Mix 1 Tbs. flour, 1 Tbs. sugar, and yeast in your KitchenAid mixing bowl.
1 1/2 Tbs. active dry yeast, mixed with 1 Tbs. flour and 1 Tbs. sugar
Add warm water. Stir, and let it rest for about 5 min.
2 c. warm water (about 110°)
Once the yeast mixture is looking creamy and bubbly, add the oil, sugar, potatoes, and salt. Stir.
1/3 c. sugar, 1/3 c. canola or vegetable oil (or chicken fat), 1/2 c. mashed potatoes (or 1/3 c. instant potato flakes mixed with approx. 1/3 c. water), 2 1/2 tsp. salt
Add 4 1/2 c. of flour and mix.
5 - 6 c. white bread flour or all-purpose flour
Continue kneading for a few minutes on speed 2, slowly adding more flour, as needed, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
When finished kneading, the sides of the bowl should be looking fairly clean. Drizzle a bit of oil into the side of the bowl and let the mixer spread the oil to grease the sides.
Lightly cover the dough with a dish towel, and let it rest to rise for about an hour.
Grease 2 (9x5") loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.
Punch the dough down. Butter your hands and knead the dough a bit. Divide the dough in half and shape it into two loaves. Poke the tops with a fork to remove air bubbles.
Place the loaves into greased pans. Cover with a towel and allow them to rise for about 30 minutes, or until they have risen a bit above the sides of the pans.
Preheat your oven to 350°. Bake for 32 - 36 minutes (depending on the thickness of your pan - thicker pans take longer).
Brush the tops of the loaves with butter and allow the bread to cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the pans. Enjoy a delicious slice of warm fresh bread!
Store in airtight bags. And you can freeze one loaf to keep it fresh.