It’s surprisingly easy to make homemade cheese bread. This soft buttery yeasted bread is twisted up with cheddar cheese, but you can use any cheese variety you love. Bake the bread in a loaf pan, then slice it to reveal the 2 cups of swirled cheese inside. For a sweet version, try our cinnamon crunch bread.
This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Red Star Yeast.
The inspiration behind this recipe comes from a local bakery, where I’ve picked up DOZENS of cheese bread loaves. Each of us love it, my almost 2 year old being the biggest fan. ♥
Cheese and bread. It’s obviously the greatest loaf of all time.
So I decided to make it myself. Brace yourself for impact!
What is Cheese Bread?
Let’s back up. This cheese bread is homemade bread swirled with real cheese. It’s a simple yeasted dough that I adapted from my sweeter homemade homemade cinnamon swirl bread and my basic sandwich bread. Each slice is extra soft with a chewy crust and ribbons of melted cheese throughout. For extra flavor, brush the top of the unbaked bread with garlic herb butter. The cheese on top crisps up, while the garlic butter infuses down into the bread.
I have 3 loaves in the freezer right now. Things would become dangerous if there wasn’t a constant stash of cheese bread in our house.
Video Tutorial: Cheese Bread
Let’s walk through each step.
Ingredients in Cheese Bread
- Buttermilk: Liquid activates the yeast. For soft, flavorful, and chewy cheese bread, use a combination of buttermilk and water. Nondairy, whole, or low fat milks work too, but buttermilk produces phenomenal flavor and texture.
- Water: Although you could use all milk as the liquid in this dough, I preferred a mix of water and buttermilk. All milk made this taste more like an overly soft dessert bread.
- Yeast: You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast. If using active dry yeast, the rise times will be a little longer. I recommend Platinum Yeast from Red Star, which is an instant yeast that is blended with natural dough improvers.
- Sugar: Sugar feeds the yeast, increases its activity, and tenderizes the dough.
- Melted Butter: Butter promises a soft and flavorful bread. Use melted butter. I found that room temperature butter produced a cakey-er and less flavorful end product.
- Egg: 1 egg provides structure and flavor.
- Salt: Bread would be seriously lacking flavor without salt!
- Garlic Powder: Garlic powder adds incredible flavor to the dough AND to the topping. If using fresh garlic, use 1 finely minced clove in the dough and 1 teaspoon minced garlic in the topping.
- Bread Flour: Higher protein flour like bread flour is best for this bread recipe because of its strong gluten formation and high rise. All-purpose flour will yield a flimsy bread.
- Cheddar Cheese: I recommend cheddar cheese, but you can use another harder cheese such as pepper jack, gouda, or colby cheese. Avoid very soft cheeses. For best taste and texture, shred the cheese off the block yourself with a cheese grater.
Did You Know?
The crustier and chewier the bread, the less fat in the dough—aka a lean dough. Chewy focaccia and my artisan bread are made from lean dough. The softer and richer the bread, the more fat in the dough—aka a rich dough. Monkey bread and cinnamon rolls are made from rich dough. This homemade cheese bread is somewhere in between. It’s chewy, super soft in the center, and a little crisp on top.
Make and knead the dough, referencing my How to Knead Dough video tutorial if necessary. After the dough comes together, let it rise for about 1 and 1/2 – 2 hours. After that, punch it down and begin assembling the cheese bread.
Baking with Yeast Guide
Reference this Baking with Yeast Guide whenever you work with baker’s yeast. I include practical answers to all of your common yeast questions.
How to Shape & Assemble Cheese Bread
Remember Nutella babka and cinnamon crunch bread? We’re doing the same thing here. Pictures and explanations can only do so much, so make sure you watch the video tutorial above before assembling.
- Punch down the risen dough. Roll out into a 9×15-inch rectangle.
- Sprinkle cheese all over the top.
- Tightly roll the dough into a 15-inch log. Place the log on its seam.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the log in half lengthwise.
