Go Back

Cheese Bread Recipe

This no-knead cheese bread is golden, crusty, and stuffed with melty cheese in every bite. The dough comes together with just a spatula and rises for a few hours before baking in a hot pot for a bakery-style loaf that’s crispy outside, cheesy inside.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Dough rising 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Course bread
Cuisine American
Servings 10 people
Calories 273 kcal

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Rubber spatula
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Dough scraper or spatula
  • Parchment paper
  • Dutch oven or heavy pot with lid
  • Cooling rack
  • Oven mitts

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tsp instant yeast aka rapid rise
  • 2½ cups Colby cheese
  • 3 cups bread flour
  • 1½ cups tap water very warm
  • 1½ tsp cooking or kosher salt

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, and yeast using a rubber spatula.
  • Add water and stir with the handle of the spatula until no dry flour remains.
  • The dough should be sticky but not runny; don’t knead it.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 2–3 hours until doubled, bubbly, and jiggly.
  • Half an hour before it has risen, place a lidded pot in the oven and preheat it to 240°C/450°F (220°C fan).
  • Lightly flour your work surface and scrape the dough onto it.
  • Sprinkle the top of the dough with a little flour and gently pat it into a rough 20 cm disc.
  • Set aside 1/3 of your cheese and scatter half of the remaining cheese over the dough.
  • Use a dough scraper to fold the edges of the dough inward, like wrapping a present, layering the rest of the cheese as you go.
  • Leave the final outer layer cheese-free so it can become the base.
  • Flip the dough seam-side down onto a piece of parchment paper and tidy the shape into a round loaf.
  • Pile the reserved cheese on top to form a golden cheese crown.
  • Carefully remove the hot pot from the oven and lift the dough into it using the parchment paper.
  • Cover with the lid and bake for 35 minutes.
  • Remove the lid and bake for another 10 minutes to brown the top.
  • Take the pot out of the oven, lift the bread onto a rack using the paper, and cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

  • Use a firm, meltable cheese like cheddar or gouda for best texture and flavor.
  • Don’t skip preheating the pot—it gives the bread its crusty artisan finish.
  • A dough scraper makes handling the sticky dough much easier and neater.