No Knead Dill Bread
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A crusty loaf of freshly baked dill bread is the perfect accompaniment to any meal! With dried onion, parsley, dill weed, and dill seed, it’s a flavorful homemade bread great for beginners.
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Homemade bread has a reputation for being difficult, which probably keeps a lot of people from giving it a try. Let me tell you, though, it’s actually a lot easier than you think (really!) and it’s incredibly satisfying. Every loaf you bake will feel like a little victory—especially when you make a loaf you just can’t find at the grocery store, like this dill bread recipe from Rebecca Lindamood’s Dill Bread from her book Ready, Set, Dough! I make this bread religiously. And I know you will, too.
I’ve always been a fan of Rebecca’s recipes, like her Smoky Roasted Salsa from her cookbook Not Your Mama’s Canning, and Baked Zucchini Fries from her book The Ultimate Guide to Vegetables On The Side. She’s phenomenal!
If were were to rank unappreciated herbs, dill would rank right up there with tarragon and marjoram, I think. But if you love the bright, pungent flavor of dill, this is the recipe for you. It has dill weed and seed, which is complemented with dehydrated and granulated onions for a flavor a little reminiscent of ranch dressing.

What You’ll Need
One thing to note about baking bread is that it’s as much of a science as it is an art, so you’ll need to be precise in measuring your ingredients and avoid making any substitutions.
- Flour
- Small curd cottage cheese
- Hot water – If you have a thermometer, the water should be 100-110ºF.
- Dehydrated minced onion
- Granulated onion
- Instant yeast
- Sugar
- Kosher salt – Kosher salt has larger crystals than table salt, so don’t swap in table salt in its place.
- Dried dill weed
- Dried parsley
- Dried dill seed – This is optional.
Baking Bread With Cottage Cheese
You might be surprised to see cottage cheese in the ingredient list here, but it makes for a tender, moist crumb and an awesome, chewy crust.

How to Make Dill Bread
A stand mixer makes homemade bread a lot easier, but you don’t need one! I have instructions for either option below.
Make the dough. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until a shaggy ball forms. Knead the dough until it comes together to form a smooth ball, about 6 minutes by hand, or 4 minutes in a stand mixer with a dough attachment.
Let the dough rise. Return the dough to the bowl, then cover it with a tea towel. Place the bowl in a warm place away from drafts and let the dough rise for 15 minutes.
Form the loaves. Divide the dough in half, forming it into two tight, round balls. Place the dough balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, about 6 inches apart. Dust the tops of the loaves with flour and use a sharp knife or lame to slash the tops about ¼-inch deep.
Prepare oven. In a cold oven, position one rack on the bottom and another in the center. Place the baking sheet with the loaves on the center rack, then on the bottom rack, place a baking pan filled with boiling water.
Bake. Close the oven door and set the heat to 400ºF. After 40 minutes, remove the loaves from the oven. The crust should be deep brown and firm, and an instant read thermometer should show an internal temperature above 200ºF.
Cool. Place the loaves on a wire rack and let them cool completely before slicing.
What Does Adding Steam to Baking Bread Do?
Wondering what’s up with the boiling water in the baking pan? This is the trick to bakery-style bread at home. Steam darkens the crust and makes it crisp, adding a beautiful color and richer flavor. Add plenty of water to the baking pan to ensure that it doesn’t all cook off before the bread is done.

Tips for Success
Here are a few tips for making the perfect loaf of dill bread.
- Use fresh yeast. Has your yeast has been sitting around for a while? You can proof it by adding a teaspoon of sugar and 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast to 1/4 cup of warm water. If the mixture is bubbly and smells yeasty after 10 minutes, your yeast is still good. If not, you’ll need to buy another package.
- Don’t skip the cutting. Cutting the loaves with a knife or lame will prevent the sides from blowing out while the bread is baking.
- Don’t preheat the oven. This recipe must be started in a cold oven, or the baking times will be off.
How to Store
Let the bread cool completely, then wrap it in plastic wrap or store it in a plastic bread bag (King Arthur Flour sells these and they’re fantastic!). Dill bread will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
Can Homemade Bread Be Frozen?
You can freeze your loaf of dill bread for up to 3 months. Wrap it well, then when you’re ready to use it, set it on the countertop and let it come to room temperature.

Serving Suggestions
Here are some ways to enjoy your homemade dill bread:
- Eat it freshly sliced and slathered with butter.
- Pair it with Creamy Vegetarian Potato Leek and White Bean Soup or 40 Clove Garlic Soup.
- Use it to make a Roasted Tomato Cucumber Pesto Sandwich.
- Make epic Asparagus and Egg Avocado Toast.

Dill Bread
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 2 loaves 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This crusty dill bread is a great yeast bread for beginners, and it’s packed with flavor!
Ingredients
- 6 1/2 cup Flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 1/2 cup Small Curd Cottage Cheese
- 2 cups Hot Water, 100-110 degrees
- 1/4 cup Dehydrated Minced Onion
- 1 tsp Granulated Onion
- 2 Tbsp Instant Yeast
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
- 2 Tbsp Dried Dill Weed
- 2 Tbsp Dried Parsley
- 1 Tbsp Dried Dill Seed (optional)
Instructions
Combine the flour, cottage cheese, water, dehydrated onion, granulated onion, yeast, sugar, kosher salt, dill weed, dried parsley, and dried dill see (if using), into a large bowl. Mix until a shaggy ball forms. Then knead together until the dough comes together to form a smooth ball, about 6 minutes by hand, or 4 minutes in a stand mixer with a dough attachment.
Return the dough to the bowl, and cover with a tea towel, allowing the dough to rise in a warm place for about 15 minutes.
Divide the dough in half, and form two tight round balls. Place the dough balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet, about 6 inches apart. Dust each loaf with flour and use a sharp knife or a lame to slash the tops of the loaves about ¼” deep. This will prevent the sides from blowing out during the baking.
Arrange the racks in your COLD oven, so that one rack is on the very bottom position, and the second rack is in the middle. Place the baking sheet with the loaves on the center rack, and on the bottom rack, fill a baking pan, or other oven proof baking dish on the lowest rack, filled with boiling water. Close the oven door and set the heat to 400 degrees. Set the timer for 40 minutes for the bread to bake.
After 40 minutes, remove the loaves from the oven. The crust should be deep brown and firm. Using an instant read thermometer, the internal temperature of the bread should be above 200 degrees. Allow the loaves to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
This recipe must be started in a COLD oven, or the baking times will be off.
Original recipe is by Rebecca Lindamood from her cookbook Ready, Set, Dough! “Papa’s Dilly Bread”, shared with permission.
Keywords: cottage cheese bread, easy homemade bread, herb bread recipe
Just an FYI…. when you print this recipe, the ads at the bottom block out the VERY IMPORTANT step of “Return the dough to the bowl, and cover with a tea towel, allowing the dough to rise in a warm place for about 15 minutes.”… Something looked wrong to me, so I went back online to read this (thankfully!!!) BEFORE I made the mistake of not letting it sit, or I would have ruined an entire batch…
Thank you for letting me know that the ads impacted the print. I’ll see what I can get fixed!