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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.
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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
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.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Planning on making this tomorrow. Can I substitute AP flour with bread flour? Will that switch change the bread’s texture in any way?
Hey there,
I think that should be just fine for you to do! Let me know how this recipe turns out, I hope you love it! xT
Hi have you used gluten free flour? If so how would you adjust? Thanks!
Can this dough be made beforehand?
Hi Ren,
You bet, that will be just fine for you to do! Let me know if I can help in any other way! I hope you love this recipe! xx
Can any part of this dough be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge? Or at the last stage, would it be bad if the dough sat out for hours instead of 15 minutes?
Making for Easter but would love to have the dough made and rolled to avoid Doug while guests are over. Thanks!
Hey Rachel,
Totally, you could pop in the fridge after step 2 and finish the recipe the following day. I hope you love this bread! xx
I’ve made this 3 times. So soft, fluffy and simply delicious. My mom said it’s her new favorite. Thank you!
Hey Kendra,
Happy Monday!! ☀️⛅️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
I made this bread today and it is so wonderful! So easy to make and so delicious!
Hi Amy,
Fantastic!!🌻 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
I made this beautiful loaf of bread with my new Kitchenaid stand mixer yesterday and Wow… it was soooo easy, this was my first time making bread and it turned out amazing, the smell wafting through my kitchen was incredible, we sliced and ate it straight out the oven with dinner and it was absolutely delicious. My husband said he would pay money for this bread.
Thank you Tieghan for sharing this incredibly tasty recipe. This recipe is a keeper along with many others of yours.
Hey Michelle,
Happy Friday!😁 Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
Can the dough be prepared in a bread machine?
Hey Debbie,
Sure, I don’t see why not! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope this turns out well for you! xx
Hi!
I love making your recipes! I was wondering if I can substitute dry herbs instead of fresh in this recipe? If so, what would be the recommended amount to use? It’s hard to find fresh in my grocery store at this time of year.
Thanks,
Donna
Hi Donna,
Sure, that would work well for you! A general rule of thumb to follow is for every 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs you will use 1 teaspoon of dried herbs. I hope you love this recipe! xT
Followed this recipe exactly and of course, it is delicious! Was astonished at how big the loaf came out so will have this for dinner tonight with some soup and tomorrow with lasagna. Don’t forget to add the parmesan like I did because the bread could use a tiny bit more salt.
Hey Thy,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear this was enjoyed! xT
Just tried this in Chicago w/family and we all ate the whole loaf…I insisted for Xmas she share the recipe, so I’m trying it today here in the SF Bay Area…it was WONDERFUL. Fingers crossed I won’t foul it up…big hit w/both the kids and adults paired w/”lasagna soup” which I’m also stealing. YUM!
Hey Amy,
I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Merry Christmas! 🎁🎄
This recipe is an absolute winner!!! I’m not naturally the best at bread and doughs in general but this one worked so well and came together so so easily for me. The twisting is fun and really forgiving and feels way fancier to eat than it felt to make. Overall love this one. Thanks Tieghan!!
Hey Molly,
Happy Thursday!! Thanks so much for making this bread and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
Can you use fresh mozzarella or is that not considered “melty?
Hi Diane,
I’m not sure I would recommend fresh mozzarella, I feel like it might be a little wet for this recipe. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
AMAZING!!! This is my second time making this bread. It’s a winner all around. I like to pair it with a soup for rainy nights.
Hey Chloe,
Wonderful!!❄️ Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was a winner:)
This was harder than it looked but smells amazing and tastes so yummy. My loaf wasn’t cooked very tight and came out about double the expected size but otherwise no issues.
Hey Chloe,
Happy Sunday!🌾🌽 I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and sharing your feedback! xx
Tried this recipe and also used the metric conversion! The dough was way to dry and didn’t rise properly! Had to throw it in the garbage.
Hi Andrea,
So sorry to hear this did not turn out for you! I would try using the US measurements for best results. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
I am making this to take to someone else’s house. Could I bake it in a loaf pan (kind of like a babka)? Or is it too much dough?
Hi Erin,
It’s going to be too much dough, this recipe is not meant to be baked in a pan, a baking sheet works best. I hope this helps! Let me know if you give the recipe a try! xx
Tried this recipe today using the metric conversion for flour that is given in the recipe. Dough was way too dry, had to add more milk. Dough did not rise at all. Had to throw away 2 batches.
Turns out the metric conversion for flour stated in the recipe is incorrect. 3.5 cups flour is not equal to 937.5 grams. In fact, 1 cup = 120 grams.
Just wanted to share this so others dont make the same mistake. -_-
Hi Lucy,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! So sorry to hear you had some issues! Sometimes it can be helpful to use your own personal calculator. Ours is automatic and controlled by google. It’s not something we’d prefer to be using. We are required to. I’m sorry for the trouble, we do our best! xT
so you’re saying to only use ONE cup of flour in this recipe???!!!
Hi Ket,
Nope, I never suggested that, you will want to use 3 1/2-4 cups of flour in this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx