This is one of the breads I make for sale at the tailgate during the summer—and I sell some (usually four, of which he sells some and eats some) to David at King's Produce in Swannanoa during the winter. It's based on a recipe from The Joy of Cooking (link is to the 75th anniversary version, but I use my grandmother's copy from the 50's), by way of someone online whose version I altered some more (I would give credit, but I only have a printed-out version, and no idea from whence it came . . . ).
Dill and Onion Bread
Combine a mixing bowl (or heavy-duty mixer bowl; I am lazy and knead this by machine):
One medium-sized onion, chopped fairly fine
2-1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 pkg. instant yeast (I use SAF Red, which I buy in bulk from King Arthur Flour. They also sell a neat little spoon that holds the same amount as a package, 2-1/4 tsp. I could, of course, simply measure it, but I like tools.)
1 heaping tablespoon dried dill (You can use fresh dill—probably 3-4 tablespoons—but I haven't had any to make it with yet.)
1 heaping tablespoon wheat germ
2 tablespoons honey (I use whatever I've got—usually clover)
1 teaspoon salt
Add:
1-1-1/4 cups cottage cheese (lowfat will work, but regular is better. Or you can use ricotta, but you'll probably need more water. When I had a steady supply of fresh goats' milk, I made ricotta and used it, plus whey in place of water.)
1/2 cup warm water (or more, as needed)
1 large egg
Mix by hand or on low speed until dough comes together, adding additional flour or water as necessary. Knead by hand, or by machine with dough hook on low to medium speed, until smooth and elastic—from 7 to 10 minutes, usually. Let rise in a grease/oiled bowl until doubled in volume, about an hour to an hour and a half.
I don't do this: I use a dough doubler (again, from King Arthur; they must love me). It's a 2-quart plastic tub with straight sides and a tight-fitting lid, marked so you can tell when the dough has doubled. They also sell a 6-quart dough-rising bucket, of which I have two . . . they weren't cheap (I think I spent nearly $50 for all three, one time when I was in funds), but they are very useful. This is an elderly house, full of odd cold drafts in winter, and the kitchen faces north, so it's usually chilly. Bread rises much better in these.
Anyway, after the dough has risen to your satisfaction, shape it into loaves. The original recipe made one 9x5 loaf; I make two nice tidy round loaves. Let them rise again for an hour or so, either in a greased loaf pan or on a cooky sheet. (I use parchment paper—over and over again; the current sheet has been used for half a dozen bakings so far, and I can turn it over for several more—because there's usually some here and I hate washing cooky sheets, but you can just grease it.) Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°. (The recipe says you can brush the top of the loaves with melted butter and sprinkle them with coarse salt or dill seeds before baking, but I never remember to. Maybe one of these days . . . ) Bake until the crust is a deep golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped—35-40 minutes in my oven. Cool on a rack.
