No-knead cheese bread has a a crisp crust and soft, fluffy interior with swirls of delicious cheddar cheese and a hint of garlic for extra depth. Easy to make without any special equipment and a real crowd pleaser!
This No-knead cheese bread is an easy to make, a same-day recipe with a crisp crust and a soft, airy interior. As it bakes, the layers of cheddar melts into the dough, adding a rich, savory flavor to the bread. Also see this No knead olive bread for another easy to make bread loaded with flavor.
This Dutch oven cheddar bread is easy to make with just a bowl, a spoon and preferably a dutch oven pot for baking. But it could also be baked without one, see options below. That makes this a great bread recipe for beginners, or if you are short on time but still want a fresh, homemade artisan style bread. For more same day no knead bread recipes, try this No knead oatmeal bread or this No Knead Whole Wheat Bread.
Jump to:
Ingredients
This no knead cheddar bread is easy to make with just a few ingredients listed below. For the full ingredient measurements, scroll down to view the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Luke warm water, the water should be warm, but not hot to the touch or it will kill the yeast. Around 110F (40C) is a good temperature. Just a little warmer than the body temperature.
- Active dry yeast, make sure it is fresh (not expired) for the best result. If it doesn’t turn foamy and bloom when added to the water and sugar, discard it, and use a fresh batch of yeast.
- Sugar, helps activate the yeast.
- Bread flour, use a good quality flour. Using bread flour will give a lighter and fluffier texture. But all-purpose flour also works. I prefer to weigh the flour when baking, that will give you the most accurate amount and the best loaf of bread!
- Salt, bread needs salt to bring out the flavour, use kosher salt or regular table salt.
- Garlic powder, for a hint of garlic that goes so well with the cheese.
- Cheese, freshly shredded cheddar cheese will give this bread a wonderful flavor. Use your favourite, mature, white cheddar or a mild cheddar, or a mix! Let the cheese come to room temperature before adding to the dough, otherwise it will chill the dough and slow down the rising process.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Dutch oven garlic cheese bread is easy to make, follow along with the step-by-step photos below.
For the full instructions see the recipe card at the bottom.
- Step 1: In a mixing bowl, add the lukewarm water, sugar and yeast. Let it sit for 10 minutes until the yeast is foamy.
- Step 2: Add the flour and salt and stir well with a spoon. The dough will be loose and sticky.
- CHEESE OPTION 1: Add the grated cheese now, and gently stir it in with the spoon, reserving ⅓ for the top. (this is the fastest and easiest way, you can skip step 4, 5 and 6, if adding the cheese now)
- Step 3: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm and draft free spot until double in size.
- Step 4: CHEESE OPTION 2: Scrape out the dough unto a well floured counter or pice of parchment paper. The dough will be sticky, so sprinkle with flour. Gently flatten the dough into a large square. Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese on top.
Step 5: Fold one third of the dough over itself towards the center, top the folded part with a little grated cheese. Fold the other side of the dough on top of the first fold, and top with more cheese. (Reserve ⅓ cheese for topping).
Step 6: Tightly roll the dough, pinching the sides as you go, so the cheese doesn’t fall out.
Step 7: Gently fold the dough to form a ball. Flip it around and brush lightly with a little water (so the cheese will stick) and sprinkle over the reserved cheese. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for 30 minutes until the Dutch oven is hot.
Step 8: Carefully take out the Dutch oven, it will be very hot!
Remove the lid and gently lift the bread with the parchment paper and place inside. Cover with the lid and bake, then remove the lid and bake.
(Optional: Score the top of the dough with a sharp knife, gives it a controlled place to expand, preventing uneven cracking).
Remove the lid and bake for 5-10 minutes to create a crispy crust. Be carful not to burn the cheese!
How to add the cheese:
You can add the cheese to the dough in 2 different ways:
- Option 1: This is the easiest answer fastest way. Once you have stirred together the dough, add ⅔ of the shredded cheese and stir well with the spoon. Cover and let it rise and then skip the steps for folding in the cheese and go directly to shaping it into a ball and top with the remaining cheese.
- Option 1: Folding in the cheese will create beautiful cheese swirls in the finished bread. This is a little more time consuming, but not hard. After the first rise, flatten the dough to a rectangle and top with cheese. Fold over itself 3 or 4 times, adding more shredded cheese with every fold. The dough can also be rolled into a log, like with cinnamon rolls. See detailed explanation with step-by-step photos above.
No Dutch Oven?
You can still bake this no knead garlic cheese bread in two ways:
- Cast iron skillet, preheat the skillet and then place the bread on it. Cover the bread with an oven safe pyrex bowl, enamel, or ceramic bowl and bake as directed.
