Favourite Quick Cheddar Bread
Submitted by ncmorros
Quick cheddar cheese bread, a savory loaf with sharp cheddar baked into a tender crumb. No yeast, no rising, ready for the oven in about 20 minutes.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
60 minSharp cheddar bread is the savory side of quick bread: no yeast, no proofing, just flour, baking powder, butter, milk, and a generous cup of aged cheese folded in. The result is a buttery loaf with pockets of melty cheddar and a crisp golden crust that smells like a grilled cheese sandwich the moment you open the oven.
The technique borrows from biscuit making. Cutting cold butter into the dry ingredients before adding the wet keeps the crumb tender instead of tough.
Kitchen Tips
- Use the sharpest cheddar you can find. Mild cheddar disappears in the bake; aged cheddar holds onto its bite.
- Stir the wet into the dry only until the flour is moistened. Lumpy batter makes tender bread; smooth batter makes rubber.
- Cold butter is a must. If it warms while you work, pop the bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes before adding the milk.
- Test with a wooden pick in the center, not the edge. Cheddar pockets stay molten longer than the surrounding crumb.
- Slice with a serrated knife once fully cooled. Warm slices crumble; rested slices hold their shape for sandwiches or toasting.
Variations
- Stir in 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh chives or scallions for a herb-flecked loaf.
- Add ½ teaspoon dry mustard to the flour for an extra cheddar-forward kick.
- Swap a quarter of the cheddar for crumbled cooked bacon or diced jalapeños.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Coat inside of 8×4×3-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in medium- size bowl until well blended.
Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives held scissors fashion until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Stir together milk and egg in small bowl.
Pour milk mixture all at once into flour mixture; add cheddar cheese.
Stir gently just until flour is moistened; do not overmix.
Turn batter into prepared pan, spreading top level.
Bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 35 to 40 minutes or until browned on top and a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean.
Remove bread from pan to wire rack to cool.
If not serving immediately, wrap loaf in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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