March is dill month at the Plant Wonder Collective! I was searching for inspiration and recipes online, and realized that dill bread is a bit of an old-fashioned, simple, cozy favorite. Perfect!
We may think of dill as being mostly reserved for culinary uses (dill pickles and dill havarti—yum!) but there is some historical precedent for other applications. Dill is great for digestion and is often found in infant gripe water. It is nutrient-dense and high in flavonoids, which make it a great cardio-tonic herbal ally. Dill can help with inflammation and pain, and has been historically used for soothing in many contexts (it’s name comes from an Old Norse word meaning “to soothe”).
Interestingly, in the Middle Ages dill was used for protection and as a ward against witchcraft! It also represented luck and wealth, and might be found hanging in a home or worn as charms.
Whatever its other benefits, dill tastes really green and fresh! I used it to flavor a loaf of beer bread I made, and it tasted great paired with the mozzarella cheese I added. (Would be great with cheddar, too!) Here is the recipe if you’d like to try it!
Dill & Cheese Beer Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp dried or 4 tsp fresh dill
- 1 12-oz can or bottle of beer
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 cup shredded cheese of your choice (mozzarella, cheddar, or havarti)
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Grease a 9 x 5 bread pan or line with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, combine all ingredients except the beer and butter. Mix well.
- Add the beer gradually and stir well to incorporate.
- Transfer dough into the loaf pan.
- Pour the melted butter over the top. You can also sprinkle a little more dill and shredded cheese over the top if you wish.
- Bake for 40 – 50 minutes. Check with a toothpick—if it comes out clean, the bread is ready to come out.
- Let cool slightly, then turn out onto a cooling rack. Slice and enjoy!
Recipe inspired by this one from TheSaltyPot.com.
The Herbology Faerie 