Get the Recipe: Simply Perfect Homemade Cheese Bread
Delicious, soft cheese bread that can be filled with any cheese, including classic cheddar cheese. With a perfect slicing texture, this soft cheese bread is great for sandwiches and is lovely toasted with butter.
Ingredients
- 6 1/2 cups (794 g) unbleached bread flour, spooned and levelled *see Note 1 below
- 2 teaspoons (14 g) fine salt , reduce slightly if using salted butter
- 5 Tablespoons (64 g) white sugar, or brown sugar or 3 1/2 Tbsp. honey
- 1 cup (227 g) lukewarm water, about 95F
- 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons (255 g) milk, or buttermilk, lukewarm, about 95F
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons (14 g) Instant yeast or Active Dry Yeast
- 1/4 cup (57 g) unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly, or the same amount of vegetable/canola oil
Cheddar and herb filling (for two loaves):
- 3 cups (340 g) sharp/old orange cheddar cheese, shredded and packed
- 2-3 Tablespoons (60 ml) dried parsley, optional *see Note 2 below
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the 6 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour (spooned and levelled *see Note 1 below), 2 teaspoons fine salt (reduce slightly if using salted butter) and 5 Tablespoons white sugar (or brown sugar or 3 1/2 Tbsp. honey ) together and stir together well.
- In a large measuring cup or bowl, combine the 1 cup lukewarm water (about 95F ) and 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons milk (or buttermilk, lukewarm, about 95F) and whisk in the 1 1/2 Tablespoons Instant yeast or Active Dry Yeast until dissolved. Add this mixture, along with the 1/4 cup unsalted butter (melted and cooled slightly, or the same amount of vegetable/canola oil), to the dry ingredients. Mix by hand or with a dough hook at Speed 2 until the mixture is combined and all the dry ingredients are incorporated into a shaggy dough, about 2-3 minutes. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
- Continue mixing the dough with the kneading hook at Speed 2 for 5-7 minutes, until a smooth dough forms that wraps the dough hook and cleans the bowl. The dough should not be sticking to the mixing bowl at all.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes, adding more flour only if the dough is sticking to your hands or the work surface; then form the dough into a ball. (If the dough feels smooth like a baby's bottom, you've nailed it!).
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl or an 8-cup measuring cup, then flip the ball over in the bowl so the top of the dough is covered in the oil from the bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise until just doubled, about 40-60 minutes in a 72F kitchen. (This dough is a fast-riser! Don't wander too far. You want the dough to just double in size - no more and no less - however long that takes.)
- Note: Alternatively, you can refrigerate the dough, well covered, for up to 4 days. If you have refrigerated your dough, remove it from the refrigerator 2 hours before you plan to bake to allow it to come to room temperature.
- Grease two 8-inch by 4-inch loaf pans and set aside.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Cover one piece with plastic wrap and set aside. Working with one piece of dough, use a rolling pin to roll it into a rectangle approximately 12 inches wide and 16 inches long. (If the dough seems to spring back and not hold its shape while rolling, allow it to sit for a few minutes and try again.)
- Once rolled out, scatter 1/2 of the shredded cheddar and 1/2 of the herbs evenly over the surface of the dough. Starting with the long side of the rectangle, roll the dough up jelly-roll style and pinch the seam together. Rotate the rolled dough so the seam is underneath.
- 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 cut sides facing upwards as much as possible, place the right-side piece over the left-side piece. Straighten it up all the way and then repeat twisting together down the length of the dough, then 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 piece of dough, then cover both pans with a greased piece of plastic wrap (I like to spray the plastic wrap with cooking spray).
- Allow the loaves to rise until the dough rises about 1 inch above the side of the pans in the middle, about 30-40 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350F (non-convection/not fan-assisted), with the rack in the centre of the oven.
- Place the loaves on top of a baking sheet to catch any cheese that might fall off the loaves as they bake. Bake the loaves for 40-45 minutes total, but set a timer for 20 minutes, at which time you'll rotate the pans from front-to-back in the oven and loosely cover the top of the loaves with a piece of aluminum foil if the bread is already well-browned. The foil will prevent the top from over-browning. Continue baking the bread for about 20-25 minutes more, until the bread reaches about 185F° internal temperature in the centre when tested with an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool in the pans for a couple of minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the bread, then carefully remove the loaves to a cooling rack. Allow the loaves to cool for 1 hour before slicing. *Slicing hot or very warm bread will make for a gummy crumb, so resist the urge and let it cool :)
- Store the baked bread at room temperature for several days, storing it in a bread bag or, at least, wrapping any cut ends tightly. You can also freeze this bread for up to 2 months.
If measuring your flour in cups without a scale, hold back 1 cup of the flour to add as needed later, as needed. If you're using honey, add it with the liquid ingredients instead.
"Lukewarm" means just barely warm to the touch, not hot. If you heat the water or milk too much, it can kill the yeast. Think baby bottle warmed!
If you weigh out the ingredients with a scale, you will almost never have to add extra flour to the dough, as it should come out perfectly every time (the huge advantage of weighing ingredients!). If you are using measuring cups and you held back 1 cup of the flour, as directed, begin adding it to the dough while kneading, as needed, to create a smooth, non-sticky dough as described. You may not need to use all of the reserved cup of flour, or you may need to use a tiny bit more. Add only as needed.
I like to use an 8-cup glass measuring cup, so it's easy to see when the dough has doubled by the markings on the side. The dough will fill the measuring cup up to roughly the 4-cup mark to start and, when doubled, will just touch the bottom of the plastic wrap, or the 8-cup marking.
I like to weigh the entire dough ball on a scale, then divide by two to get the precise weight for each ball. This will ensure that the two loaves will bake evenly, as they are exactly the same size.
If you are unclear about the shaping process for this bread, scroll up to the Recipe Video above this Recipe Card. You may wish to watch it before starting the shaping process, so it's clear from the start.
This bread will look done before it is done! After about 20-25 minutes of baking, the loaves will look quite browned and may fool you into thinking they are nearing done. Don't be fooled. They need 40-45 minutes in the oven to bake and reach 185F. Cover the loaves loosely with aluminum foil to prevent further browning, if needed, and allow the loaves to continue baking.
Notes
Note 1: High-protein bread flour is recommended for best texture and lightness. If you only have all-purpose flour on hand, you can use it, but your bread may be a bit less light. If using all-purpose flour, you may find you have to add a bit more flour to get to that moist, smooth dough stage.
Note 2: Adding dried herbs to the filling is completely optional. Dried parsley will provide some colour, without adding any significant flavour. If you want to experiment, replace a Tablespoon of the dried parsley with dried chives, for a slight onion flavour. If you'd prefer to use fresh parsley, chop finely and use about 1/4 cup.
Nutritional information is for one slice, assuming each loaf yields 12 slices.
Tips!
If you want to take your bread game to the next level, you really need to be using a kitchen scale and weigh out the ingredients. You will quickly find that doing so will produce a perfect loaf every time! No more uncertainty about how dry measuring cups were filled. No more variations between the exact volume of a liquid cup. You can pick up a kitchen scale for only $20, and it's the best investment you will make for your kitchen.
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.
I always make two loaves of bread! It takes the same amount of time to make one loaf as it does two. Bread freezes beautifully, so enjoy one right away and freeze the other for another time. It is also a beautiful bread to gift, so keep one to enjoy and give away the 2nd loaf. If you only have one loaf pan, after dividing the dough into two pieces, form, fill and bake one of the dough pieces and refrigerate the other piece to shape/fill and bake later.
Variations
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 and/or a bit of pesto? Why not! Olives? Sure. Lots of cheese or just a bit? It's up to you.
If you are a garlic bread fan, try the Parmesan Garlic Herb filling below. (You can make one loaf with cheddar and one with Parmesan, if you like!)
Parmesan Herb Filling (for one loaf): 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt) or 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic; 3-4 Tablespoons dried parsley/herbs. Butter the rolled dough, sprinkle with Parmesan, garlic powder and herbs, then shape and bake.
Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card for more tips on making this recipe. You'll find step-by-step photos and a recipe video, which you may find helpful, especially when shaping the bread.
Watch how to make it
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 212kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 293mg, Potassium: 70mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 225IU, Vitamin C: 0.3mg, Calcium: 121mg, Iron: 0.4mg
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