Cottage Cheese Bread

Updated at: Sat, 27 Jul 2024 21:18:16 GMT

Step 1

In a large mixing bowl, combine the active dry yeast and lukewarm water and set aside to hydrate.

Step 2

In a blender or food processor, combine the egg whites and cottage cheese. Blend until smooth.

Step 3

Add the blended mixture to the yeast mixture and whisk to combine.

Step 4

Whisk the flour with a dry whisk in its container to remove any lumps and aerate the flour. Measure it and add the flour and salt to the wet mixture. Whisk using a Dutch whisk or fork to combine. You will be left with a shaggy, sticky dough.

Step 5

Dust the work surface with more flour and dump the dough on it. Knead the dough for 5 minutes or until it starts looking smooth.

Step 6

Dust your hands with more flour or oil them to prevent your hands from sticking to the dough. Use a bench scraper to help lift the sticky dough from your work surface and continue kneading.

Step 7

Shape the dough into a ball and place it back in the mixing bowl. Cover and proof in a warm spot for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size.

Step 8

Line a 10 x 4-inch (26 x 10 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper (if needed) — a smaller loaf pan such as the standard 9 x 5-inch loaf pan won’t work, the dough will ooze out on the sides. If you don’t have a pan with those exact measurements, no problem! Use a larger one, such as 10 x 4-inch loaf pan, 10 x 5-inch loaf pan, or simply divide the dough in 2 halves and make 2 loaves of bread. Those can be baked in smaller loaf pans.

Step 9

After an hour of proofing, punch down the dough to deflate. Roll it into a log, stitch the ends by pinching them together.

Step 10

Proof the bread in the loaf pan for 20 to 25 minutes, until visibly risen and puffed up.

Step 11

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Step 12

After proofing the dough, make a slit in the middle using a sharp knife or razor blade.

Step 13

Bake in the oven for 40 - 45 minutes. The bread will brown on the top pretty quickly — to prevent it from burning, cover the top with a sheet of aluminum foil as soon as it turns crusty and brown. You will be able to tell the bread is done baking when the bread sounds hollow after a gentle tap on the crust.

Step 14

Cool completely, then slice and serve. I like to slice it, store it in the freezer in a ziplock bag and toast each frozen slice before serving.

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