This Homemade Chunky Cheese Bread is soft and loaded with both shredded and chunks of cheddar cheese. Lightly flavoured with a bit of mustard and garlic and topped with sesame seeds.
There’s cheese bread and then there’s cheeeeeese bread. This is definitely the latter. This is the bread you should make when you really want the full-on cheese bread experience. It’s excellent eaten out of hand, with butter. It’s great toasted or as a sandwich bread and of course, it makes a pretty much perfect grilled cheese.
This bread uses an interesting technique. First the dough is rolled out, then scattered with shredded cheese, then rolled up jelly-roll style. Then it’s cut in half lengthwise and then cut into little pieces. Those pieces are scattered haphazardly into the loaf pans, mixed with a generous amount of cheese chunks. It’s all topped off with a bit of melted butter, a pinch of garlic salt and a sprinkling with sesame seeds. It bakes up into a solid loaf, that’s very sliceable, with no gaps that you often get with just jelly-rolled cheese bread.
Love cheese bread? You might also like my Soft Cheese Bread recipe.
Cook’s Notes for Homemade Chunky Cheese Bread
If you’ve ever gazed longingly at those super cheesy breads at the grocery store, then been stopped short by the price tag, you’ll be laughing all the way to the bank with this homemade version. You’ll use less than 1/2 of standard large block of cheese for these two loaves, so maybe $2.50 – $3 for cheese, tops – for two large loaves. With minimal other ingredients, it makes a lot of sense to bake your own, not to mention that you know exactly what’s in it!
When it comes to cutting the dough into small pieces, don’t be too precise with it. Go all ninja on it and just cut haphazardly. It’s good to have a variety of sizes and shapes, to fill in the pan spaces best.
Don’t be in too much of a rush to remove the bread from the oven. It will look fairly browned at the 30 minute mark, but it needs to cook a little longer (35-40 minutes). Cover loosely with a piece of foil to stop the browning, if needed.
Don’t skimp on the greasing of the loaf pans. It will make your life easier when removing the cooked bread later. I just use a generous spray of baking spray.
Chunky Cheese Bread
Ingredients
Bread:
- 1 1/2 cups warm water about 110° F.
- 2 Tbsp instant or rapid-rise yeast
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 5-6 cups all-purpose flour
Filling:
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, somewhat packed
- 2 cups cubed cheddar cheese (about 1/2 inch chunks
Topping:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil or melted butter
- Pinch of garlic salt or sprinkling of dried herb or spice mix
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
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Generously grease two 8x4-inch or 9x5-inch loaf pans and set aside.
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In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a kneading hook, combine warm water and yeast. Stir and let stand 2-3 minutes, until foamy. Add the sugar, salt, mustard, eggs, oil, butter and 3 cups of the flour. Mix together until combined. Begin adding more of the flour, in small increments (1/2 cup at first, then 1/4 cup, then tablespoons), until you have a moist, smooth and elastic dough. Remove dough to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise until doubled, about 30-60 minutes.
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Remove risen dough to a floured surface. Divide into two equal pieces. Roll one piece of the dough into a rectangle about 10x16-inches. Scatter one half of the shredded cheese evenly over top of the dough. Starting with the long side, roll the dough up jelly-roll style. Using a sharp knife, cut down the middle of each roll lengthwise. Then, using the knife, cut the two long pieces into smaller irregular pieces, about 1-inch-ish. Scatter about half the dough pieces onto the bottom of one of the prepared loaf pans. Scatter with 1/4 of the cheese cubes. Top with the rest of the dough pieces and then another 1/4 of the cheese cubes. Set aside and repeat this process with the same process with second dough piece, filling up the second loaf pan. Don't worry if it looks sparse. It will rise and all cook together wonderfully.
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When both loaf pans are filled, drizzle with melted butter, dividing it between the two loaves. Sprinkle with a pinch of garlic salt (or dried herb blenand some sesame seeds. Cover with greased plastic wrap and set to rise 30-45 minutes, or until puffy.
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Preheat oven to 350° Place loaf pan on a baking sheet (to catch any bubble-overand bake until well browned, 35-40 minutes. Check at 30 minutes. If top is brown enough, cover loosely with aluminum foil to stop additional browning and continue baking.
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Allow to cool in pans for about 20 minutes, then run a knife around the outside and remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. These freeze well!
This recipe was adapted from a Marcy Goldman recipe in “A Passion for Baking”.
Wow does this bread look like the perfect thing to serve with a big pot of soup! I love the rolling and ‘hacking’ technique, I wonder if that would work with other types of homemade bread, too?
Thanks Sue and yes, it absolutely works with all sorts of bread. I made a cinnamon/brown sugar version recently using the same technique.
Wow, Jennifer, such a beautiful cheese bread! I probably would consider going vegan if I didn’t have to give up cheese. That’s just not even an option. You’ve turned this into art with your beautiful photography. I could be there in an hour if you’re serving this afternoon, lol.
Thanks Robyn :) I am the same. I could give up meat so much more easily than I could ever give up cheese!
OMG, this isn’t just cheese bread, Jennifer. This is the end all, be all type of cheese bread that makes my heart go pitter patter! This looks beyond delicious and like I need a few loaves of this in my life immediately! Serious carb-a-liciousness up in here! Pinned! Cheers!
