Whole Grain Cottage Cheese Bread

A blog that I read, For Goodness Sake, recently had a post about some of my bread–in the post Linda called herself a “bread stalker” and said she stalked my breads (a HUGE compliment, by the way). Well I have 2 blogs that I check into primarily for bread as well–Wild Yeast and Farmgirl Fare. The former I like for sourdough and artisanal breads; the latter does some of the best whole grain baking I have seen anywhere in the blogosphere. She even sold me on 100% whole grain muffins, something I had never thought I would like.

This time I was looking for a sandwich loaf with whole grains–something more interesting than your standard whole wheat loaf but something that packed a nutritional wallop, because I was planning to send one of the loaves over to a friend whose son (Sammy’s age, a toddler) is having some medical issues and he needs to eat more. Bread is one of those universal things that all kids eat, and it made me feel better to do something. Anyway, I was scanning my own files when I came across this recipe for Susan’s Whole Grain Cottage Cheese Bread (June 2015 update: Susan seems to have taken that recipe down from her blog). I was instantly intrigued by the combination of cottage cheese with bran. I made a few changes, including a hefty dose of teff in the form of flour and seeds because I use white whole wheat flour, so I wanted to include a more flavorful whole grain.

I really like this bread. It is not as sweet as some of the breads I make, and at first I was unsure about that, but I had a slice at room temperature tonight, slathered in Plugra butter, and it was still quite good. That’s the test for me–since I like all bread fresh out of the oven! The kids also pronounced it a winner. [Coming back the next day to edit and say this bread was AWESOME–it got better the next day and the kids and I devoured it for breakfast.]

I am sending this over to Wild Yeast’s Yeastspotting–be sure to check it out for the best yeast breads on the web.

Laura’s Version Of Susan’s Whole Grain Cottage Cheese Bread

2 1/2 cups (354 g) AP flour
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup oat bran
1/4 cup wheat bran
1 T teff seeds
1 T instant yeast
1 T granulated sugar
1 T vegetable oil
1 T honey
2 cups warm buttermilk
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup teff flour
2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 1/2 t salt
additional AP flour for kneading

In a very large bowl (I used my mixer bowl), stir together the AP flour, oats, teff seeds, oat bran, wheat bran, yeast, and sugar. Add into this the canola oil, then the honey (use the same tablespoon measure), and then the milk and cottage cheese. Beat until smooth (although lumps of cottage cheese will remain visible). At a slower speed, slowly add first the teff flour and then the white whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough.

Switch to the dough hook or turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes by hook or 7-8 minutes by hand. Add AP flour as needed to keep from sticking (I used about 1/3 cup additional). Place a cover over the bowl and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle the salt over the dough and begin kneading again, 5 minutes by hook or 7-8 by hand, to incorporate the salt fully into the dough. The dough should become soft and smooth, although it may remain just a little sticky. Turn the dough into a greased, deep bowl or rising container. Cover and set aside to rise for 1- 2 hours, or until doubled in volume.

Grease 2 bread pans–I used 9X5 but Susan preferred 8X4 for a higher loaf. Handling gently, divide the dough in half and shape each half into a loaf and place them into the greased pans. Cover and set aside to rise 45-60 minutes, or until the dough has risen noticeably.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. When the dough has risen, bake for 35-40 minutes, rotating halfway through. 15 minutes in, I lowered my temperature to 350 F. The bread is done when the internal temperature reaches 200 F or when the bottom sounds hollow when thumped. Remove the bread immediately and let cool on a cooling rack. Try to wait at least 30-40 minutes before slicing.

You may have noticed that I like to brush my sandwich loaves with butter immediately after the come out of the oven–do so if you desire. It adds flavor and softness.