This Bread Machine Cheese Bread recipe creates an extremely soft, fluffy bread with a chewy texture and cheesy top. This recipe yields a delicious 1.5 pound loaf that can be baked in the bread machine, a loaf pan, or on a baking sheet to create an artisan style loaf. Use cheese bread for toast, dipping into soups, and to make sandwiches.
Table Of Contents
Bread machine cheese bread is a variation of my traditional white bread recipe and garlic bread recipe. This recipe creates a fluffy cheese bread inside with a golden brown cheesy crust. Garlic and cheese are a great combination in any recipe (like in this bacon cheddar pull apart bread) and bread machine cheese bread is no exception.
Knead and bake the loaf entirely in your bread machine or let the machine knead it for you but bake it in the oven. I enjoy baking the bread in the oven when I want to shape the loaf. Rather than end up with a large loaf the same shape and size as my breadmaker's pan, I can create a circle or oval that looks like artisan bread from the local bakery.
Not only does this artisan style bread make a delicious dipping bread, it makes a fantastic toast in the morning with hot coffee or tea. It even works as extra tasty bread for your favorite sandwich! Spread roasted garlic or roasted tomatoes on a warm slice of cheese bread and you've gotta delicious snack.
More Ways To Use Cheese Bread
- as an appetizer or dinner bread for holidays, like Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas
- to make a meatball parmesan sub
- to make a hot ham and cheese sandwich
- add it to charcuterie boards
- dip it into buffalo chicken dip
- to make a tomato basil mozzarella sandwich
- morning toast spread with avocado
- dip it into warm, homemade tomato sauce when eating spaghetti or white cream sauce when enjoying pasta
- make homemade breadcrumbs for breading fish or chicken
Equipment Needed
You need a bread machine, plus other tools to make baking, slicing, and storing the bread easier.
- Bread machine: I have this Cuisinart bread machine.
- Bread pan: if you're going to bake the bread in a loaf pan, pullman pans are a wise choice. There are bread pans that come with covers so the bread top stays flat and so you can easily keep it stored right in the pan.
- Bread slicer or bread knife: this Calphalon bread knife is one of the best I've used.
- Bread box: to keep the bread stored in optimal conditions. Laura's Green Kitchen boxes are my favorite!
- Bread bag: I love the look of storing bread in a reusable bag. These are also great for gifting.
Ingredients
Bread machine cheese bread uses standard bread ingredients: olive oil, bread flour, salt, and yeast. Plus 2 key ingredients: shredded cheese and minced garlic.
Cheddar cheese, asiago cheese, mozzarella, monterey jack cheese and parmesan cheese all make a wonderful cheese bread. My favorite way to make this bread is with freshly grated asiago cheese or an artisan cheddar. But use your favorite cheese. The options aren't limited!
My suggestion is to always use freshly shredded cheese, though, for the best flavor and the best melting (on the top).
While this recipe is for a 1.5 pound loaf, I've also included ingredient amounts for a larger 2 pound loaf. The 2 pound loaf must be made using the dough cycle, then baked in the oven- please do not attempt to use the white/basic bread setting when making a 2 pound loaf. It will rise too high, out of the bread maker pan and will eventually collapse.
1.5 LB
- 1 ¼ cups warm water
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoon yeast
- 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, asiago, parmesan, mozzarella or your favorite cheese
2 LB
- 1 ¾ cups warm water
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 4 cups bread flour
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 ¼ tsp yeast
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheese
Water should always be warmed to approximately 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Any colder and the yeast will not activate. Any warmer and you risk killing the yeast.
Chef's Tip
Bread machine bread turning out dense? Make sure: the salt and yeast do not interact when they are added to the bread pan and that you use properly measured bread flour and fresh yeast. Never pack down flour while measuring and never use old yeast.
Recipe FAQs
While you can swap bread flour for all purpose flour or whole wheat flour, it won't produce the same soft chewy bread. For breads that need time to rise, bread flour is the best flour to use. It has a higher amount of protein and gluten, which creates a chewy, airy bread.
When substituting all purpose flour for bread flour, make a 1:1 substitution.
Substituting whole wheat flour is a bit trickier, although easy if you understand a few basic points about baking with whole wheat flour. You can see how to use whole wheat flour here.
