I love to cook new things. I have a cooking queue of new recipes to try that’s a mile long. So many recipes, so little time! So when something makes a repeat performance in my kitchen (or several, in this case), I figure it’s worth sharing.
That’s definitely the case with this Soft Cheese Bread, first discovered a couple of years ago in Peter Reinhart’s book “Artisan Bread Every Day”. A batch makes two loaves, so I have taken to making two different versions when I make it. Today, it was a Cheddar and Herb and a Parmesan Garlic and Herb.
Now, you might be thinking. “Jen, that bread there isn’t looking so soft”. But trust me, while this bread has a lovely crust, it is a soft crust, along with a soft interior (owing to the milk in the dough, I believe).
Of course, this is a yeast bread, so it doesn’t really qualify as “quick”, but it is easy and with one baking session, you’ll be rewarded with two great and different loaves. And these loaves freeze beautifully, so slice them up and pop them in the freezer and pull some out whenever a side of bread is in order. Pasta night? Toast up some of the Parmesan Garlic Herb (toasting or popping under the broiler for a bit, really brings the flavours out in this one!). Soup night? Cheddar and Herb will go perfectly with it. And of course, either of these would make a great sandwich bread.
This bread is endlessly customizable. All kinds of cheese, herb and other add-in combinations will work. Want to throw in some sun-dried tomatoes or a bit of pesto? Why not! Olives? Yuck. Sure. Lots of cheese or just a bit? It’s up to you.
Finally, there is an option to overnight-rise this dough in the fridge. I rarely do that, because I’m a) impatient and b) not that organized, but feel free to do so. There’s no doubt that any bread benefits from a longer rise for better flavour.
Submitting this bread to Yeastspotting.
Soft Cheese Bread
Delicious, soft cheese bread that can be filled with different cheese fillings. If you’re measuring your flour in cups, hold back 1 cup to add as needed. If you need to visualize the shaping process, it’s very similar to Estonian Kringle bread, so if you search for that, you should be able to find some photos that demonstrate.
This bread freezes beautifully. You can freeze it whole, or slice it and then freeze, so you can grab a couple of slices whenever you like.
Ingredients
- 794 grams (28 oz / 6 1/2 cups) unbleached bread flour (can use all purpose, if that’s all you have)
- 2 tsp. fine salt or 1 Tbsp. coarse kosher salt
- 5 Tbsp. white or brown sugar (or 3 1/2 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar)
- 1 cup lukewarm water, about 95° F. (for even softer bread, use 1 cup water leftover from boiling potatoes, cooled)
- 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. lukewarm buttermilk or milk
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. instant yeast
- 1/4 cup melted, unsalted butter or vegetable oil
- Filling:
- Cheddar and Herb
- 2 cups shredded, sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup minced herbs (parsley and chives are good choices)
- Parmesan, Garlic and Herb
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or about 2 tsp. minced fresh)
- 1/4 cup minced herbs (parsley works well)
- 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, salt and sugar* together. (Tip: If measuring your flour in cups, without a scale, hold back 1 cup to add as needed later). *If you’re using honey or agave, add with the liquid ingredients instead.
- In a large measuring cup or bowl, combine the water and buttermilk and whisk in the yeast until dissolved. Add this mixture, along with the melted butter, to the dry ingredients. Mix by hand or with a dough hook, until the mixture is combined, about 2 minutes. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
- Continue mixing the dough, adding more flour or water, as needed, until the dough becomes soft, smooth and tacky, but not sticky.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes, then form dough into a ball. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and either refrigerate for up to 4 days, or allow to sit at room temperature until doubled in size (about 60-90 minutes). (*Tip: I like to use an 8-cup glass measuring cup, so it’s easy to see when it’s doubled by the markings).
- Note: If you have refrigerated your dough, remove from the refrigerator 2 hours before you plan to bake, to allow it to come to room temperature.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Dust each with a bit of flour and then, using a rolling pin, roll into a rectangle approximately 10 inches wide and 16 inches long.
- For the Cheddar and Herb Bread: spread shredded cheddar and herbs evenly over the surface of the dough. Starting with the shortest side, roll the dough up jelly-roll style and pinch the seam together.
- For the Parmesan, Garlic and Herb: spread the softened butter over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan, garlic and herbs. Press lightly with the palm of your hand to press the toppings into the butter. Starting with the shortest side, roll the dough up jelly-roll style and pinch the seam together.
- Grease two 8-inch by 4-inch loaf pans and set aside.
