This is the comment thread for the Breadtopia blog post originally published here:
If you do not see the “Reply” button, you will need to log in or register an account. Please click the blue “Log In” button in the upper right of the page. 
I was only able to find blue potatoes at the farmers market today. Outside of a different color, do think that they will create a different texture in this recipe?
I’m thinking the main difference will be in the lack of sweetness. But I suspect you’ll get a similar moist texture and also a cool blue color. Do post a photo if you get a chance.
Typically, the taste of blue potatoes has been described as rich and nutty, though there are some non-blue types that have a similar flavor profile. There is enough starch in blue potatoes to make them good for mashing but they’re also moist and waxy enough to hold together in potato salad.Sep 13, 2005
https://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/food/article/Blue-potatoes-hit-the-mainstream-1182867.php
Here is an alternate way of adding purple sweet potato into the dough that @Benito demonstrates:
The potato is more swirled as opposed to solid color, and the crumb has more potential to be open because the (gluten-free) potato is not worked into the dough.
Options!
Really beautiful loaf Melissa and one that I’m sure is delicious. I now make a pile of mash purple sweet potato and then portion it out in small ziplock bags which I freeze. That way I can use some in my bread when I have the urge.
Benny
Lovely Color!
how can i modify the recipe to use sweet potato powder instead?
Beautiful! I am new to stenciling. Is the stenciling shown just done with flour?
Thanks
@Benito That is a great idea. I believe you taught me the instant pot cooking technique too. So easy and doesn’t dry out or dilute the potatoes.
@altafkw I’ve never used sweet potato powder, but I imagine from the hydration standpoint, you treat it like flour. So if you have 450g flour and 50g sweet potato powder, you’d aim for 500x whatever decimal hydration e.g. 0.78 you want, in order to calculate the water.
@kathy.eastwood It’s actually a scoring. In the photo gallery after the recipe, you can see the dough with the cuts before baking.
Here are two articles you may have seen already but just in case 
Yes the Instant Pot is a great way to do any type of mashed potatoes.
Benny
I made this tonight. I use a pizza stone instead of a closed vessel. I think the baking times or temps need to be adjusted. Any suggestions? It’s really just that it got too brown so you can’t see the purple.
Good question. I rarely bake big breads on my baking stone (usually just ciabatta, baguettes, pitas, pizzas), so I’m probably not the best person to try to answer this question but hopefully someone else will chime in who bakes this way regularly.
You could try a shorter or cooler bake, but the issue is you want the bread to dry out a little inside, so I think covering the bread to prevent it from over-browning might be a good idea also (this could be done with aluminum foil or an upside down deep pan, like one you boil pasta in).
Definitely purple! I used regular bread flour, but really needs the high gluten bread flour that is linked to the recipe. I often buy purple sweet potatoes at my local Asian marketplace. (Note: If you are looking for them be aware the skin is light tan and you can’t tell they are purple inside). They are very sweet and yummy on their own. I enjoyed the challenge of this creative bread recipe but will probably stick to eating the sweet potatoes separately. Thank you for your creativity and hard work Melissa!
Oh that is lovely! You’re right about the strength of the flour. The dough was close to pasty with 13.5% protein bread flour, so I can see how less gluten strength could be gooey. Lowering the water or sweet potato amounts might help with a weaker flour, or double-laminating in the sweet potato as per Benny here.
Lovely bread and the sunshine too 
Thank you for the detailed instructions for all aspects of this recipe! It is delicate and delicious!
Amy, your bread looks great! I’ve the potatoes cook, in the fridge, need the time to assemble and bake. Your loaf is encouraging. 
Recently, I’ve been baking on a commercial oven tile (like a thick pizza stone) instead of my norm of baking inside a cast iron pot. After a little tweaking and testing, this is the notes on how I am doing it:
Preheat the oven with the stone and water pan used for steaming to 450°F for 1-hr. Then, TURN OFF THE OVEN and place the dough on the stone, then add water to the steaming pan and close the oven door. Bake for 20 minutes.
After 20 minute, vent the oven of steam, rotate the loaf, close the oven door, then TURN ON THE OVEN to 425°F. Bake for another 20 minutes, start timing immediately, do not wait for the oven to reach temp before starting the timer.
Note 1: there is plenty of residual heat in the stone and oven walls to carry the steaming bake and give the loaf oven spring. It par-bakes the loaf. During the 20 minute bake my oven cools down to 300°F. Recover time for the stone is 15-minutes until ready for the next loaf.
Note 2: SURPRISE! … It turns out after the first 20 minute bake, the loaf is ideally par-baked to finish baking at a later date. If finish baking in the next 2 or 3 days, put in a plastic bag and leave at room temp, otherwise, bag it and freeze it.
REALITY: for me, two 20 minute bakes makes the loaf too dark. Instead, I follow the above procedure with two 18 minute bakes. After the second half of the bake I probe the loaf with a thermometer and extend the bake (at 425°F) if necessary to reach 205°F internal temp. The outside of the loaf is golden brown, as is the bottom.
This is a couple loaves I recently baked using he above method, no purple, 80% bread flour, 20% whole wheat:
My baking stone (the tile) is 1-inch thick. Because the first bake par bakes the bread I think the method will work with a thinner stone, too. You just might need more time on the second bake with the oven turned back on.
I can’t wait to see your results! Thank you
Thanks for sharing this. Your method is very interesting. Is the purpose of the oven being turned off during the first bake so that no venting will happen, thus retaining the steam? I currently use a Challenger and get very nice loaves but it would be nice to use my stone occasionally knowing I can retain steam in my gas over by turning it off.
