Buttermilk Cottage Dill Bread

This is a mild whole wheat bread with a lovely combination of fresh dill, onion, buttermilk, and believe it or not, cottage cheese. It's leavened with both yeast and a bit of baking soda. It's super soft, super moist, and is wonderful toasted with cheddar or butter.

Buttermilk Cottage Dill Bread

Ingredients

1/2 C buttermilk

2 C cottage cheese (small curd)

2 T unsalted butter, divided, at room temperature

1/3 C finely chopped fresh dill

1/4 C minced onion

2 T sugar

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

10.7 ounces unbleached all purpose flour

8 ounces whole wheat flour

1 T instant yeast
Melted butter to brush the tops of the loaves (optional)

Instructions

• Combine the buttermilk, cottage cheese, and 2 T of the butter in a medium saucepan and heat until the butter is just melted. 
• Add the dill, onion, and sugar. 
• Whisk the dry ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Add the cottage cheese mixture and mix on low with the paddle for about a minute.
• Switch to a dough hook and mix on medium for about 5 minutes. It's a good idea to scrape down the bowl before and during mixing with a bowl scraper. 
• Scrape the dough into an oiled bowl and spray the top of the dough with spray oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled, approximately 1 hour. 
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spray two one pound loaf pans with spray oil (or grease the pans)
• Remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and deflate it. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and tightly shape two loaves. Place the dough into the pans, seam side down, lightly spray the tops of the loaves with spray oil, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. 
• Allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes in a warm place. I usually boil a cup of water in the microwave, move it to the side, and then place the loaves in there when my kitchen is cold. 
• Bake the bread for 15 minutes, then rotate the loaves, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more, until golden brown. They should sound hollow if you tap the bottoms of the loaves, and the internal temperature should reach 205 to 210 degrees F. 
• If you choose to brush the tops of the loaves with butter, do so immediately after removing them from the oven. 
• Cool the loaves in the pans for about 10 minutes, and then turn them out onto a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely. 

This recipe was developed by Phyl of Cabbages and King Cakes for the Bread of the Month for the November, 2011 Artisan Bread Bakers Facebook Page. Hop over to his post to see step-by-step instructions.

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