- Criss-cross one half, cut side down, on top of the other half– forming an X. Tightly twist the two together.
- Pinch the outer edges to seal as best you can.
By the way, there’s 2 cups of cheese stuffed inside this bread. 🙂
After it’s shaped, loosely cover the bread and let it rest for about 30 minutes. During this time, preheat the oven. Right before baking, brush the shaped dough with melted butter, garlic powder, and chopped parsley. Chopped basil would be excellent, too!
There is no sight more beautiful. No smell more heavenly. No taste more paralleled!
The best part, besides that first cheesy bite, is slicing into the loaf to reveal all those swirls of real melted cheese. Like I said, this is obviously the greatest loaf of all time.
More Easy Homemade Bread Recipes
- Focaccia
- Artisan Bread
- Pizza Crust (great for beginners!)
- Homemade Soft Pretzels
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Pizza Pull Apart Rolls
- Cheddar Biscuits
- Sandwich Bread & Whole Wheat Bread
See Your Homemade Cheese Bread!
Many readers tried this recipe as part of a baking challenge! Feel free to email or share your recipe photos with us on social media. 🙂
PrintHomemade Cheese Bread – Extra Soft
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
You only need a handful of basic ingredients to make homemade cheese bread. This soft buttery yeasted bread is twisted up with cheddar cheese, but you can use any cheese variety you love. Bake the bread in a loaf pan, then slice it to reveal the 2 cups of swirled cheese inside. See recipe notes for make ahead and freezing instructions.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, warmed to about 110°F
- 1/3 cup (80ml) water, warmed to about 110°F
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast from Red Star (1 standard packet)
- 2 Tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, melted + slightly cooled
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 cups (390g) bread flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed and for hands/work surface*
- 2 cups (250g; 8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese (see note)
Topping
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley (or your favorite dried or fresh herb)*
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: Whisk the warm buttermilk, warm water, yeast, and sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the butter, egg, salt, garlic powder, and 1 cup flour. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, then add the remaining flour. Beat on low speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. *If you do not own a mixer, you can mix this dough with a large wooden spoon or silicone spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle!*
- Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 5 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 full minutes. (If you’re new to bread-baking, my How to Knead Dough video tutorial can help here.) If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. You can also do a “windowpane test” to see if your dough has been kneaded long enough: tear off a small (roughly golfball-size) piece of dough and gently stretch it out until it’s thin enough for light to pass through it. Hold it up to a window or light. Does light pass through the stretched dough without the dough tearing first? If so, your dough has been kneaded long enough and is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading until it passes the windowpane test.
- 1st Rise: Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1.5-2 hours or until double in size. (I always let it rise on the counter. Takes about 2 hours. For a tiny reduction in rise time, see my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
- Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Shape the bread: Punch down the dough to release the air. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface and with a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 9×15-inch rectangle (approximately). Sprinkle cheese all over the top, leaving a 1/2 inch border uncovered.
- Watch the video above to see exactly how I do this step. Tightly roll the dough into a 15-inch log. Place the log on its seam. Using a sharp knife, cut the log in half lengthwise. I find a serrated knife works best. Criss-cross one half, cut side down, on top of the other half—forming an X. Tightly twist the two together. Pinch the outer edges to seal as best you can. If you have any leftover cheese, cut a few small squares and tuck into the dough as shown in the video above. This is optional and simply for extra cheesy pockets! Place in prepared loaf pan and cover with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. (This step can get a little messy.)
- Allow the covered loaf to rest for 30 minutes. It will slightly rise during this time.
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position. Place a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any cheese or butter that may drip down. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Topping: Whisk the melted butter, herbs, and garlic powder together. Drizzle or brush on top of dough.
- Bake: Bake until golden brown and, when gently tapped, the top of the loaf sounds hollow, about 45-55 minutes. If you find the top of the loaf is browning too quickly as it bakes, tent with aluminum foil. (I usually place foil on top after about 25 minutes.) Remove bread the oven and place on a wire rack. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove from the pan and cool loaf on the wire rack.
