Cottage Cheese and Herb Loaf

Great for sandwiches.  Usually only need one rise period so once mixed you can put it into the baking pan.   Don't let proof to long before putting in the oven since it will puff up too much and making slicing difficult.
www.nytimes.come: Aug 16, 2010 Martha Rose Shulman

2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups low-fat or nonfat cottage cheese at room temperature, pressed through a sieve or pureed in a food processor fitted with the steel blade until smooth
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon grated onion
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup finely chopped dill
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
About 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading

1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a large bowl and stir in the sugar. Let stand for five to 10 minutes until creamy. Add the cottage cheese, egg, grated onion, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the baking soda and dill. Beat together well.

2. Add a cup of the whole-wheat flour and the salt, and fold in. Add the remaining whole-wheat flour, and fold in. Add enough of the all-purpose flour to make a dough that you can scrape onto a floured work surface. It will help to use a dough scraper, as the dough is sticky. Knead for 10 minutes, adding unbleached flour as necessary. The dough should be elastic and spring back when you press gently with a finger.

3. Oil a loaf pan with some of the remaining olive oil. Shape the dough into a loaf, and place in the pan with the seam side facing upward. Lightly brush the top with oil, then turn the loaf so that the seam side is down. Brush lightly again with olive oil. Spray or brush a piece of plastic wrap with oil, and place it, oiled side down, lightly over the pan. Cover with a damp kitchen towel, and place in a warm spot to rise until the dough reaches the edges of the pan, about one hour and 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees with a rack positioned in the middle.

4. Place the dough in the oven, and bake 45 minutes until the loaf responds to tapping with a hollow sound. Remove from the pan, and cool on a rack.

Yield: One loaf, about 15 slices.

Advance preparation: Once it is cooled, wrap the bread well. It will keep for a few days and freezes well. But refrigerate the loaf after two days so it won’t spoil.