You can make bread using an amazing variety of vegetables. Pumpkins will give you a sweet, soft loaf and grated carrot makes a delicious savoury bread. Beetroot will turn your bread pink, spinach, a mottled green, both adding an interesting flavour. Onions, tomatoes, garlic and herbs can all be added. In our opinion though, potato bread is the best of all.

The bread doesn’t taste of potato and is not at all heavy as you might imagine. The mash gives the bread a lovely chewy quality. It is also delicious with a handful of sage, rosemary or thyme mixed into the dough. If there is any left over, it makes very good toast the following day.

This recipe comes from Jane’s book; Kitchen Garden Cookbooks: Potatoes, published by the National Trust.

For 1 loaf

• 200g cold, mashed potato, without butter or milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 400g strong, white flour (possibly more)
• 7g easy-blend yeast
• 300ml tepid water
• Oil to grease the bowl
• Herbs (optional)

Mix the potato, flour, salt and yeast together. Add the herbs (if using), keeping a few back for the top of the loaf. Pour in the water bit by bit and knead on a floured surface until the dough is smooth and not too sticky. You may need to add more flour depending on the consistency of the potato.

Shape it into a round and put it in a greased bowl, turning so it is well coated.

Cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place for an hour or so till it has doubled in size.

Punch it down as hard as you like and knead for another minute.

Grease a large baking tray and then shape the dough into a loaf (long or round, whichever you prefer) straight onto it. Push the remaining herbs into the top. When it cooks the loaf will spread to about double the area. Cover with a tea towel and leave for 30 minutes to rise again.

Preheat the oven to 230C/455F/Gas 8

Cook for 10 minutes and then reduce the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6

Cook for another 20 minutes until nicely risen and golden.

Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Jane