- Slice and serve. Cover and store leftovers at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Leftover slices taste delicious when warmed in the microwave for 10 seconds.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions – Overnight: Prepare the dough through step 3. Place into a greased bowl as directed in step 4. Cover the dough tightly and place in the refrigerator for up to 15 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and allow the dough to fully rise for 1-2 more hours. Continue with step 5. I don’t recommend shaping the bread the night before as it will puff up too much overnight.
- Make Ahead Instructions – Freezing: Baked bread freezes wonderfully. Wrap the cooled loaf in plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw wrapped bread overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then warm to your liking. You can also freeze the bread dough. After punching down the dough in step 6, wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then punch the dough down again to release any air bubbles. Continue with the rest of step 6.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Stand Mixer or Large Glass Mixing Bowl | Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | 9×5-inch Loaf Pan | Rolling Pin | Whisk | Pastry Brush | Cooling Rack
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk provides the softest texture and unbeatable flavor. In a pinch, you can use whole milk instead. Lower fat or nondairy milks work in a pinch, but the bread won’t taste as moist or rich. Here are other recipes using buttermilk if you purchase a carton and need to use it up.
- Yeast: Platinum Yeast from Red Star is an instant yeast. You can use Red Star Yeast active dry yeast instead. Rise times will be slightly longer using active dry yeast. Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
- Bread Flour: Higher protein flour like bread flour is best for this bread recipe because of its strong gluten formation and high rise. All-purpose flour will yield a flimsy bread.
- Cheese: I recommend cheddar cheese in this recipe, but you can use another relatively harder cheese such as pepper jack, gouda, or colby cheese. Avoid very soft cheeses. For best taste and texture, shred cheese off the block yourself with a cheese grater. Pre-shredded cheese is drier than freshly shredded. If you have extra cheese, cut a few small squares to stuff inside the twisted bread, as noted in step 7.
- Herbs in Topping: Use your favorite herb in the topping. If using dried, reduce to 1/2 teaspoon.
Hi, made this bread today, but can’t get the twist right, could you roll out two separate pieces then plait them together?
That should work just fine!
Hi there, Has anyone tried.the dough part in a bread machine?
I love using my bread machine for the kneading and rising just wondering if I need to adapt the recipe. Thank you
We don’t own a bread machine and haven’t tried it ourselves, but other readers have reported success doing so. Hope you enjoy this bread!
This recipe turned out soooo well!! I did a mix of cheddar and mozzarella which was perfect, and had to bake it in a bundt pan because I couldn’t find my loaf pan. Will definitely be making again (and again)
I’ve made this recipe twice. The first time, I did not have buttermilk, so I used all 2% milk for the buttermilk and the water, and I added about half a tablespoon more butter. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly and it was literally the best thing I have ever baked. The crust is a combination of perfect soft, crumbly bread crust and crispy cheesy goodness and the bread itself is soft and rich like a brioche. I found it was delicious fried up in a pan with butter like a grilled cheese!
The second time I made this recipe, I bought buttermilk special for it, used a combination of extra sharp cheddar and pepper jack, and added some raw diced jalapeno. This also turned out amazing. While the all milk substitution I made the first time produced great results, the buttermilk really does add incredible flavor to this dough.
Sally’s recipes never disappoint but this one was over the top incredible.
Sally, how can I avoid large holes in my Cheesebread?
Hi Elaine! Are there holes throughout the bread, or just spaces where the cheese is? If it’s the later, the loaf may not have been rolled tight enough– an easy fix for next time!
Hi Sally,
I love the bread, but mine turned out very dense. Did I knead it too long? Otherwise , tasted great and made the whole house smell wonderful. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Gale, We’re so glad you loved the taste of this bread! Tt’s likely that your bread tasted dense because it was over-worked. The melted butter makes this dough extra soft, so try kneading it for only 2 minutes as instructed.
