Bacon Cheese Bread

This savory Bacon Cheese Bread is beautiful to look at and super tasty to eat. The dough is enriched with butter and egg then rolled up with cheese and bacon. You won’t be able to eat just one slice!

Making bread is super satisfying and not really that hard. Baking with yeast is one of my favorite ways to spend time in the kitchen and it’s so rewarding. Think of having freshly made Ligurian focaccia or Italian Cheese and Herb Bread with your soup or a slice of light and airy Portuguese bread for breakfast. You CAN do it and you will love the results.

Ingredients

• milk
• butter
• bread flour
• eggs
• sugar
• instant yeast
• salt
• cheese
• bacon
• smoked paprika

Ingredient substitutions

While this Bacon Cheese bread recipe may seem to have specific ingredients, there are a few ways that you can make substitutions that won’t really mess with the final delicious product.

• plain, all purpose flour or 00 flour can be substituted for bread flour. Don’t use cake flour. It won’t make good bread.
• whole milk is preferred but use whatever milk you’ve got or even use water if you prefer
• if you only have salted butter, use that BUT reduce the salt to 1/2 teaspoon
• instead of white sugar use raw or brown sugar or even substitute honey
• instant yeast can be replaced with active dried yeast – however, it’s best to activate it in lukewarm milk until bubbly and frothy
• sweet paprika can be used instead of smoked paprika

Instructions

First, prepare the dough and the filling for the Bacon Cheese Bread.

1. Melt the butter into the milk. The mixture should be lukewarm, not hot.
2. Knead all the remaining dough ingredients together with the milk mixture in a stand mixer or by hand until smooth.
3. Form into a ball, place into a well oil bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.
4. Allow to rise until doubled.
5. Roll out the dough into a large rectangle.
6. Mix together filling ingredients.

Instructions for shaping and baking

1. Spread the filling all over the rolled out dough.
2. Roll up into a log starting on the long side.
3. Cut the log in half lengthwise.
4. Turn the two halves cut side up.
5. Twist each half over the other tightly.
6. Squish the braid together to shorten the length and fit it into the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown.

Tips for Success

There are two things you need to think about when making this Bacon Cheese Bread.

1. Preparing the dough. When baking bread, the quantity of flour needed is variable. This is where touch is important. The dough should not be too sticky but also not too dry. It should feel smooth, springy, and slightly tacky to the touch. Don’t add all the flour at once; you can adjust as needed. If you think it’s too dry, you can always add a bit more milk or water.
2. Shaping the dough. Good braiding is part of the beauty and taste of this bread. I have added a little bit of melted butter into the filling, which serves as the “glue” to hold the filling together so that you don’t lose all of the cheese as you try to braid. However, it is still important to hold the dough carefully together as you lift and overlap the dough pieces. In the end, the braided dough is longer than the pan. Cup your hands around the ends of the braided log and squish the log together to compress the twist and ensure it fits into the pan.

FAQ

Serving Suggestions

This Bacon Cheese bread is wonderful served with Lentil Soup, my Ciambotta vegetable stew, or this Italian Braised Chicken. Also, it’s perfect as part of an antipasto platter. But I like just to cut off thick slices and eat them freshly baked!

Related recipes

Slow Cooker Minestrone
Easy Chicken and Vegetable Soup
Pizza Bread
Bacon Egg and Cheese Croissants
Mediterranean Beef Stew from It’s Not Complicated

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This updated post was first published on 30 May 2016

Bacon Cheese Bread Recipe

This savory Cheese Bread with Bacon is beautiful to look at and super tasty to eat.The dough is enriched with butter and egg then rolled up with cheese and bacon. You won't be able to eat just one slice! 

5 from 7 votes

Print Pin Review

Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Rising time: 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 3 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings:10 thick slices

Author: Marcellina

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup milk
• ▢ ¼ cup (50 grams) unsalted butter at room temperature
• ▢ 3½ cups (455 grams) bread flour plus extra if needed and for dusting
• ▢ 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
• ▢ 1 teaspoons salt

Filling

• ▢ 2 cups grated cheese use a firm tasty cheese you enjoy
• ▢ ½ cup diced bacon excess fat removed
• ▢ 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter cooled

Egg wash

• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 1 teaspoon water
• ▢ pinch salt

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Instructions

Prepare the dough

• Lightly grease and completely line a 8-inch(20cm) x 4-ichn(10cm) loaf pan with non stick baking paper.
• Heat milk and butter over low heat until butter has melted and the milk is just lukewarm. If the milk is too hot, allow to cool until lukewarm.
• Place the 3 cups flour, sugar, egg, active dry yeast, and milk mixture into a stand mixer bowl
• Use a dough hook and knead for 1 minute
• Add the salt and knead for a further 5 minutes. If too sticky to handle add a little more flour one spoonful at a time. See notes on tips for making the dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and form into a ball.
• Lightly oil the bowl and return the dough to the bowl flipping it over so that the dough is oiled all over.
• Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for 1½ hours or until doubled in size.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle 20-inch (50cm) x 12-inch (30cm).
• Prepare the filling by mixing together all the filling ingredients until well combined.
• Spread with filling mixture evenly over the dough.
• Starting on the long side, roll the dough up into a log.
• Cut the log in half lengthwise.
• Place side by side and tightly braid the dough pieces. See notes on braiding tips. Pinch ends to seal.
• The log will seems too long to fit into the pan, Simply, cup your hands around the ends of the braided log and squish the log together to compress the twist and ensure it fits into the pan. Place dough into prepared pan.
• Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for 30-40 minutes or until risen. Preheat oven 350°F(180ºC).
• Beat extra egg with water and salt for the egg wash.
• When ready, brush the dough with the egg wash and bake for 30-40 minutes until browned and cooked through.
• Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cool wire rack to cool.

Notes

Tips for Success

• Preparing the dough:
  When baking bread, the amount of flour required can vary. This is where touch becomes essential. The dough should be smooth, springy, and slightly tacky to the touch—not too sticky or too dry. Avoid adding all the flour at once so you can adjust as needed. If the dough feels too dry, you can always add a bit more milk or water.
• Shaping the dough:
  Proper braiding enhances both the appearance and taste of the bread. I add a bit of melted butter to the filling to act as a “glue,” helping hold the cheese filling in place during braiding. However, it’s still crucial to handle the dough carefully, lifting and overlapping the pieces with care. If the braided dough is longer than the pan, simply cup your hands around the ends and gently compress the log to make it fit into the pan.

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Nutritional Estimate Per Serving

Calories: 382kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 569mg | Potassium: 152mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 705IU | Calcium: 204mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.