Add the cottage cheese to a small blender. Blend on high until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides as needed to help the blender blend.

Transfer the blended cottage cheese to a large mixing bowl. Stir in the sparkling water until fully combined.

Add the flour and mix well with a spatula until a shaggy dough forms. If the dough isn’t coming together, add a splash or two of water until it’s easily combined.

Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Alternatively, you can also transfer the dough to a proofing container with a lid. Let the dough rest and proof for 6-12 hours in the fridge. The dough will not expand that much when it rests, but you should see that the dough has more air pockets and is wetter.

About 30 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C). Place a large Dutch oven (4.3 quarts or bigger) with its lid on in the lower half of your oven (I recommend adjusting your oven rack to the second lowest spot in your oven and placing your Dutch oven there) while it preheats. This is important. The Dutch oven needs to preheat before adding the bread.

After the dough has rested, wet your hands with some water. Grab one side of the dough, stretch it upward, and then fold it over the center of the dough. Repeat this process from all eight sides of the dough.

Lightly flour a work surface with self-rising flour. Carefully turn the dough out onto the floured surface, seam side down. Use a bench scraper or lightly floured hands to rotate and drag the dough towards yourself on the floured surface, until you form a round ball.

Place the shaped dough, seam side down, onto a piece of parchment paper.

Remove the preheated Dutch oven from the oven. Remove the lid and carefully transfer the parchment paper with the dough into the hot Dutch oven.

Put the lid back on and place it back into the oven to bake covered for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, reduce oven to 425°F (218°C), remove the lid and continue baking the bread for another 25 to 30 minutes or until the bread is browned on the surface and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Reducing the oven temperature and baking the bread in the lower half of the oven should help the bread from turning too dark on the surface.

Let bread cool fully before cutting and serving. Store uneaten bread in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.