  vegetable oil
• 4  eggs
• 12  cups bread flour
• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 1  egg yolk (optional)
• 1  tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)

Directions

1. Mix warm water, yeast, sugar, potato flakes and gluten in a small bowl. Let sit till foamy.
2. Transfer yeast mixture to a mixing bowl (Bosch, Kitchen aid or by hand).
3. Add salt, 1 cup of oil, eggs and 4 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture and mix with a wire wisk till all is throroughly combined and smooth.
4. Change to your kneading attachment and slowly add the remaining 8 cups of flour. Mix on low for 15 minutes or knead by hand until smooth.
5. Put the remaining 2 T oil into a large bowl, greasing the sides where the dough will touch.
6. Place dough in greased bowl and let rise till double. About one hour.
7. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
8. Punch down and divide into 4 loaf pans, let rise till double. About 30 minutes.
9. Brush risen loaves with egg yolk and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
10. Place in oven for 15 minutes.
11. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees, keeping the loaves in the oven, set the timer for 45 minutes.
12. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Remove loaves from pan and place on a wire rack to cool.
13. Slice and spread with butter. Yummy!