- Shaping: Using a sharp knife, cut the roll of dough down the centre, lengthwise. Rotate each piece so that the cut sides are facing upward and place them side-by-side. Pinch together the farthest end. Keeping the cuts sides facing upwards as much as possible, place the right-side piece over the left-side piece. Straighen it up and then repeat, pinching together the end closest to you. If any cheese escapes, just place it back on top. Using a bench scraper or spatula, carefully lift the dough into the greased loaf pan. Repeat with the other dough log, then cover both with a greased piece of plastic wrap and allow to rise until the dough rises to about 1-inch above the side of the pans in the middle.
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake for 45-50 minutes total, but after 25 minutes of baking, rotate pans front-to-back in the oven and loosely cover with a piece of aluminum foil, to prevent the top from over-browning. Bread should reach about 185° F. internal temperature in the centre.
- Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for a couple of minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the bread and carefully remove the loaves to a cooling rack. Allow to cool for 1 hour before slicing.
Prep time: 20 min | Cook time: 50 min | Total time: 4 hours
Number of servings (yield): 2 loaves
Adapted from Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Bread Every Day
The photos of this gorgeous bread have me wanting to bust out my yeast, right now! Love the swirls and the crust. You are so lucky to have this in your kitchen right now!
Thanks Renee. I’m always popular around this house when I bake up a batch of these :)
Those are really beautiful loaves of bread!
you’re so right about so many recipes, so little time. I hope I will have time to bake these. :)
for now, I am pinning them to my board. :)
Thanks Julia. I’ve started using Pinterest to keep track of my “to try” recipes, as well.
Beautiful breads, they look scrumptious!
Thanks so much, Laura.
This looks SO good! Reminds me of the cheesy bread my roommates’ mom used to bring us in college. Will definitely be the next yeasted bread recipe I try!
Thanks Katie. You can never really go wrong with cheese bread :)
Stunning bread! My family would love to share a loaf with hearty soup on a cold winter evening!
Thanks Deb. That is exactly why I started baking this bread. It’s the perfect side for soup dinner.
Wow. Just beautiful. And that is one of my all time favorite bread books.
Thanks Karen. It is one of my favourites, as well (and I have a few ;)
Oh wow! This bread looks amazing. Reminds me of my favourite bread that I loved as a kid. Every Sunday, my dad would drive me to the bakery at the cabin and we’d get a freshly baked loaf of cheese bread. Cannot wait to make this!
Thanks Courtney and what a great memory. Enjoy!
Those look absolutely awesome and will add them to my must try recipes! Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks Sunny :)
Ooo yum! Those breads look truly delicious! I’m gonna have to try your shaping method some time, the loaves are beautiful!
Thanks Yvonne. This shaping method is nice with a cinnamon bread as well, as it doesn’t make those large gaps or fall apart, like the traditional roll does.
And I love your photos, too!!
Thanks :)
This reminds me of a local bakery that makes a soft, sandwich-able white bread loaf marbled with cheddar and herbs. They are famous for giving free slices away for the asking, so when I worked in an office across the street, I loved to go and get a warm slice with a cup of coffee. Now I could make some at home! Rock on! Your bread, as I’d expect, is much prettier than the bakery’s, though. Beautiful work! Is it difficult to shape the loaves in that manner? What I’m saying, is — will I be able to do it? ;)
Thanks Sophie and you can totally do this. It’s basically roll into rectangle, fill, roll up jelly-roll-like. Slice down the middle lengthwise and twist the two pieces together. There’s some pictures of the idea in this post, if you’d like some visuals (minus the forming into a ring, obviously)
Wow! Your bread looks amazing. My husband would love this bread. I seem to have a list of must try recipes that is a mile long, too. I will be adding this recipe to my list!
Thanks Kathy. I love this bread because it’s so versatile. It’s the perfect side for so many dishes and occasions. Hope you get a chance to try it.
AB5 has changed my baking life, however, I have been on a quest to find the ingredient to make the crust a little softer and the taste a little less bitter. I was happy to see this pin and will be trying it on my next batch. The last flavor that I tried was sun dried tomatoes and feta cheese. Delicious!
I think this bread will be what you’re looking for, and sun dried tomato and feta sounds delicious!
oh wow this looks delicious, I found it off of the berry, you’re berry famous! I’m going to bake it this weekend, mmmmmzzz
Haha. I am berry honoured to be featured ;) Thanks for stopping by and saying hi. Enjoy the bread!
This bread looks amazing! I work at a small bakery.and we make a cheesey onion bread that I love. I’m sure this will be at the top of my list as well..I’m going to make the parm. Herb version to go with pasta tomorrow night :) great job!
Thanks so much, Chelsey. Enjoy!
I LOVE this recipe! The bread is so beautiful! I switched it up and made parmesan, garlic, basil. I cannot wait to try different variations. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, Susan. It’s one of my favourites. I’ve made a ton of variations over the years myself.
