Buttermilk-Herb Bread

Our family’s favorite! We got this from a neighbor and have never seen it anywhere else and we’ve made it for over 20 years. Wonderful right out of the oven, slathered with butter. It has the subtle flavors of dill and buttermilk with a tender crumb.

Step: 1

In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.

Step: 2

Stir the buttermilk, egg, oil, dressing mix, and salt into the yeast mixture. Stir in 2 cups of the flour using a wooden spoon. Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough can be picked up out of the bowl. Knead on a floured surface for 6 to 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Try not to add much more flour. Place in a greased bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a cloth, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

Step: 3

Press the air out of the dough, and divide into two pieces. Form into tight loaves, and place each one into a greased 8x4 inch loaf pan. Let rise until a your finger leaves a mark when lightly pressed into the dough.

Step: 4

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake loaves for about 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. When finished, the loaves should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Per Serving: 142 calories; protein 4.4g; carbohydrates 25.7g; fat 2.1g; cholesterol 10mg; sodium 238mg.

The quality of the flour could make a real deal to your bread. Different makers do vary. Extra-strong or Canadian flours, which are bet higher in gluten, may give you a better rise than standard dough flours – especially if you’re making wholemeal dough , which doesn’t always rise as well as white bread.

To made this in a breadmaker , add all the menus to your breadmaker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

A bread first rising can be done in the fridge overnight . This slows down the time it takes to rise to double its size, giving it a deeper flavour. It’s also a great timesaver , as you can work it night before , then clear it off the next day.