Hawaiian Bread With Dill Dip

HeatherFeather's Note:

This is a dip and bread combo that I learned to make after a guest brought something similar to my home for Thanksgiving many years ago. After several trials & errors, and hours pouring over community cookbooks, I combined several different recipes and came up this version. She used purchased Hawaiian bread, but I have always made my own,as Hawaiian bread is not always available for purchase. As far as the optional ingredients go on the dip - I most often use the cream cheese and the green onions (and once even used a little of both the green onions and some of the flaked). I have actually had guests beg me to let them carry off the empty bread shell home with them! This makes an extra loaf of bread, which you may freeze before or after baking to have ready for another use. TIP: When I make this, I start the dough early in the morning, then prepare the dip while the bread is rising. Later that same evening, the dill flavors have blended nicely and I fill the bread right before my guests arrive. If you prefer, you may instead simply use purchased 1 or 2 loaves of large round Hawaiian Bread. Prep time is pretty much several hours if you make your own bread, 15 minutes if using purchased bread, plus chilling time. NOTE: Nutritional data will appear a bit out of whack because the software does not understand that this recipe makes a 10-15 serving bowl of dip and also 2 loaves of bread.

• Total Time: 4 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 4 hrs
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 10

for the bread (makes 2 loaves)

• 2 (¼ ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• ½ cup lukewarm water
• 1 cup milk , lukewarm
• 3 large eggs , beaten lightly
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon extract
• 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour , approximately

for the Dill Dip (per batch)

• 1 (8 ounce) package light cream cheese, softened to room temperature (can be light) or 1 cup mayonnaise (can be light)
• 1 cup sour cream (can be light)
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 2 tablespoons green onions, sliced or 3 tablespoons dried onion flakes
• ½ teaspoon dill weed
• 2 teaspoons seasoning salt , to taste
• 1 dash garlic powder , to taste (optional)

Directions:

1. First make the Hawaiian Bread (or purchase a large loaf of ready made Hawaiian Bread).
2. Combine the lukewarm water and the lukewarm milk together with the 1 Tbsp sugar and both packets of yeast.
3. Let sit 5-10 minutes until foamy- if it doesn't get foamy, then your liquids were too hot and killed the yeast OR your yeast was too old (in which case, you need to start this part over with fresh yeast).
4. Combine eggs, vanilla, 1 cup sugar, lemon extract, and foamy yeast mixture in a large bowl.
5. Add flour gradually, about 1 cup at a time- adding enough to make a stiff dough- you may not need all of the flour or you may need even a little more, depending upon the humidity the day you make the bread.
6. Once the doughs forms into a kneadable mass, dump it onto a floured surface and knead about 8-10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
7. Divide dough into 2 halves and form into balls.
8. Place each dough ball* into a greased pie plate, cover with plastic loosely, and let rise 1-1 1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk.
9. When dough is rising, combine the ingredients for the dip together until smooth, cover and chill until ready to use.
10. If you plan to use both loaves of bread, make an extra batch of dip.
11. Once the dough has fully risen, place bread in preheated 375 F oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and if rapped on the bottom of the loaf, they should sound hollow.
12. Remove from pans and let cool completely.
13. Shortly before serving time,hollow out one loaf of bread, leaving a shell to use as a bread bowl for the dip.
14. Cut the chunks of bread into cubes or just tear into bite sized pieces.
15. When ready to serve, fill hollowed out loaf with chilled dip.
16. Serve bread and dip with a platter of fresh veggies and the bite sized pieces of the bread you tore earlier.
17. Note:*If you wish you may toss the unrisen dough into a freezer bag and freeze for another use- when ready to use, simply place in a greased pie plate and let thaw overnight in the fridge.
18. Remove from the fridge and let rise until doubled in bulk and proceed with the rest of the recipe.
19. This recipe makes enough dip for one loaf to be filled at least once, but makes enough bread for two loaves.
20. Sometimes I bake the second loaf anyway and have that available to cut into more bread cubes or I just make up an extra batch of dip for the second loaf.

Reviews

[Sackville]

The taste of the bread (sweet, with a hint of lemon) and dip in this recipe were wonderful. But I can't give the recipe full marks because I had some problems with the bread. It all seemed to go well until I put the bread in the oven. As the bread baked up it did not stay as a round loaf. The top looked wonderful but it cracked around the sides. When I checked it after the 30 minutes baking time it did not sound hollow (although the top was golden) so I put it back in for another five minutes. By this time the top was starting to burn so I took it out of the oven but when I hollowed the bread it still was not cooked on the inside. It probably needed another 5-10 minutes. Also, when I hollowed out the bread the cracks meant the bowl wouldn't have held the dip. In the end, we just cut up the outside bits of the bread (which were cooked) and put them on our veggie platter. It tasted great, but not being able to serve it in the bowl was a bit disappointing. [Editor's note: recipe was updated as a result of these comments 3/31/03]

[Lalun]

I made the hawaiian bread and thought it was very good and also easy to make. I would like it a little sweeter. The dip was very good but I should have read the "to taste" on the seasoned salt. It was a bit too salty so I added a little sugar to kill the salty taste. All in all they both were good. I think the secret for the lady that wrote that her's cracked, is to just add enough flour to make the dough stiff enough to knead.Too Much can make it dry and then that could could cause it to crack.