Dilled Cheddar Cheese Bread is a yeasted loaf of bread with fresh dill and cheddar cheese baked into it.
Picture a cold, dreary day- the kind of day where making soup is imminent. Now picture eating freshly baked bread with that soup… a bread that is perfect for dunking in soup. This is a bread that’s good for that sort of thing. It has great flavor on its own with plenty of sharp cheddar cheese swirled throughout, and it’s made even more fabulous with the hint of dill flavor in it too.
What’s good to eat with this Dilled Cheddar Cheese Bread?
It’s a pretty good bread to eat with a smidge of butter spread onto it, but it’s also the perfect dunker for soup and chili. I recommend trying it with my Italian Vegetable Soup or this Tuscan White Bean Soup with Prosciutto. Or make my California Chili or this Halftime Chili for a more filling option.
This is a recipe for a yeasted bread, which means you’ll be using instant, rapid-rise yeast and there will be some rising time involved. Just plan to make it on a lazy weekend day, and it’ll be ready by the time you want to eat it with your soup!
What’s the difference between yeasts?
There is a difference between yeast varieties, and it DOES matter which type of yeast you use in a recipe. The difference between “instant rapid rise yeast” and “active dry yeast” is simple: active dry yeast has a larger granule and needs to be dissolved in water before using, while instant yeast has a more fine texture and can be mixed right into dry ingredients.
Usually you can switch them out in baking without too much of a problem, but you may need to adjust rising times depending on which type of yeast is used.
The cheese:
Your decision about what type of cheese to use for this bread is everything! Cheese can have a big impact on the flavor. I recommend using a good brand- one that you enjoy– one that has a delicious, strong sharp cheddar flavor. Avoid the generic store brands for this recipe.
Oh… and a quick note about the dill. USE FRESH DILL! Dried dill will not give this bread the best flavor.
Here are a few more bread recipes you might like to try:
- Honey Whole Wheat Bread
- Dutch Oven Bread
- Brioche Loaf Bread
- Jalapeno Cheese Artisan Bread
- White Sandwich Bread
- Rich Egg and Butter Bread
- No Fail French Bread
- Sweet Challah Bread
Dilled Cheddar Cheese Bread
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dill seeds, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature (beaten)
- 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, divided
- One .25-ounce envelope instant yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3 1/2 cups (14 to 16 ounces) packed grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine the milk, dill seeds and honey and heat over low heat until warmed. Remove from heat. When the mixture has cooled to 120 degrees F, whisk in the oil and eggs.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 1/4 cups flour, yeast, salt and 2 cups of cheese. Add the warm liquid mixture and fresh dill; use an electric mixer to beat for 3 minutes. Add the remaining flour; beat 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl loosely with a clean dish towel. Let the dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Butter a 9 inch loaf pan.
- Do not try to stir or knead the dough. Spoon half of the risen dough into the buttered pan; sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of cheese over. Add remaining dough to the pan; smooth the top. Cover with a clean dish towel, and let rise in a warm draft-free area until the dough reaches the top of the pan, about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake until the bread is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Remove the bread from the loaf pan and let it cool on a rack. Slice and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My first attempt using yeast, and I scored! I was careful with the temp on the warm liquid. Next time, I will mix most of the cheese In the dough and only use maybe half cup cheese in between dough layers. Otherwise, I’m loving this and will definitely make again!