Moist Dill Bread

Cottage cheese in yeast bread is the secret that makes this recipe live up to its “moist” name. Four cups of warmed cottage cheese melts into the dough during kneading and baking, leaving behind a tender, almost milky crumb that stays soft for days. The cheese curds also add a faint tang that plays beautifully against the herbal punch of dill weed.

A quarter cup of dried dill weed (or half a cup of fresh) is generous, this is meant to be a properly herb-forward bread, not just lightly accented. Combined with the cottage cheese, the bread tastes like a loaf-shaped version of dill-cottage-cheese spread, perfect with smoked salmon, soup, or simply toasted with butter.

This is a four-loaf recipe, so plan for a generous bake. Two loaves can go in the freezer for later, two on the counter for the week ahead. The dough is a thicker batter than typical yeast bread (no kneading required), spooned into pans rather than shaped by hand, which makes this much faster than a traditional bread.

A brush of melted butter on top during the last 10 minutes of baking gives the crust a glossy, salty finish.

Pro Tips

• Heat the cottage cheese to just lukewarm (about 100°F / 38°C) before adding to the yeast mixture. Cold cheese kills the yeast, hot cheese also kills it.
• Use full-fat cottage cheese, not low-fat or fat-free versions. The fat is doing flavor and texture work that cannot be skipped.
• Crush dried dill weed between your fingers before adding to release more oils for stronger flavor.
• Eat fresh, freeze unsliced loaves wrapped tightly in plastic and foil. Slice while frozen and toast for best texture.

Variations

• Add a tablespoon of caraway or fennel seeds for a more rye-bread-leaning version.
• Stir in 1 cup of grated sharp cheddar or shredded swiss for a cheese-and-dill loaf.
• Top with sesame seeds or poppy seeds before baking for added texture and visual appeal.