Sunday, February 24, 2008

Dill Batter Bread

I found this gem of a recipe in the instruction booklet for my KitchenAid. So, the instructions are tailored for a KitchenAid. I'm sure that you could make this without the KitchenAid - it might be a little more difficult but it could be done. I had high hopes for this bread and they were met. It's a simple recipe and definitely worth the trip to the store for the few random ingredients.

Ingredients:
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
4 tablespoons honey, divided
2 cups large curd cottage cheese
2 tablespoons grated fresh onion
4 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons dill seed
3 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup whole wheat flour
3-31/2 cups all-purpose flour

First, warm up your mixer bowl. If it's sunny outside, stick your bowl next to window in the sun and it will warm up in a few minutes. The warmed bowl just helps the yeast along. Dissolve yeast in warm water in the warmed mixer bowl. Add 1 tablespoon honey and let stand for five minutes.

Add cottage cheese, remaining 3 tablespoons honey, onion, butter, dill seed, salt and baking soda. Using the flat beater (not the dough hook) turn to Stir Speed and mix for about 30 seconds. Add eggs. Continuing on Stir Speed, mix about 15 seconds. It is pretty wet and looks like this:


Add whole wheat flour and 2 cups of all-purpose flour. Turn to Speed 3 and mix about 2 minutes, or until combined. Continuing on Speed 2, add remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour, a litle at a time and mix until dough forms a stiff batter (scrape bowl as necessary). Continuing on Speed 2, mix about 2 minutes longer. Dough will be rather sticky and look like this:


Cover. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Usually the warmest place in my house is next to the furnace in my laundry room but I got lucky with a sunny afternoon (albeit snowy).


Don't be alarmed if it doesn't look like your typical bread dough - it is very sticky. Stir down the dough and spoon into two well-greased baking pans or casserole dishes (1 1/2 to 2 quarts). Notice, I've used both because well, I'm poor and it's all I've got.


Cover. Let rise in warm place for an additional 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes. My bread was done in 30 minutes but I haven't yet purchased an oven thermometer as Casey recommends and I'm sure that the temperature in my oven is off.

Remove bread from pans immediately and cool on wire racks.


If you can, serve warm because let me just tell you - it's fantastic. Conversation with my husband after eating the warm dill batter bread is as follows:

Brandon: Oh, man, this is good.
Anna: Thanks.
Brandon: No, it's really good.
Anna: Thanks.
Brandon: I mean it. This is so good.
Anna: Thanks
(repeated every two minutes for thirty minutes)


7 comments:

heidikins said...

...after reading the ingredients list I would be completely unconvinced, but two good reviews is enough to send me off to the grocery store! Thanks for the recipe!

xox

Erika @ Andover ClOthing said...

It IS good!

Krista said...

I made this last night. I used dill Weed instead of dill Seed...and turns out i am allergic to dill weed! My eye lids swelled up and my husband mocked me all night! We did love the bread though.

Anna said...

Krista - I'm so sorry, that is so sad!

Krista said...

it is no problem...i loved the bread so much i will for sure make it again....i just will be more carefull and keep my fingers away from my face!

Netti said...

Did I tell you that my mom made this and LOVED it?

Erika Sullivan said...

Anna, I just made a variation of this recipe that my mother has been making forever. She calls it "Dilly Casserole Bread" because she lets it rise and then bakes it in a casserole dish. It is sooo good! I am making it with potato cheese soup that also has dill in it, and they taste so good together!