Hi Sally! Tried this a few days back, came out wonderful! Thanks for all the recipes! They’re all beautiful. This is the second recipe that I have tried after your buttermilk biscuits! Loved it! Thanks again!
So happy to hear that you’re enjoying our recipes, Pavithra!
Hi! Im looking forward to make this bread. I only have powdered buttermilk, how can i make it to liquid form for this recipe? Like how many tsp/tbsp mixture. Hope you can answer me.. 🙂
Yes, you can use powdered buttermilk in our this recipe. The package should have instructions on how much to use!
Can I use dried buttermilk powder, reconstituted, in place of the liquid buttermilk called for in this recipe?
Hi Monica, buttermilk powder with water should work just fine in this bread. You can also just use whole milk in its place. Would love to hear how this bread goes for you!
I reconstituted the buttermilk powder as directed on the container. The bread had a great texture and flavor. I used a mix of shredded cheddar and Jack cheese. Next time I’ll use a sharper cheddar and no Jack. Might even add some jalapeños for an extra kick!
Ps, should the instructions for shaping say cut side UP? Otherwise the cheese falls out. At least it did for me
Hi Sally!
Can I use instant rapid rise yeast instead?
Absolutely!
So I made the bread yesterday. It was a gift to a garlic cheese bread loving friend. I use gruyere and started in a bread machine because I could tell it would work that way. I used only fresh garlic and spread it across the entire bottom of the rolled out dough. ( I have no idea how you get such a nice rectangle. Mine is irregular and sort of resembles a rectangle ) I used basil and oregano. I had a lot of difficulty twisting the dough. I watched the video countless times and finally videoed the video so I could watch it while I was in front of the dough. No better. But reading the instructions helped me more. But it worked perhaps not as nicely as yours but despite these problems it was too delicious. Will make again for sure. Thank you!
This looks delicious and just what I was looking for. I have a new stand mixer but am confused about the attachment. I thought the dough hook was the single hook but you use the other attachment. Does either work? I would like to use gruyere, do you think that would be good? Thanks so much.
Hi Patti, either attachment works with this dough – see step 1. Gruyere would be delicious!
Many thanks for such a prompt reply, I am making it today!
We love this recipe! It has been on my “to try” list forever but it looks so complicated! I finally baked one for my husband yesterday and he was in love! He said I had outdone myself and this is the best bread recipe ever. I didn’t have any fresh parsley so I used dried and I added a teaspoon of Johnny’s Garlic Seasoning in the topping! My husband said, we could turn a slice of bread into a meal by adding some meat (ie sliced ham) and an egg! We enjoyed it so much that I baked another one (same day) for our friends. Thank you so much, Sally for another wonderful recipe!!!
I have made this recipe three times and it’s been wonderful each time! I’d make it more often if I thought I could handle the temptation
One tip, if you don’t have buttermilk you can just mix whole milk and vinegar (1/2 tbsp of vinegar in a 1/2 measuring cup, then fill the rest with whole milk, let it set 5-10 minutes).
I’ve done this each time and it’s turned out great!
Is there any way I can make this bread without a bread pan? Or even in muffin tins?
Hi Abi, you could try making it the same way we cook this raspberry twist bread— in a springform pan. I’m sure you could divide up the dough and make smaller twists for a muffin pan but I haven’t tested it to be certain.
I have made this bread many times and it always turn out wonderful, my family loves it so much and begs for it on a regular bases. Is it ok to double the recipe?
Hi Patricia, We are so glad your family loves this bread! For best results, we always recommend making two separate batches. Though some readers have doubled this dough successfully by doubling each ingredient. The first rise time will be longer since there’s more dough. Hope you enjoy the bread!
Hi 🙂
My boyfriend LOVES the cheese bread from a local bakery. He likes the option of toasting it for breakfast, so I have been on the hunt for a recipe that doesn’t call for garlic (almost impossible!). Is there another option for the topping you can recommend instead of garlic? Thank you!
Hi Joanne! The topping calls for garlic powder, not fresh garlic – would that still be an issue? You can just leave it out and use your favorite herbs. Let us know what you try!
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly 🙂 He likes to toast the cheese bread for breakfast, so any kind of garlic is not really appealing first thing in the morning. I’ll give it a try without a topping … maybe just brush it with plain butter.
I just made this bread this afternoon and it is delicious. Not as pretty as yours but I bet it tastes just as good. Thank you so much for your recipe
Is that okay if I use any kind of cheddar? sharp or mild or extra sharp? Which one do you like to use?
Use whichever you enjoy to eat! I usually jump for a sharp cheddar but some prefer mild.
I am making this bread for a friend along with the cinnamon crunch bread for a Xmas basket. Should I make it ahead of time and then freeze it. I am afraid if it is okay if they can refreeze it if they don’t eat it all at once?
Hi Deborah, Both breads freeze wonderfully! You can find our details on freezing in the recipe notes of each recipe.
I didn’t have buttermilk, so I cut out the water and used all regular milk. My husband said it’s the best bread he’s ever had, and he’s a chef.
Hi Sally. I love love your recipes! Is there any reason i can’t use my bread machine to do the mixing and rising? I ha e one that can be programmed to knead and rise at specific times. Thanks for such great recipes!
Hi Joan, we don’t own a bread machine and haven’t tried it ourselves, but other readers have reported success doing so. Hope you enjoy this bread!
Hi Sally
I’ve made this bread twice now and my family loved it both times.
Out of curiosity what would happen if the bread was not twisted after rolling it up? Would it still work?
Thanks
Mark
Hi Mark, We are so happy that your family enjoys this bread! It should still work to just roll it up. The cheese will be a spiral pattern inside instead of the swirls pictured here. Let us know if you give it a try!
I have tried this and it turned out really good! A lovely swirl of cheese inside my bread when it was cut open. I highly recommend it if you want to mix up the design inside your bread!
Easy to make. Smell and taste just as heavenly as described. We doubled the cheese so we had to use a slightly different twisting technique. But it turned out just as pretty
I’ve made this bread twice now and we all absolutely love it !! I proofed the dough in my oven which sped things up a bit and it turned out perfect !!!!!! Making two more loaves tomorrow !!
Hi Sue, We are so glad you loved it!
So delicious! Soft and cheesy.
Love this recipe!! I just tried it and it’s easy to make and soooo yummy. Thanks for making your instructions so clear! This loaf reminds me of Cheddar Garlic from Great Harvest, which is a huge compliment in my book because it’s one of my favorite breads of all time. Thinking I’d like to try this with Jalapeños for an added kick next time. Thanks for sharing!
I did just want to add that I like the crust on this better than the Great Harvest loaf. Something about this crust has just the right crispness, but at the same time it crumbles in your mouth. I don’t know how you did that, but it’s incredible.
Can I sub margarine for butter?
Hi Ash, We don’t recommend it. Margarine does not have the same chemical makeup as butter. It’s much more watery. We strongly recommend using butter.
I’ve been eyeballing this recipe for months now and since the weather is getting cooler I tried it today. It tastes phenomenal. I didn’t have bread flour so I used all purpose and I think that made it very soft (although I think it’s supposed to be relatively soft anyway, and I couldn’t quite wait till it was cooled) but it’s still so good. Also I used a garlic and herb cheddar from the fancy cheese section. Thanks Sally!
I’ve made this bread several times. It’s a family favorite!
This time I brushed a garlic herb butter on the dough after I rolled it out but before I put the cheese on.
And I used cheddar and Asiago cheeses. Drizzled the left over butter mixture on top after I twisted it.
It was heavenly.
Sounds delicious. I like the idea of the extra garlic butter on there.
Hi Sally ,
I live in India and we do not get bread flour can I use all purpose flour instead.
Thank you
Hi Elizabeth, In a pinch, you can simply use all-purpose flour in this recipe.