Alan Thicke'S Irish Freckle Bread - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups white flour (may need more)
1/2 cup sugar
2 packages fast rise yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup cooked mashed potatoes
1 cup chopped dates

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine together 1 cup of the whole-wheat flour, 1 cup of the white flour, the sugar, the undissolved yeast and the salt.
Heat butter and water together until very warm (125F to 130F); gradually stir the warm liquids into the dry ingredients.
Then stir in eggs, mashed potatoes, dates and the additional flours to make a soft dough; add a few more tbsp of the white flour if need be.
Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Cover and let rest on a floured surface for 10 minutes.
Divide dough into 4 equal pieces; shape into 4 slender loaves-- about 8-1/2 inches long.
Set 2 loaves side-by-side in each of 2 well-greased 8-1/2-by-4-1/2-inch loaf pans.
Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until done.
Remove from pans; cool on wire racks.