Ingredients
3 1/2 cups bread flour (420 g), spooned and leveled
About 1 1/4 cups plain, undrained 1% milkfat cottage cheese (280 g)
1 large egg, out of its shell (50 g)
About 2/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (60 g)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (28 g), divided
2 teaspoons honey (14 g)
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (7 g)
2/3 teaspoon fine table salt (4 g)
1 2/3 teaspoons garlic powder (5 g)
About 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill fronds (10 g)
Instructions
Line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with parchment rated for 350°F. Blend the cottage cheese, egg and honey until mostly smooth, scraping the container thoroughly. Finely chop the fresh dill and grate the Parmesan. Use room-temperature ingredients when practical; do not heat the blended mixture until hot.
Whisk the bread flour, instant yeast, fine table salt and garlic powder in a mixer bowl. Add the blended mixture, prepared herbs and cheese, and 21 g softened unsalted butter. Mix with a dough hook on low until no dry patches remain, scraping the bowl as needed.
Knead on medium-low for 8–10 minutes, until elastic and cohesive. Expect soft, tacky dough that clears portions of the bowl but may cling underneath. A small stretched piece should form a thin membrane with herb flecks. Do not taste raw dough; wash hands and equipment after handling the raw egg mixture.
Allow 90 minutes for bulk proofing, covered, at a comfortably warm room temperature. Finish when the dough is noticeably puffy and approximately doubled; a cooler kitchen may need longer. Keep the bowl away from direct heat.
Rest the gently deflated dough for 10 minutes, covered, on a clean, unfloured surface. Pat into an 8-by-10-inch rectangle, roll from a short edge into a snug log, and pinch the seam. Place seam-side down in the prepared pan.
Allow 60 minutes for final proofing, loosely covered, until the center crowns about 1 inch above the rim and a gentle fingertip indentation returns slowly. Preheat the oven to 350°F during this rise, with a rack in the lower-middle position.
Bake for 45 minutes at 350°F, until deeply golden and the center registers 200°F. Tent loosely with foil if browning quickly. Check the center with an instant-read thermometer rather than judging doneness from the cheese-colored crust alone.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Lift out, brush the top with the remaining 7 g unsalted butter, and cool on a wire rack for 80 minutes before slicing into 20 slices. Makes 10 servings; each serving is 2 slices.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes