Crusty on the outside, cheesy and soft in the middle. You will fall in love with your first bite of perfectly baked Homemade Cheese Bread!
If you are anything like me, you may have found yourself in a bread baking phase at some point this past year. My baking stint all started while I was making eggs in a basket. I had this amazing breakfast, but could not help but think about how much better it could be if I had made it with freshly baked bread. Enter this amazing Homemade Cheese Bread recipe!
HOMEMADE CHEESE BREAD
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Carbs are one of my greatest loves. Bread, pasta, and potatoes always sound good to me. This cheddar bread is so easy to make that it is borderline dangerous to my self-control.
Luckily a freshly baked cheese bread loaf always seems to disappear from my kitchen counter in a matter of hours. So I don’t usually have to deal with the temptation to eat the entire thing by myself.
WHICH CHEESE IS BEST FOR BREAD?
Cheddar Cheese: Cheddar is an ideal cheese for cooking cheese bread. Cheddar melts smoothly and packs a great flavor. I recommend a sharp cheddar because it tends to melt evenly and keep its body the best. Extra sharp cheddar is also an option if you are looking for a more bold cheddar bread.
Mozzarella Cheese: Another obvious choice for a cheese bread recipe is mozzarella! If you’re a pizza fan you already know how this cheese bakes beautifully. With its mild flavor, mozzarella melts easily into the stretchy, gooey consistency that we all love. This cheese also pairs amazingly with Italian herbs and spices so fits right into this recipe.
Other Cheese Options: Though some cheeses may come at a higher cost, you can also use gorgonzola, Parmigiano-Reggiano, gruyere, Asiago, Parmesan cheese… the list goes on.
Each cheese will bring its own flavor profile to your bread. I don’t recommend experimenting with a new cheese for this recipe right away. If you happen to know your way around the artisan cheese section at your local store though then you should be pretty comfortable making a switch here.
The bottom line is it is hard to go wrong when you are working with cheese and bread. The end result is almost always delicious.
HOW TO MAKE THIS HOMEMADE CHEESE BREAD
This cheddar cheese bread recipe is so simple to make and pairs great with just about any meal.
- Start by mixing together your dry ingredients – flour, yeast, dried oregano, garlic powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Then, pour 1 cup of warm water into the bowl and stir with a spatula. Add a second cup of warm water and continue to stir together until all ingredients are well combined and a dough forms.
- Add the shredded cheddar cheese and knead the dough until it is combined. I like to knead the dough with my hands so it absorbs some body heat and becomes softer.
- Grease the bottom and sides of the bowl with olive oil and return the dough to the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel.
- Place the dough in a warm place to rise. Near a window or any place near a constant heat source are great options. Then let the dough rise for 1-2 hours until it’s doubled in size.
- When the dough is nearly ready, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place some parchment paper or a silicone baking mat onto a baking sheet or round baking pan.
- When the dough is ready, grease your hands with olive oil and transfer it to the pan.
- Form the dough into a ball, but do not overwork it. Use scissors to make small incisions on the top of the dough. Sprinkle the top with sesame seeds (or any seed you prefer), and allow your dough to sit for another 15 minutes.
- When ready, bake your bread for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
- Once you remove your loaf from the oven, immediately turn the cheese bread out and onto a cooling rack. Allow it to cool completely before cutting and serving.
- Serve your bread with butter and Mediterranean mixed herbs for the perfect finishing touch!
If you want to get really crazy, you can brush the loaf of bread with some garlic butter right out of the oven and let it melt all over the top. It’ll soak into the bread as it cools for extra deliciousness!
HOW DO YOU USE CHEESE BREAD?
This cheddar cheese bread recipe is my favorite because I can use it for virtually any occasion.
I can throw a loaf in the oven and have a fresh, warm snack for my family to munch on while watching a movie.
Pot lucks are a breeze when I can just show up with freshly sliced bread and a crowd-pleasing dip.
It makes a great side for any Italian pasta dinner. Sandwiches also get a serious makeover when you use two slices of fresh-baked cheese bread over days old store-bought bread.
TRY THESE OTHER BREAD RECIPES
- Grilled Parmesan Garlic Bread
- Ricotta Parmesan Garlic Bread
- Bacon Ranch Cheesy Bread
- Homemade Bread Bowl
- Spinach Artichoke Pull Apart Bread
- Try these other SIDE DISH recipes
TOOLS USED TO MAKE THIS CHEESE BREAD RECIPE
Cooling Rack: This perfect cooling rack is both sturdy and storage friendly!
Round Baking Pan: The perfect pan for baking round loaves of bread like this one!
Ingredients
- 4 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 envelope)
- 1 ½ tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups warm water (105 to 110 degrees F)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
- Butter for serving
- Mediterranean mixed herbs for serving
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, yeast, oregano, garlic powder, and salt together. Then pour 1 cup of warm water. Stir until well combined with a spatula.
- Pour in the remaining warm water and mix until a dough forms.
- Add the shredded cheddar cheese to the dough and knead in cheese until combine. Kneading the dough with your hands lets it absorb the heat from your body and the dough will become softer.
- Grease the inside of a large bowl with olive oil. Put the dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Place the dough in a warm place and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- When the dough is doubled in size, grease your hands with olive oil and transfer dough to the baking sheet. Form the dough into a nice ball.
- Use scissors or a paring knife to make small incisions on the top of the dough. Sprinkle top of dough with sesame seeds if desired. Let dough rest for 15 minutes.
- Bake loaf for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into slices and serve. It's really good topped with butter and Mediterranean mixed herbs.
Holly says
Have you ever had your recipe time and temperature control tested??