Rustic Cast Iron Pot Bread

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• 1 (1/4 ounce) package dry active yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 cup small curd cottage cheese
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 teaspoon fresh dried crumbled sage leaf, see tip
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 1/2 cups flour

Recipe

• 1 in small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.
• 2 in large mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese, butter, onions, seasonings and sugar.
• 3 set bowl in sinkful of hot water to warm.
• 4 add yeast, egg, soda and 1 cup of the flour to warm mixture; beat vigorously.
• 5 gradually add rest of flour to make a soft dough.
• 6 scrape down sides of bowl; cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• 7 stir down batter and turn into a well-greased 1 1/2 quart round cast iron pot or casserole.
• 8 cover with a towel and let rise until double, about 30 minutes.
• 9 *remove towel if batter begins to touch it.
• 10 bake in a 350 oven for 40-50 minutes til done and golden.
• 11 **tip on drying sage bundles --
• 12 gather long-stemmed sage branches into small bundles; tie with string and hang upside down in a dim airy place. don't hang over the sink or kitchen stove where steam will slow drying. when dry, store in an airtight jar.
• 13 dry new herbs each year as they begin to lose flavor after about 6 months.