Description

This Cheese Bread recipe features a no-knead dough enriched with generous amounts of freshly shredded Colby cheese. It’s easy to prepare with minimal hands-on time, baking a golden, crusty loaf that’s soft and cheesy inside. Perfect for serving alongside soups, salads, or enjoying on its own as a savory snack or breakfast bread.

Ingredients

Scale

Dough Ingredients

3 cups bread flour
2 tsp instant yeast
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 cups very warm tap water

Cheese Ingredients

2 1/2 cups Colby cheese, freshly shredded (divided: most folded inside dough, some reserved for topping)

Instructions

Mix and prepare dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread flour, instant yeast, and kosher salt. Add the very warm tap water and stir until the mixture forms a sticky dough. This no-knead dough requires no additional effort to knead.
First rise: Cover the bowl with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, until it has roughly doubled in size and looks puffy.
Preheat the oven and pot: About 30 minutes before baking, place a heavy Dutch oven or oven-safe pot with a lid in the oven and preheat to 450°F (230°C). This ensures the pot is hot for a crisp crust.
Shape the loaf: Lightly flour your hands and work surface. Pat the dough into a disc shape, then fold in most of the shredded Colby cheese evenly throughout the dough. Shape it into a round loaf.
Prepare for baking: Transfer the dough onto a piece of parchment paper to easily move it into the preheated pot. Sprinkle the top of the dough generously with the reserved shredded Colby cheese to create a cheesy crown.
Bake covered: Carefully place the dough along with the parchment paper into the hot pot and cover it with the lid. Bake for 30 minutes covered; this traps steam to develop a tender crust.
Bake uncovered: Remove the lid and continue baking the bread uncovered for another 10 to 15 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese topping is bubbly and lightly browned.
Cool and serve: Remove the bread from the oven and transfer it out of the pot. Let it cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing to set the crumb and prevent crumbling.

Notes

Use very warm water (not boiling) to activate the yeast quickly and encourage fermentation.
Folding cheese into the dough creates pockets of gooey melted cheese in the bread.
Preheating the Dutch oven ensures the bottom crust crisps up nicely.
Cooling the bread completely before slicing allows the interior to finish setting and prevents a gummy texture.
You can substitute Colby cheese with mild cheddar or Monterey Jack for slightly different flavors.
Store leftover bread wrapped in foil or airtight container for up to 3 days.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Category: Bread
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: cheese bread, no knead bread, Colby cheese bread, homemade bread, easy bread recipe