Cottage Cheese Bread

I made Kay's famous Dill Seed Bread for Christmas and it came out fantastic. So, I wanted to try to make a similar bread, but without the dill seed. This recipe is as simple as they get. I love it because the cottage cheese gives the bread a very soft texture and feel and you can use it for sandwiches or toast it and slather some honey-butter on it. Yum! I think my husband and I might have a bread bake-off when he comes home because I'm getting pretty good a baking. Next time: sourdough bread...oooh!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 package dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 1/2 cups sifted flour, plus more for dusting
• Artisan Bread Topping (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Dissolve yeast in warm water.

In a small sauce pan, heat butter and cottage cheese until warm and butter is melted; add sugar, salt, soda and egg. Mix well and blend in yeast mixture.

In a large bowl add the flour and the cottage cheese mixture and mix well. Turn out onto a floured board or surface and knead until smooth and not very sticky, about 10 minutes (you may need to add a little more flour, if needed).

Place dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a cloth or loosely plastic wrap and put it in a warm, draft free place and let rise until doubled, about an hour.

Punch down dough, knead briefly and shape into two loaves. Place loaves in greased 9x5x3 inch pans, cover and let double again--I placed my loaves on bread couches.

Just before baking, score the tops of bread and lightly spritz with water. At this point you can top with a little kosher salt or an artisan bread topping mix (I used King Arthur's).

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes...but check after 25 minutes. Let bread cool completely before serving.