To create a browned crust, brush the risen dough with milk, egg, or water before baking. My preference is to use milk for a golden brown, slightly crisp crust and egg for a golden brown and shiny crust.
Instant yeast, active dry yeast, and bread machine yeast are all perfectly fine to use in the bread machine. Instant yeast rises and creates flavor with 1 rise, while active dry yeast takes 2 rises. Since the white bread cycle is programmed for 2 rises, either yeast will work.
Bread machine yeast is basically the same as instant yeast, but is given a different name due to branding. It is a specially formulated instant yeast that's made to rise twice as fast as active dry yeast.
When using the different yeasts, you'll see insignificant, if any, differences in the texture or shape of cheese bread.
Step-By-Step Directions
Bread machine cheese bread is made in 4 steps, most of them hands off for you!
- Add all ingredients except for minced garlic and shredded cheese in the order listed to the bread maker pan.
- Select the basic/white bread setting. Choose the 1.5 lb loaf size and your preferred crust color. When the mix-in chime signals, add 1 cup of the shredded cheese and minced garlic. If baking in the oven, choose the dough setting. Press start and allow machine to run through the cycle, adding 1 cup of shredded cheese and minced garlic when the mix-in chime signals, then follow steps below for your preferred method for baking.
Now follow the steps for whether you are baking it in the bread machine or in the oven.
Baking in the Bread Machine: At the end of the last kneading cycle, remove the kneading paddle. This is optional and can also be done once the bread cools. When the bread completes it's last rise, gently brush the sides with an egg wash and top with the remaining ¼ cup of cheese. Once the bake cycle is complete, remove the pan from the bread maker immediately. Let cool for at least 10 minutes, then carefully remove the bread from the pan. Cool completely before slicing.
Baking in the Oven: Once the dough cycle is complete, remove from the dough from the bread pan. Punch down a few times and form into your desired shape. Set on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with a towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Gently brush the top and sides with an egg wash and top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 190°F. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Chef's Tip
Let bread cool completely before slicing. Put very little pressure on the knife while slicing and focus on a back and forth motion. Always use a serrated knife or a bread slicer.
Enjoy!
How To Store
Cheese bread should be stored in an airtight bread bag or bread box. It will keep for 3-4 days when stored properly.
It can be stored in the freezer for about 6 months wrapped tightly in plastic.
Recipe
Bread Machine Cheese Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups warm water approximately 110°F
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten optional
- 1 ½ tsp yeast active, instant or bread machine
- 1 ¼ cups shredded cheese cheddar, asiago, parmesan, mozzarella or your favorite cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except for minced garlic and shredded cheese in the order listed to the bread maker pan. *Check your brand's manual for the correct order to add ingredients if you are not using a Cuisinart bread machine. If it differs, add them in the order that your manual states.
- Select the basic/white bread setting. Choose the 1.5 lb loaf size and your preferred crust color. When the mix-in chime signals, add 1 cup of the shredded cheese and minced garlic. If baking in the oven, choose the dough setting. Press start and allow machine to run through the cycle, adding 1 cup of shredded cheese and minced garlic when the mix-in chime signals, then follow steps below for your preferred method for baking.
- Baking in Machine: At the end of the last kneading cycle, remove the kneading paddle. This is optional and can also be done once the bread cools. When the bread completes it's last rise, gently brush the sides with an egg wash and top with the remaining ¼ cup of cheese. Once the bake cycle is complete, remove the pan from the bread maker immediately. Let cool for at least 10 minutes, then carefully remove the bread from the pan. Cool completely before slicing.
- Baking in Oven: Once the dough cycle is complete, remove from the dough from the bread pan. Punch down a few times and form into your desired shape. Set on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with a towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Gently brush the top and sides with an egg wash and top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 190°F. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Amy says
Your directions aren't clear about the amount of cheese to retain for the top. Is it 1/3 cup or one-third of the entire amount of cheese?
Kristina says
Hi Amy- it's 1/3 of the total amount of cheese. Enjoy!
Glory says
I just made your recipe in my Cuisinart bread maker & it didn’t turn out 🙁 When I went to take kneading paddle out after 2nd rise cycle the dough was an unformable blob …I stuffed it back into the bread machine & it continued to over-rise.
After putting egg wash & cheese on top, the middle sank in lol. It has completed baking with a hole in the middle….so we’ll see if it’s still edible!