Thanks Cheyanne and yes, it certainly more than satisfies my need for carbs and cheese – preferably together ;)
I am freaking out over this bread! Sooo much yummy cheese in there! I want to make this and then make a grilled cheese with it STAT.
Thanks Katrina. I definitely recommend the grilled cheese!
Oh, those chunks of cheddar cheese Jennifer! I’m drooling over here! Looks fabulous!
Thanks so much, Mary Ann :)
What a temping bread, those chunks of cheddar are everything!
Thanks Laura :)
It is official … you are my bread hero! I want to come work in your bakery … or buy your cookbook … or just eat whatever comes out of your oven! My husband would flip for this bread – have you ever tried it with some jalapenos mixed in?
Thanks so much, Tricia :) I haven’t tried this particular bread with jalapenos, but I’ve made another and I discovered (at least to my taste), that the jalapenos need to be roasted or cooked just a bit before adding to the bread. Adding them raw just doesn’t give the expected finished product.
Bread and cheese, two of my absolute favorites, this look amazing!
Me too, Diane :) Thanks!
Oh I’m so intrigued by this technique, Jennifer! Can’t wait to try it out. Those little pockets of cheese are just heavenly! I bet this bread makes the best grilled cheese sandwich EVER!
Thanks Liz. It’s sort of fun cutting up the dough. You kind of do feel a little ninja-ish :)
What delicious flavors Jennifer! So pretty too!
Thanks so much, Toni :)
I definitely am going to need to make this recipe. This looks fantastic!
Thanks so much, Sarah :)
I’m short a loaf pan – do you think I could halve the recipe??
Absolutely Jennifer! Enjoy :)
Wow, what a fun, interesting and delicious technique! It looks amazing Jennifer!
Thanks so much, Chris :)
Thank you for this recipe Jennifer. This is the first recipe of yours that I have tried and it was absolutely fantastic.
Thanks Jeanne and so glad you enjoyed the bread! And thanks for coming back to let me know :)
Hi Jennifer, stumbled across your beautiful blog while looking for some cheesy bread recipes! This recipe looks amazing and I’m itching to make it! Just wondering if you have this recipe in weight and mL? Or if you could let me know the capacity of your measuring cups/spoons? (I’m in Australia where we have a 250mL cup and 20mL tablespoon, it sometimes wreaks havoc in recipes!) Thanks :)
Hi Jenny and thanks! I’ll weigh out the ingredients for you and update the recipe tonight. So check back tomorrow :)
Thank you Jennifer, much appreciated!! Can’t wait to bake this! :)
You’re welcome. Enjoy!
Hi Jennifer! Your breads look so professional and artisinal!
I’m vegetarian and don’t eat eggs. Do you suppose this bread could be made without eggs or using flax eggs instead?
Thank you!
Hi Bella. I have no experience with flax eggs and bread. It may work, but I can’t say for sure. I can say for sure that you can just leave out the eggs. The bread will be a little less rich, but still very nice :)
hi! i am just about to make your delicious recipe! however there is a discrepancy in your recipe- the yeast you said calls for 2 TABLESPOONS, however the 9 grams indicate 2 teaspoons. I am hoping that you meant teaspoon because I only bought enough for 2 teaspoons! hopefully it will come out alright :)
Hi Flora, It is definitely 2 TABLESPOONS. I converted the recipe to grams by measuring then weighing and 9 grams is what I wrote down for the 2 Tablespoons of instant yeast. That may be incorrect. I will double-check it, but 2 Tbsp. is correct.
Turned out looking just like the picture and it tastes great, but be sure to place a cookie sheet under the loaves as they cook. As mine rose up, butter and cheese dripped into the oven and I had quite the smoke show!
So glad you enjoyed it, but sorry about the smoke show. I’ve had a few of those over the years ;) I’ve updated the recipe to suggest baking on a baking sheet, so no one else has that problem. Thanks for the heads up on that!
Hi I just tried tonight our dinner for this bread.
I was confusing about recipe like….
“Using a sharp knife, cut down the middle of each roll lengthwise. Then, using the knife, cut the two long pieces into smaller irregular pieces, about 1-inch-ish. Scatter about half the dough pieces onto the bottom of one of the prepared loaf pans.”
Cut down the mddle of each roll. …..it does means ,all the way to cut ??? or what ………or stop top and bottom of dough to cut ?
Anyways, I just cutting for 1 inch dough and dump in to the bottom of the pan. Whatever I take , right ?
Then, cheese and whatever dough left on it and layered.
It was came very good !
I think I worried too much and want to follow detail with recipe but I think I better believing myself to doing !
Thank you and taste are excellent as usual your recipe !!
Hi Yuri, it meant cutting all the way through, making two separate pieces, then cutting each in to 1-inch pieces etc. So glad to hear you enjoyed this one!
Yep ! That’s what I was figure it out . Thank you. By the way, I was cooking “Creamy Asparagus Mini Potato Chicken” last night . That was excellent recipe , too !! You are awesome !
So glad you liked the chicken, too :) Thanks!
The first time I made this, I oiled pans a lot and couldn’t get bread out. I had to cut bread in the pan and try to get it out. Knowing this and how good this recipe is, I made again but this time I oiled pan and lined the pan on bottom and all four sides with parchment – oiled again. It came out with no effort. Still delicious.
So glad you enjoyed this Kathy! I’ve never had an issue getting this one out of the pan, but love your idea of parchment. I use it often when I don’t want to fight with getting things out of pans :)