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The cheesiest swirled Soft Garlic Herb Cheddar Cheese Bread. Simple to make and even more delicious to eat! This light, doughy, and super soft bread is swirled with sharp cheddar cheese, Italian herbs, and hinted lightly with garlic. It makes for the most delicious companion to your dinner table or game day spread. It’s easy yet impressive. And it’s best served warm, right out of the oven, while it’s still gooey and cheesy. You will LOVE this bread.
It’s so funny how this time of year I always bake bread. In fact, so much bread. It’s the days getting shorter and the nights getting cooler. This always leaves me thinking about the bread my mom would bake up in the fall. She kept her loaves of bread simple. But it’s her love for fresh bread that inspires me to bake my own every single fall.
This year I’m adding cheese and herbs for a savory twist. This makes the bread great to serve with dinner or as an appetizer.
Shockingly, I’ve never shared a homemade cheesy bread with you guys, so I’m especially excited about this recipe! I love how easy it is to make, how impressive it looks, and of course, how delicious it is!
Here are the details.
For the dough, I like to keep it simple with a mix of flour, yeast, and a pinch of salt. My secret is to use a good amount of eggs to make more of a brioche-style dough. The combination creates a dough that stays incredibly soft and fluffy. It’s my favorite dough to use and is always so easy to work with.
I prefer to use active dry yeast, which I personally think rises nicer than instant. And it really is just as quick and easy.
And that’s the dough. Once you have it made, let it rise until it has doubled in size. Nothing too fancy here.
The cheese
While the bread is rising, you can mix up the cheese blend. I’m using a combination of sharp cheddar, melty mozzarella, and parmesan. It’s a pretty simple everyday mix, but one that just about everyone enjoys!
And then for the herbs, I used a mix of fresh sage, oregano, and thyme. It’s everything we still have on hand right now from the summer harvest. I love the sage, it’s really nice and warming for fall and goes great with the cheddar!
Once the dough has risen
Roll it out, just like you might roll out a cinnamon roll, into a flat rectangle. Then sprinkle on the cheese blend and roll the dough into a log.
Next, cut the log in half vertically to expose the cheese. Twist the two pieces of dough over each other to create a loose twist. And finally, coil the dough up into a circle. It’s going to be messy, but don’t stress. Stuff any cheese that falls out back on top of the bread. It does not need to be perfect!
Once you have the bread shaped, let it rise, and then bake. Please, please, please, enjoy this warm, right out of the oven, and while the cheese is still gooey inside!
I love this as a Sunday night football appetizer or side dish to a big family dinner.
A few dinner recommendations to serve alongside this cheesy bread.…autumn soup, hearty lasagna…with a big fall salad, a family casserole, or a creamy pasta.
Looking for fall bread recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Parmesan Popovers with Crispy Sage Garlic Butter
Pull Apart Parmesan Sage Butter Brioche Rolls
Easy Pull Apart Garlic Parmesan Bread
Lastly, if you make this Soft Garlic Herb Cheddar Cheese Bread be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Soft Garlic Herb Cheddar Cheese Bread
Servings: 15
Calories Per Serving: 263 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup warm whole milk
- 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 large eggs
- 3 1/2 – 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups shredded cheddar
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup chopped Italian herbs such as sage, oregano, basil, and thyme
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
Instructions
- 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the milk, yeast, and honey. Let sit 5-10 minutes, until bubbly on top. Add the eggs, 3 1/2 cups flour, and salt. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. If the dough is still sticky, add the additional 1/2 cup flour, adding more as needed until the dough is smooth to touch.2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour or until doubled in size.3. In a bowl, combine the cheeses, herbs, and garlic.4. Punch the dough down and roll out onto a lightly floured surface, creating a large rectangle about 12 x 18 inches. Sprinkle the cheese mix evenly over the dough. Starting with the long edge closest to you, roll the dough into a log, keeping it tight as you go. When you reach the edge, pinch along the edge to seal. 5. Using a sharp knife, cut the log of dough in half lengthwise, leaving a small portion at one end intact (see above photo). Turn the halves out to expose the filling. Cross the dough ropes over each other, repeating the twisting until you have a long, twisted dough.6. Coil the dough into a circle (see above photo). Carefully transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let sit 15 minutes.7. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Slice and serve warm.