Kristina says
Oh no! It sounds like there was too much liquid, which would be why it seemed bloblike and then collapsed while baking (the egg wash and cheese aren't likely to have caused this). Decrease the amount of water by 1/2 cup. Watch it during the first kneading cycle and if it's too dry, add more water 1/8 cup at a time until it's soft and tacky, but not overly sticky. You can also decrease the yeast by 1/4 tsp. Do you live at sea level or a higher/lower altitude?
Maria says
The same thing happened to me and nothing to do with it being too wet or my location. The cheese melted and sank almost immediately. So the bread was completely caved in while baking. Just a blob of liquid melted cheese in the core. Next time I’m skipping the cheese until it’s out of the bread machine. The bread on the edges was soft and dry, but lacked flavour in my opinion.
Kristina says
Maria- Since the large loaves are not acting consistently among different bread machines, I've attempted to recreate the problem in my machine and therefore have revised the recipe slightly. I have changed the main recipe to a 1.5 pound loaf with new instructions and quantities for cooking in the bread maker. I have also altered the ingredients in a 2 pound loaf but do not recommend using the white bread setting and baking it in the bread machine. A 2 pound loaf needs to use the dough cycle and be baked in the oven. I hope this helps you get a better loaf next time!
Kearsten says
Hi! I just got a bread maker and this is the first one I tried making. I read the directions a million times and (thought I) followed it to a T.
It completely overflowed and then the center fell in pretty dramatically. Any tips to keep that from happening again?
Kristina says
Hi Kearsten,
Do you live above sea level? Usually a really big rise and then a sunken top is due to the bread rising too fast and the yeast giving out too much gas too quickly. This can be due to low air pressure at higher altitudes. It can also happen if the dough is too warm when rising. I think you should try again using a little less yeast and see what happens. Go with 1 3/4 tsp and let me know how it turns out.
-Kristina
Kristina says
Hi Kearsten- I am glad you thought it was delicious still! Since the large loaves are not acting consistently among different bread machines, I've attempted to recreate the problem in my machine and therefore have revised the recipe slightly. I have changed the main recipe to a 1.5 pound loaf with new instructions and quantities for cooking in the bread maker. I have also altered the ingredients in a 2 pound loaf but do not recommend using the white bread setting and baking it in the bread machine. A 2 pound loaf needs to use the dough cycle and be baked in the oven. I hope this helps you get a better loaf next time!
Cari says
Not gonna lie. This is the best bread I have ever made!! Thank you for sharing such an amazing, easy recipe. I enjoy every single bite!
Kristina says
Thank you so much Cari! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Make sure to check out the fluffy white bread and garlic bread next. They both gave way to this recipe!
Carrie R. says
It's a keeper! Second loaf in a bread maker. Made the 1.5 loaf. I'll try 1# next time for comparison.
Kristina says
I am so glad you liked this cheese bread! Keep enjoying it 🙂
Chris says
Absolutely delicious! I made it exactly per the recipe. I baked in oven, for 45 minutes though. It was easy and perfect.
Kristina says
That's great!! I am glad you're enjoying it.
Ellie Pacey says
The BEST bread ive ever made in my breadmaker. So tasty and unbelievably light and fluffy. Absolutely perfect - would 100% recommend following this recipe!
M Blome says
I could not get over how airy this bread was. We ate way too much of it with our soup tonight, and don't regret anything! Husband says he wants me to make it again and again!
Richelle says
The smaller loaf recipe ingredients are in a different order than the 2lb loaf. Which order should you follow for the smaller loaf (1.5lb)?
Kristina says
Hi Richelle- I switched the order of flour and garlic for each size, so it's in the correct order now. Enjoy!
Catherine says
I baked it in the oven and replaced water with buttermilk. DELICIOUS
Anand says
Unfortunately your ingredients for the 1lb loaf didn't include the sugar. I didn't look at the 2lb ingredients, and it didn't turn out. Smelled great while it was being made, so I'm making again, and adding 1tbsp of sugar. I thought it weird when I looked at it, but the comments were all good so, I went for it.
Kristina says
Oh gosh, I am so sorry! I just updated the recipe to include the sugar amounts. Thank you so much for letting me know- that's an important ingredient 🙂 1 tbsp of sugar for the 1 lb loaf is correct. Enjoy!