Description
A quick and flavorful cheese, garlic, and herb bread that combines layers of cheesy ribbons and a fragrant herb and garlic swirl. This moist and savory bread is perfect for breakfast, snacks, or a side to your main meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese
- 7 oz / 200g block of cheese (cheddar or tasty), cut into 3mm / 0.1" thick slices
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 garlic cloves, crushed or finely grated
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (halve for fine table salt)
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 1 tsp baking soda (substitute 3 1/2 tsp baking powder)
- 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (halve for table salt)
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt, Greek or regular (full fat, unsweetened)
- 3/4 cup milk, full fat preferred, low fat acceptable
- 2 large eggs (~50-55g each)
- 3 1/2 tbsp (50g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 small garlic cloves, crushed or grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350°F (suitable for both fan and standard ovens).
- Prepare loaf tin: Lightly grease a 21 x 11 x 7 cm loaf pan with butter or oil spray, then line it with baking paper (parchment paper).
- Make herb and garlic swirl: In a small bowl, mix together the rosemary, parsley, oregano, thyme, garlic, olive oil, and salt to create a thick, dollop-able herb and garlic mixture.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the plain flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Mix wet ingredients: In another bowl, whisk the plain yogurt, milk, eggs, melted butter, olive oil, and crushed garlic until smooth.
- Combine wet and dry: Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Gently mix until just combined; do not overmix.
- Layer the batter, herbs, and cheese - Layer 1: Pour one-third of the batter into the loaf tin. Dollop one-third of the herb mixture over the batter and use a knife to swirl it throughout by moving it up and down and turning the batter over. Place one-third of the cheese slices randomly into the batter, pushing some completely in and leaving some partly exposed.
- Layer 2 and 3: Repeat the layering process two more times with the remaining batter, herbs, and cheese slices. Don’t worry about herb mixture or cheese slices being visible on the surface; this creates an attractive look when baked.
- Bake the bread: Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the top is golden. Then cover the bread loosely with foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes. To check doneness, insert a skewer into the center; it should come out clean.
- Cool and serve: Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a cooling rack. Allow it to cool for at least 10 more minutes before slicing thickly. Optionally, serve with butter.
Notes
- Cheese: Use slices cut about 3-4mm thick with variable widths for varied cheese ribbons. Shredded cheese is a good substitute (2 cups or 200g), adding it after combining wet and dry ingredients.
- Cheese types: Cheddar, tasty, or colby cheeses are preferred. Avoid mozzarella as it lacks enough salt and flavor for this bread.
- Herbs: Feel free to substitute fresh herbs with 1 tbsp dried herbs or use pesto (1/3 – 1/2 cup) in place of the herb swirl for variation.
- Blitz option: You can blend the herb ingredients using a stick blender for a finer consistency; you may need extra olive oil to loosen the mixture.
- Loaf pan size: Using a larger loaf pan will yield a flatter loaf but will still work fine.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days. Beyond that, refrigerate and toast before serving to refresh.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximate)
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