- Baking sheet, place the bread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Throw in a small glass of water in the bottom of the oven (not on the bread) before closing the oven door. The steam will give the bread a crispier crust.
Substitutions and Variations
- Seeds – For a little added crunch to this no-knead garlic cheese bread, fold in some seeds like pumpkin or sunflower seeds to the dough. A blend of seeds will also taste great, just like in this no knead Mulitseed Bread.
- Flour – For the fluffiest bread, I recommended using bread flour. It has a higher protein content than normal, all purpose flour. More protein means a more structured bread. But if you don’t have bread flour, all purpose flour also works well.
- Cheese – Use your favorite cheddar cheese, freshly grated always tastes best, but a bag of already grated cheese from the grocery store also works well. Another option is grated mozzarella or parmesan cheese to make a no knead parmesan bread.
- Herbs – Add some dried or fresh herbs to this cheesy bread. Some rosemary or oregano will complement the flavors of the cheese and garlic.
Storage
This cheese bread tastes best fresh, the same day it is baked, like all breads! It can be stored for up to 4 days in an airtight container or plastic bag. I like to slice any leftovers before storing, and then pop them in the toaster.
This no knead bread also freezes well. Use a freezer friendly plastic bag and try to remove as much air as possible before sealing the bag well. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let the bread defrost in room temperature before serving.
Top Tip
- Let the cheese come to room temperature before adding to the dough, otherwise it will chill the dough and slow down the rising process.
- Use a good quality cheddar, preferably mature with a lot of flavor for the best easy no knead cheese bread. Freshly grated cheese will taste and melt better than pre-shredded cheese.
- The dough will be slightly sticky, this is a good thing so don’t add too much flour. A somewhat sticky dough helps create a softer, more open crumb. Too much flour will create a dense and dry loaf of bread.
- Preheat the Dutch oven thoroughly so the bread gets an immediate rise and that helps trap the steam that gives a great crust.
- Let the bread cool completely before slicing, minimum 30 minutes, an hour is better. Cutting the bread too soon could create a deflated and slightly gummy texture.
FAQ
Yes, if you have time, an overnight rise will ad extra flavor and texture to this bread. Reduce the active dry yeast to ½ teaspoon and after the first hour rise, place the dough in the fridge for 10–12 hours (or up to 24 hours).
Take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for about 1 hour to come to room temperature. Shape and continue with the second rise according to the recipe. It might need a little longer for the second rise, you want the dough fluffy and light.
Bread recipes
Soup recipes
Serve a slice of freshly baked bread with a bowl of soup:
I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Let me know what you think by leaving a comment down below, and tagging me at @thedeliciousplate in your picture on Instagram. Your feedback is so helpful! Also, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter to be sure not to miss my latest recipes!
No-knead cheese bread has a a crisp crust and soft, fluffy interior with swirls of delicious cheddar cheese and a hint of garlic for extra depth.
- 1 ½ cups (340g) luke warm water
- 2 ¼ teaspoon (7g) active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3 ½ cups (450g) bread flour, and more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 ½ cups (150g) shredded cheddar cheese (or parmesan)
-
In a mixing bowl, add the finger warm water, sugar and yeast. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
-
Stir in the flour, salt and garlic powder with a spoon, the dough will be loose and sticky.
CHEESE OPTION 1: Add the grated cheese now, and gently stir it in with the spoon, reserving ⅓ for the top. (this is the fastest and easiest way)
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise for about an hour or until double in size.
-
After an hour, turn on your oven to 230C (450F). Place a Dutch oven with the lid in the oven to heat for about 30 minutes.
-
Scrape out the dough unto a well floured pice of parchment paper. The dough will still be sticky so sprinkle with flour so it wont stick to your fingers.
-
CHEESE OPTION 2: Gently flatten the dough into a large square. Sprinkle half the shredded cheese on top. Fold one third of the dough over itself towards the center, top the folded part with a little grated cheese. Fold the other side of the dough on top of the first fold, and top with more cheese. (Reserve ⅓ cheese for topping). Tightly roll the dough, pinching the sides as you go, so the cheese doesn't fall out.
-
Gently fold the dough to form a ball. Flip it around and top, brush lightly with a little water and sprinkle over the reserved cheese. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for 30 minutes until the Dutch oven is hot.
-
Optional: After the second rise, score the top of the dough with a sharp knife, gives it a controlled place to expand, preventing uneven cracking.
-
Carefully take out the Dutch oven, it will be very hot! Remove the lid and gently lift the bread with the parchment paper and place inside. Cover with the lid and bake for 35-40 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake for 5-10 minutes more. Be carful not to burn the cheese!
-
Let the bread cool down for about 30 minutes before slicing it.
Leave a Reply