Guest post from Brigette Shevy
Dill Bread is one of our favorite bread recipes! This flavorful loaf is perfect for Fall, since it goes fabulously with hearty soups and stews.
My Mom often served it with Italian dishes like spaghetti and lasagna, and there were rarely any leftovers (probably because some of us children liked this bread even more than the main dish – and we love lasagna!).
The original recipe comes from a church cookbook published many years ago. I’ve adapted the dough for the bread machine to make it easier (it actually turns out even better for me that way), but I’ve also included the original by-hand instructions.
While it’s absolutely amazing fresh from the oven slathered with butter, it also makes incredible grilled cheese sandwiches the next day!
Dill Bread
- 3 ½-4+ cups flour (I use a combination of whole wheat and unbleached)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons dill weed
- 2 Tablespoons dry minced onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 scant Tablespoon (1 package) instant active dry yeast
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 egg
By Hand Instructions: In a large bowl, combine 1 ½ cups flour, sugar, dill weed, minced onion, salt and yeast. Mix well. In a small saucepan (or microwave), heat milk and butter until very warm (120-130 degrees). Add warm liquid and egg to flour mixture and blend at low speed until moistened. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed. Stir in additional flour until dough forms a ball. Knead on a floured surface for 3-5 minutes, adding additional flour if necessary. Cover and let rise in a greased bowl in a warm place until doubled in size, about 50 minutes. Punch dough down and proceed with instructions for both methods.
Bread Machine Instructions: In a 2-lb bread machine, add in this order (or in the order recommended by your specific bread machine manufacturer): cubed softened butter, sugar, dill weed, onion, salt, egg, and warm milk. Add 3 ¾ cups flour and yeast. Run the short dough cycle. Check at the beep and add additional flour if needed (for some reason, I have to use more flour in the bread machine vs by hand – so I sometimes add up to ½ cup more flour). Remove dough and proceed with instructions for both methods.
Both Methods: Shape dough into a round loaf. Cover and let rise on a greased cookie sheet until doubled in size, 30-45 minutes. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until done (cover with foil if necessary to prevent overbrowning). Brush top with additional butter if desired.
Makes one large round loaf
Brigette is a full-time wife and mother who is blessed with three amazing bundles of energy (ages 6, 4, and 2). She enjoys music, experimenting in the kitchen, homeschooling her children, finding great deals, long-distance running, and anything chocolate.
I had fresh dill leftover from another recipe we made last week and a search for ‘dill” on pinterest ledme to dill bread. I had planned on another recipe but then didn’t have enough fresh dill. Found this recipe and i am so glad I did. Obviously I had tto use the fresh dill It was so easy and albeit I was concerned when I put it on the baking sheet (it was rather large and I was concerned it would spread even more on the pan); the final product was spectacular. A little crusty on the outside, moist and soft on the inside. Plan on making paninis with the leftovers. Thanks so much for sharing.
Yay! That sounds so delicious! We’re so glad we could help! -Jordan, MSM Team
Yummy… I’m going to try your recipe in a few minutes using my bread machine… I can already smell it baking and taste how good it will be!
Bridgett! I have been searching for four years to find this wonderful recipe. I bought a loaf from a small bakery about two hundred miles from my home and by the time I got to taste that fantastic loaf I was too far away. I went back to get more but they were closed. I made every recipe I came across for dill bread and none of them came close to that recipe or lived up to the taste of yours. It was difficult to find one that didn’t use cottage cheese. I think the key ingredient also is the dried onion. What a wonderful flavor! The first time I made this I took it over to my brother’s house and we ate the entire loaf! Thank you so very much.
Hi, does anyone else find that the dill dough is a bit stiff? I’m having trouble getting it in my tin. Maybe I should use olive oil to help get the dill dough right the way in?
Sounds delicious. I enjoy trying new bread recipes. My favorite is honey oatmeal bread. I find that you need to cut thicker slices with homemade bread when using it for sandwiches or toast.
This bread is delicious! I mixed 1/2 white 1/2 wheat flour and had the first rise using the DOUGH setting of my bread machine. For the 2nd rise, I transferred to a parchment covered baking sheet, covered with a clean drying cloth, and placed inside of my COLD oven so it would be free of drafts. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL and HUGE! I definitely WILL divide it into 2 loaves as suggested the next time I make it! I shared half of the loaf with neighbors and they loved it too! The texture and weight of this bread is so good I plan to use the dough as a base for plain wheat bread and other favors too! Thanks you for this easy and delicious recipe!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe Brigette. I made it tonight and it is delicious. I split it into two loaves as suggested below and will send one loaf with my husband who will be gone for a few nights starting tomorrow (he can share it with his coworkers if he doesn’t think he can finish) and kept the other loaf for the kids and I to have with homemade soup tomorrow night. It is also good to know that it freezes well for future reference (for when my husband is going to be home and we won’t need the two loaves).
I made this to go with Tortellini Soup and it was delicious. I agree with the other poster who said it yielded a very large loaf. I had a crowd of 10 people and we were able to eat it all, but in the future (for my family of 3) I’ll probably do two smaller loafs and give one away. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
You can also freeze one of the loaves (or just cut the one large loaf in half, and freeze half of it – which is what I do for our family right now).
Made this and it’s so good. I was planning on making grilled cheese and it just crumbled when I tried to cut it. Any suggestions?
Hmmm…mine doesn’t crumble. Maybe it got overcooked? Is it fresh out of the oven or has it sat overnight? You could always try freezing it for 30 minutes or so before cutting it to see if that helps it hold its shape better.
Tried it and loved it! 5 thumbs up in our house (out of 5)! But, please note that this makes one seriously large loaf of bread! I made it baguette/french shaped to easier make sandwiches with later. Wish I had made 2 loaves instead. Could have easily shared one with a friend. I will use the leftover bread to make croutons though, so it will get put to good use! Will definitely make again! Thanks for the recipe!
Glad it was a winner! You’re right about the loaf being seriously large… you have to remember that I come from a family of 9 – so when I say “one large loaf,” I should probably further clarify that for the average American. 🙂 Ha! Croutons would be fabulous. It also freezes well, which is often what I do now – cut it in half and freeze half. Two loaves is a good idea, although I’m guessing they would cook in less time.
I accidentally used bread flour. :(. It’s mixing in my bread machine right now… Will it turn out okay?
Well, you already know the answer to this by now :), but I’m guessing it turned out just fine!
Could you just continue to bake this in your bread machine or is it recommended to remove it and bake it in a regular oven?
I can’t say since I haven’t tried it. If your bread machine is able to bake a loaf with 4+ cups flour using other recipes, then it would probably work. My personal experience with actually baking bread – any recipe – in my machine, is that it turns out drier than the same recipe in the oven. (I’ve tried taking it out sooner, and then it is usually unevenly cooked.)I’ve experimented with both a cheap bread machine and an expensive one, and never achieved “perfection.” 🙂 However, if you have had good success with baking bread in your machine, there’s no reason why this recipe shouldn’t work!
Sounds delicious. Going to put it on my list to make.
Do you use fresh dill or dried dill? I’m going to try making this bread tomorrow!
I use dried. Fresh would probably work, but you would have to google it to see how much fresh dill = 1 1/2 teaspoons dried.
I didn’t even finish reading the post…I printed out the recipe and it’s in the bread machine now. 🙂 I have pea soup cooking on the stove and this sounded like the perfect bread to complement it! Thanks for posting!
Love it!
Yum! I want to eat at your house tonight!
Just came on looking for a bread recipe to go with our dinner tonight – and here is a new one; perfect timing! It is mixing in my bread machine now, I can’t wait to try it!
Thanks!
You are fast! 🙂
I don’t know if I ever had dill bread but I would like to try it. Thanks also for the hand method because that is how I make my bread also.
Thank you for including the “hand” instruction as I do not have a bread machine! 🙂 Looks incredible!!
The recipe I have uses honey and Cottage Cheese
This looks wonderful. Thank you for sharing it. I love all of your recipes you have posted here.
You are so welcome! Glad you have enjoyed them.
I dont think i can buy dried minced onion here, could i sub saute finely chopped onion. If so how much fresh onion.
The recipe looks fabulous.
This looks wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing this and for providing a bread machine option, too. I work full time (from home), and having bread machine recipes makes it easier for me to make my own bread.
Love my bread machine too. 🙂