Easy to follow Cheese Bread

Easy to follow Cheese Bread

Cheese bread is a yeast dough enriched with cheese, giving a savoury loaf with a soft crumb and a crisp, cheesy crust.

In this recipe:

Parmesan is mixed into the dough for flavour

Gruyère is added on top for colour and aroma

Paprika finishes the crust

It’s a great teaching bread — familiar dough, clear variation.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 35

Equipment

Ingredients

500 g Bakers flour
10 g Salt
5 g Bread improver
330 ml Water approximately
40 g Yeast
50 g Grated Parmesan cheese
150 g Grated gruyere cheese
Little ground paprika

Instructions

Mix the dry ingredients

Place the bakers flour, salt, and bread improver into a large bowl.
Mix well.

Add the yeast and water

Add the yeast, then pour in the lukewarm water.
Mix until a rough dough forms.

Knead the dough

Turn onto the bench and knead for 8–10 minutes until:
Smooth
Elastic
Soft but not sticky

Add the Parmesan

During the final stage of kneading, work in the grated Parmesan cheese.
Knead just until evenly distributed.
Important: Add the cheese at the end — adding it too early interferes with gluten development.

First rise

Place dough into a lightly oiled bowl.
Cover and leave in a warm place for 45–60 minutes, until doubled in size.

Shape

Knock back gently.
Shape into:
A loaf, or
Rolls (see note below)
Place onto a lined tray or into a greased tin.

Egg wash and topping

Brush the shaped dough with egg wash.
Sprinkle generously with:
Grated Gruyère cheese
A light dusting of ground paprika

Second rise

Cover and allow to rise for 30–40 minutes until well risen.

Bake

Preheat oven to 220°C (fan 200°C).
Bake for:
30–35 minutes (loaf)
15–20 minutes (rolls)
Bread is ready when:
Golden brown
Cheese melted and lightly coloured
Hollow when tapped underneath

Cool

Cool on a rack before slicing.

Important note for rolls

If making small rolls: Do not press cheese into the creases before baking — it can melt out and burn.
Sprinkle cheese on top only.

Ready to use

Cheese bread is perfect for:
Soup service
Savoury sandwiches
Bread baskets
Tear-and-share loaves

Mark’s bench-side advice

Cheese leaking out? Too much pressure during shaping.
Heavy crumb? Cheese added too early.
Burnt topping? Reduce oven temperature slightly.
Cheese bread should smell amazing before it even leaves the oven.

KOOK’S SECRETS

Nutrition

Calories: 370kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 37gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 1615mgPotassium: 620mgFiber: 11gSugar: 0.04gVitamin A: 447IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 480mgIron: 1mg

Keyword baked, cheesy, comfort food, savory

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