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Soft Garlic Herb Cheddar Cheese Bread

A quick, no-yeast cheddar loaf studded with garlic, fresh herbs and pockets of melty cheese. This swirled batter bakes into tender slices that are fantastic warm, toasted, or served alongside soups and stews. Use homemade or good-quality store-bought pesto as an easy swap for the herb swirl.
Pin for Later Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 7 oz / 200 g block cheddar cheese sliced

Herb and garlic swirl:

  • 2 tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves finely chopped
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed or finely grated
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt halve amount for fine table salt

Dry Ingredients:

  • 2 1/4 cups plain flour (all-purpose)
  • 1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate soda) or substitute with 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt halve for fine table salt

Wet Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt Greek or regular, full-fat, unsweetened
  • 3/4 cup milk full fat preferred
  • 2 large eggs ~50–55 g each
  • 3 1/2 tbsp (50 g) unsalted butter melted
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 small cloves garlic crushed or grated
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Instructions
 

  • Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F) for either fan or conventional settings.

Loaf tin:

  • Lightly grease a 21 x 11 x 7 cm (8.3 x 4.5 x 2.75") loaf pan and line it with baking/parchment paper so the loaf can be lifted out easily.

Herb and garlic swirl:

  • Combine the rosemary, parsley, dried oregano, dried thyme, crushed garlic, olive oil and salt in a small bowl. Stir until you have a thick, spoonable mixture that will hold dollops.

Dry Ingredients:

  • Whisk together the plain flour, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl so the dry ingredients are evenly distributed.

Wet Ingredients:

  • In a separate bowl, beat the yogurt, milk, eggs, melted butter, olive oil and the crushed small garlic cloves until smooth and combined.

Combine batter:

  • Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Gently fold the mixture together just until no large streaks of flour remain; avoid overmixing.

Swirls and cheese (Layer 1):

  • Spoon one-third of the batter into the prepared pan. Dollop one-third of the herb mixture across the surface and drag a knife through the batter to create swirls. Scatter one-third of the cheese slices into the batter, pressing some fully in and leaving some edges exposed.

Layers 2 and 3:

  • Repeat twice more with the remaining batter, herbs and cheese. Don’t worry about exposed herb or cheese sticking out—the rustic look becomes appealing once baked.

Bake and cool:

  • Bake uncovered for 30 minutes until the top turns golden. Tent the loaf with foil and continue baking for another 20 minutes (about 50 minutes total) until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Let the bread rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Allow it to cool at least 10 more minutes before cutting into thick slices. Serve warm, with plenty of butter if you like.