Dill Casserole Bread

Another one from Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads, my latest library find.

Clayton says this bread is traditionally baked in a casserole pan. I baked it that way, but I see no reason why this wouldn't be excellent baked in a loaf pan.

Dill Casserole Bread

1 cup cottage cheese
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon powdered onion
1 tablespoon dillweed or dillseeds
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 package dry yeast or the equivalent amount (2 1/4 teaspoons) of instant yeast
2 1/2 cups flour
a pat of butter
a dash of salt

Zap the cottage cheese in the microwave for 30 seconds to get it to room temperature. Mix in with it the sugar, onion, dill, salt, baking soda, eggs, and yeast.

Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix it in with the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon. Clayton says that this will make "a heavy batter, not a dough, and not be kneaded." Mine ended up thick enough that I had to use my hands to do a brief knead to do the final mixing.

Cover the dough and allow it to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Deflate the dough/batter by stirring it or punching it down. Pour it into a greased casserole or loaf pan. Cover and allow it to rise until doubled in size again, around 45 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick or skewer stuck into the center comes out clean. If the top of the loaf is looking too dark, cover it with foil for the final 15 minutes of the baking.

After you pull the loaf out of the over, rub the top of it with the pat of butter and sprinkle it with salt.