2 c water 1 tsp plus 1 c granulated sugar
2 medium-sized boiling potatoes, 6 to 6½ c unsifted flour
peeled and quartered 1 tsp salt
16 T butter, cut into ½-inch bits, 2 eggs
plus 3 T butter, softened 2¼ c light brown sugar (1 pound)
1 package active dry yeast 2 tsp ground cinnamon
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Bring the water to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, drop in the potatoes
and boil briskly, uncovered, until they can be easily mashed against the
side of the pan with the back of a fork. Drain the potatoes in a sieve set
over a bowl, pat them dry with paper towels and return them to the pan.
(Measure and reserve 1 cup of the potato water.) Then mash the potatoes to a
smooth purée with the back of a fork. (You should have 1 cup of purée.) Beat
in 8 tablespoons of the butter bits and cover the pan to keep the purée warm.When the reserved potato water has cooled to lukewarm (110° to 115°), pour ¼ cup of it into a shallow bowl. Add the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar. Let the mixture stand for 2 or 3 minutes, then stir well. Set the bowl in a warm, draft-free place (such as an unlighted oven) for about 5 minutes, or until the yeast bubbles up and the mixture almost doubles in volume.
Combine 6 cups of the flour, the remaining cup of granulated sugar and the salt in a deep mixing bowl, and make a well in the center. Drop in the potato purée, the yeast mixture, the eggs and the remaining ¾ cup of potato water. With a large spoon, mix the ingredients together and stir until the dough is smooth and can be gathered into a soft ball.Place the ball on a lightly floured surface and knead, pushing the dough down with the heels of your hands, pressing it forward and folding it back on itself. As you knead, sprinkle flour over the ball a tablespoon at a time, adding up to ½ cup more flour if necessary to make a firm dough. Continue to knead for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, shiny and elastic, and gather it into a ball.
With a pastry brush, spread 1 tablespoon of softened butter evenly inside a deep mixing bowl. Place the ball in the bowl and turn it around to butter the entire surface of the dough. Drape the bowl loosely with a kitchen towel and put it in the draft-free place for about 1½ hours, or until the dough doubles in bulk.
Brush the remaining 2 tablespoons of softened butter over two 16-by-11-inch jelly-roll pans. Punch the dough down with a single blow of your fist and divide it in half.
On a lightly floured surface, roll each half into a 16-by-11-inch rectangle about ½-inch thick. Place the dough in the buttered pans and set it aside in the draft-free place to rise again for about 45 minutes, or until it has doubled in bulk.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Stir the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. With your forefinger, make parallel rows of small indentations in the top of each cake, spacing the indentations about 1½ inches apart and pressing down almost to the bottom of the pan. Drop the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter bits into the indentations and fill the holes with the brown sugar mixture. Scatter the rest of the brown sugar over the surface of the cakes, dividing it evenly between them.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and crusty. Transfer the Moravian sugar cakes to a platter and serve them warm or at room temperature. Makes two 16-by-11-inch cakes.