Any tips for making this work gluten-free? Xanthan gum? Extra leavening ingredients?
Hey Katey,
I would just use an equal amount of GF flour. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Did you try it gluten free ever?
My loaf was a nice brown color on top but the middle had a strip of uncooked dough that remained. Baked for 30 minutes, will adjust next time. It was delicious!
Thanks for giving the recipe a try Sam!! xTieghan
This bread is such ooey gooey goodness!! Pockets of cheese everywhere!! Only change was I added more garlic and I didn’t measure the cheese, which are my only 2 rules in cooking! Will definitely make again!
Hey Aimee,
Wonderful!! So glad to hear that this recipe was loved, thanks for making it:) xTieghan
My whole family loved this! However, the filling needs something to bind it together. Thoughts?
Hey Rae,
Wonderful!! So glad to hear that this recipe was loved, thanks for making it:) Sorry, I have not found that a binder is needed, feel free to add something as you wish. xTieghan
Try turning the filling ingredients into a compound butter or just brushing the dough with melted butter before distributing the filling ingredients and then giving them a gentle press in with your hands or a quick roll of a rolling pin.
Have you ever tried making this with GF flour? I substitute GF Cup4Cup in all of your desserts that I make. I’m just not quite sure about breads. What would the texture be like?
Hey Angie,
You can use an equal amount GF flour for this recipe. Please let me know if you give it a try, I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Hi, can I make this in advance and then just bake it later?
Hey Amanda,
You bet! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This looks delicious. I’m wondering at what level should the stand mixer be on for the mixing?
Hey Nicole,
You can put it on high:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hi!
Would it be possible to leave out the eggs?
Thanks!
I’m also wondering if it’s possible without the eggs or if there is a replacement.
My 2 cents is to use a bread dough that doesn’t call for eggs instead of leaving them out of her specific recipe. I have used Emeril Lagasse’s BASIC ITALIAN BREAD recipe for my quick Stromboli for years with great success. The egg white in that recipe is used only as a wash & can be left out. The dough should suit you nicely.
Hi Bianca,
Sorry, I’ve not tested this recipe without the egg, if you decide to skip them you will definitely want to use an egg replacement of your choice. I hope you love this bread, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hi! Can 2% milk be used if whole milk isn’t available?
Hey Sarah,
Sure, 2% milk will work just fine here. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hi! Do I use a baking sheet or Dutch oven for this?
Thanks!
-Kyriea
Hey there,
You are going to bake this on a parchment lined baking sheet. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
A little confused with video. It looked liked the bread was covered with aluminum foil and baked? Or do you only use the aluminum foil to cover it for 15 minutes, remove foil and then bake?
Hey Cindy,
You can definitely cover with foil while the bread bakes to prevent the top from browning too much and then remove at the end. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hi! Why is this bread making recipe so much shorter than your other recipe? I also see the standout of no yogurt much less flour. Do you recommend this method more or what is the difference? Thank you!!!!! I hope you answer your original Cheater bread recipe is my go to
Hey Olivia,
Sorry, I am not sure which other bread recipe you are referring to, I have a bunch:) This recipe is what worked best for me for this bread. Please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I was also curious about eggs in bread recipes and found this article which talks about what eggs do to the dough and which breads benefit from them! https://oureverydaylife.com/eggs-vs-oil-bread-dough-39884.html
Hello! Can this recipe be made by hand if we don’t have a stand mixer? If so, how? Thanks 🙂
Hey Marie,
You bet, just mix with a wooden spoon and knead by hand. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hey! Do you think it would work if I make this with a 1:1 gluten free flour? Thanks in advance!
Hey Jess,
Yes, that will work well for you. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I typically bake with fresh herbs, but is there an amount of dried herbs I can convert this to when fresh is not available? I’d probably use Italian seasoning. I am baking this tonight because I’m already drooling over those photographs! ?? Have a great day, Tieghan and HBH Team!
Hey Jen,
A general rule of thumb is for every 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs you will want to use 1 teaspoon of dried herbs. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Can this be prepped in the morning and then transferred to the refrigerator for the day to bake for dinner tonight?
Hey Heather,
You bet, that would work well for you, just allow it to return to room temp before baking. I hope this recipe turns out amazing, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan