Black Friday Bread

Recipe by PJ Hamel
11 Reviews 4.6 out of 5 stars

Black Friday — the day after Thanksgiving — is equal parts shopping and leftovers. Turkey sandwiches are a must; but what do you do with all those leftover bits of stuffing, mashed potatoes, squash, creamed onions... Well, kill two birds with one stone: make a delicious sandwich loaf, AND use those other leftovers from the Turkey Day meal right in the bread itself. This moist, flavorful bread slices beautifully; and when you use stuffing as one of the ingredients, its mild herb flavor is perfect for a turkey sandwich.

Prep
15 mins
Bake
35 to 45 mins
Total
4 hrs 20 mins
Yield
1 large loaf
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Black Friday Bread

Instructions

Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. Gently deflate the dough. Shape it into an 11" to 12" log, and place it on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

Tips from our Bakers

  • We've used 1 cup each stuffing and mashed white potatoes for the loaf pictured above. Feel free to substitute your own combination of stuffing and/or mashed root vegetables or sides: turnip, sweet potatoes, applesauce, squash, parsnips...

  • Be prepared to adjust the amount of flour/liquid that's added to the dough. Depending on how moist your add-ins, you may need to add either additional bread flour, or additional milk or water. Your goal is a soft (but not challengingly sticky) dough.

  • Want to make a delicious stuffing/cranberry sandwich loaf? Instead of 2 cups add-ins of your choice, substitute 1 cup stuffing and 3/4 cup dried cranberries. Reduce the total amount of flour to 3 cups, cutting back on either the bread flour, or the white wheat (or both). Place the loaf in a 9" x 5" bread pan, let it rise, and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers at least 190°F.

  • For the sake of food safety, use stuffing that neither baked in the turkey, nor used meat broth as its moistener. (The dough must rest at room temperature for a few hours, so avoid using ingredients that include meat products.)

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