Dilled Salty Wheat Bread

In July I get to home office a little bit for work, which gives me a lot of time to bake and blog.  When I go back to work in August, I still bake, but it happens in the evening.  I'm just not a good photographer in the evenings...  I don't have the white umbrellas or special lighting, which means all of my photos turn out yellow from our lighting and the flash.  If I can't take pictures during the day, I won't take pictures at all.  

So I've been planning and scheming about what I'd bake this weekend when I could get good pictures, and I realized I haven't shared dilled salty wheat bread with you.  Everyone must know this recipe.  It's a total supper staple around here on the weekends when I have time to wait for bread to rise.  You must make it!

It probably sounds unappetizing to use dill in bread.  But it's not.  It's scrumptious.  I use a dill mix from Pampered Chef, but I'm sure any dried dill would work.

There are two rises for this bread, so it doesn't go fast.  I make Irish Brown Bread or garlic cheese biscuits or cornbread if I don't have time for bread rising.  Today, there was time.  Rise one - 

And rise two-

What's that, you say?  Why is there a second bread loaf pan on top in that middle picture?  Because I've never found a way to cover dough when it's rising with anything, without the dough sticking all over whatever I covered it with.  Saran wrap?  Nope.  A damp cloth?  That's a disaster.  So I just cover one pan with another, and my bread can rise without mashing into whatever is covering it.  It works.  (Note: I do remove the top when I bake it.)

Here's the secret to dilled salty wheat bread.  When it comes out of the oven, butter the top... 

and then sprinkle it with coarse salt.  I know.  That probably sounds unappetizing too.  It's not.  It totally makes the bread.  Don't skip that step!

Let it cool a little bit.  That's super hard.  It smells divine.  Your house will smell divine. 

The wait is worth it.  This bread is homey and substantial.  The dill makes it interesting, and the salt keeps everyone coming back for "just one more piece."  Try it next time you make a stew or grill meat.  It's yummmmm-mmmmma!   

 

Dilled Salty Wheat Bread

(Disclaimer: I didn't invent this recipe but I've had it for such a long time that I have no idea where I got it from.)

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. wheat flour
2 T sugar
1 T minced dried onion
1 pkg (1/4 oz) yeast
2 tsp. dill weed
1 tsp. salt
1 c. cottage cheese
1/2 c. water
1 T butter
1 egg
2 tsp butter
coarse salt

In a small saucepan, bring cottage cheese, water and 1 tablespoon of butter to 120 - 130 degrees.  As that is warming, combine the flours, sugar, dried onion, yeast, dill weed and 1 tsp salt in a mixer.  Mix all dry ingredients together.  Add the warmed cottage cheese mixture and mix until just combined.  Add the egg, and mix until a smooth dough forms.  Switch to your dough hook and knead the bread for 7-8 minutes.  Or do it the hard way and knead by hand.  

Butter the inside of a large bowl.  Place the dough in the buttered dish, turning once so the top is also buttered.  Allow the dough to rise for an hour, until doubled.  Punch down, shape into a loaf, place in a buttered loaf pan and allow to rise again, about 3/4 of an hour.  During that second rise, preheat your oven to 350.  Bake the bread for 25 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown.  Remove from the oven, and brush with 2 tsp of butter.  Sprinkle the top with coarse salt.  Allow the bread to cool, then slice and enjoy!