Dilly Bread

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes

Makes 1 loaf

You’ll be sniffing out the scent of this bread like our beagle, Bonehead, on a fresh rabbit track. Dill seed tastes nothing like the dill-pickle taste you may be thinking of. The bread has a warm, savory flavor, with a hint of onion. Eat it fresh out of the oven, or let it cool and slice to give a sandwich a special flavor.

• 1 cup cottage cheese
• ¼ cup water
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon minced yellow onion
• 2 teaspoons dill seeds
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 (¼-ounce) package rapid-rise yeast
• 1 large egg, beaten

1. Butter a 9-x-5-x-2-inch loaf pan.

2. Stir the cottage cheese, water, and 1 tablespoon of the butter together in a medium saucepan over low heat until warmed. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine 1½ cups of the flour, the sugar, onion, dill seeds, salt, baking soda, and yeast.

4. Slowly pour the cottage cheese mixture into the flour mixture. Add the egg and whisk until combined.

5. Stir in the remaining 1 cup flour until combined.

6. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, approximately 40 minutes.

7. Remove the towel and lightly knead the dough down. Place the dough in the loaf pan and cover with a buttered piece of wax paper. Let rise until doubled in size, about 40 minutes.

8. About 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350°F.

9. Remove the wax paper and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

10. Let the loaf cool slightly before removing from the pan and brushing with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter. Serve warm or at room temperature.