Dilly Casserole Bread - Delight Of The Bite

There's NOTHING like a fresh, warm piece of bread! If you've never made bread, this is a great one to try. Flavorful, moist, tender...it's got all the things IMHO! Pair it with a simple store-bought soup and you have a really simple and tasty dinner. I'll show you all my best tips for making this yummy bread in the details below...


DILLY CASSEROLE BREAD --
1 envelope of active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
2 T sugar
1 T melted butter
1 cup cottage cheese (NOT non-fat)

1 egg
1 T dried minced onion
1 tsp salt
2 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (start small and add more if dough seems too wet)


Soften yeast in the warm water...being sure to add a pinch of sugar from the 2 T you measured. Stir and let stand for 10 minutes.


Combine in a large mixing bowl the sugar, butter, cottage cheese, egg, onion, salt, dill, baking soda and yeast mixture. Give this all a quick mix to combine. Slowly, add the flour, being sure to combine everything well but don't over mix.


Turn oven on the warm setting for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, turn dough out into a greased bowl to rise in. Cover the bowl with a towel and place in a warm, draft free spot (your pre-warmed oven is great...just be sure to turn it off...you don't want to over heat the yeast). Let the dough rest for 1-1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.



Next, punch the dough down and place it in a well greased casserole (or spring form pan or another baking pan). Let rise in a warm place, covered, for another 40-45 minutes.


Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until crust is golden. If you have a thermometer, you can check for doneness when the temperature reaches 190 degrees when stuck into the center of the bread.


Turn bread out onto a cooling rack. Liberally rub the top of the bread with butter and sprinkle the top with salt. Once cooled down a bit, enjoy a warm slice...with more butter, of course!


This bread is GREAT the next day, toasted and served with soup, eggs or just by itself! ENJOY!!!