Love any bread that includes cheese! Even better when you add garlic and herbs :)
I agree, Heather. You can never go wrong with cheese!
These breads are a thing of beauty Jennifer. I loved the cheese bread I remember as a child with chunks of cheese from the Mennonites at the farmers market.
Thanks. Cheese bread is such comfort food, for sure and a great memory!
Thank you for sharing your recipe! This was fantastic. I didn’t have any fresh herbs, so I did sharp cheddar with roasted garlic. It was amazing, and the shaping technique is so fun. Love it.
So glad you enjoyed it, Vanessa. The roasted garlic sounds great!
Made the garlic and herb loaf. It was awesome everyone loved it.
Glad you enjoyed it, Stacy. Thanks for coming back to let me know :)
Ils sont superbes,
bien dodus.
Très belle journée
Merci beaucoup!
Beautiful pictures! I posted a version of this on my website. I would love for you to check it out! Keep up the great work.
Vinni @ masala & missoni
Hi Vinni, You’re bread turned out beautifully! (I’m a carb addict, as well ;)
I have these in the oven right now, and I’m SO excited to see how they come out! They already smell delicious!
I’m jealous! Do enjoy and let me know how you liked it.
I just made a cheddar version with Italiano herb blend plus a bit of garlic powder. AMAZING!
That sounds delicious, Sherrie. Glad you enjoyed it!
I was first attracted to your website by this beautiful photo only, that I saw on Pinterest. I did a little searching and I found you and the recipe. This looks absolutely wonderful and I can’t wait to try it. Just pinned you on Pinterest and all your photos and recipes look amazing!
Thanks so much and so glad you found me :) Hope you get a chance to try this bread. I’m sure you will love it.
These loaves look absolutely wonderful!
Thanks so much.
I was just wondering if you had to let the yeast activate before you add it to the dry ingredients or if you just dump it all in together?
Hi Kristin, This recipe calls for instant yeast, which doesn’t need to be proofed in liquid beforehand. If you used active dry yeast, yes, you should activate it with some of the liquid before adding.
I baked this bread, but with some variations: I substituted a third of the flour with wholemeal flour and used cream cheese and cheddar and herbs for the filing – and gosh, it was so good! I love the soft texture of the bread. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Your version sounds delicious, Su Ann. Thanks for sharing. I love the texture of this bread, as well!
hi – i just wanted to let you know i made this bread and OMG IT WAS FREAKING AMAZING !!!!!!!! i added more filling (cheese and spices) than the recipe says – and i cant begin to tell you how incredible it was.
For starters – my entire house smelled like pizza…
secondly – it made my life incredibly easy that i was able to freeze these loaves and then just pop them in the oven to make the outside crusty before serving.
This recipe is definitely a keeper – and no doubt i’ll be making it again ! (oh i also doubled the recipe so i got 4 nice size loaves. and no, there werent any leftovers :)
So glad to hear and I agree, being able to freeze it and use as needed is one of the great things about this bread. It does make life easier, for sure.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I made a couple loaves yesterday, and they turned out wonderfully. After I started, I realized I was out of milk and had to mix up some with dry milk powder. I’d never used it in bread before, but it worked! I didn’t have bread flour, either, so I added 1 T vital wheat gluten per cup of flour. We had a couple of slices with chili and froze the rest to eat with soup another time. Definitely a keeper in our home!
You’re welcome. So glad you enjoyed it.
Hi Jennifer, these photos look great! I love making bread and I’m going to make them this weekend. I’m having trouble visualizing how you assemble the dough, in order to get the beautiful swirl effect. Any chance you can elaborate on the process for me? Sorry to be a pain, but I don’t want to mess it up!
Thanks! Sandra
Hi Sandra and it’s not problem at all. It was only after I made it last that I thought it would have been helpful to photograph the shaping thing. I plan to add it to the post the next time I make it. In the meantime, I’ve attached here a picture of shaping Estonian Kringle bread, which is very similar, except we won’t be able to get as many twists out of ours and we’re not going to form it in to a ring at the end.
Image © My Recipe Journey
So basically, we are going to spread the filling over the rolled out dough and then roll up jelly-roll style and pinch together. With a sharp knife, you’ll slice down the centre of the log, lengthwise and then rotate the pieces so the exposed filling is facing upwards. Pinch together the far end, then twist the two pieces together a couple of times, making sure to keep the exposed filling side facing up. Pinch together the other end once you’ve twisted it together (you’ll probably only be able to twist it 2-3 times). Carefully lift twisted loaf into greased loaf pan.
Does that help?
That is very helpful! Thanks so much, I can’t wait to try it. I’ll let you know how it turns out!