Name: Cheese Bread with Bacon
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 205 min
Ingredients: 1 cup milk; 50 g unsalted butter (at room temperature); 475 g bread flour (plus extra if needed and for dusting); 1 tablespoon white sugar; 1 egg; 2 1/2 teaspoons instant dried yeast; 1 teaspoons salt; 2 cups grated cheese; 1/2 cup diced bacon; 2 teaspoon smoked paprika; 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter (cooled); 1 egg; 1 teaspoon water; pinch salt

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This savoury 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!

Bread loaf on black wire rack with two slices cut viewed from above

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

Ingredients needed to make homemade Cheese Bread

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

Ingredient substitutions

While this 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 the lukewarm milk until bubbly and frothy
sweet paprika can be used instead of smoked paprika

image with text indicating ingredients - cheese, bread flour, butter, bacon, egg, instant dried yeast, milk, sugar, salt and smoked paprika

Instructions

First prepare the dough and the filling.

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

6 images numbered 1 to 6. Image 1 - melted butter and milk in saucepan. Image 2 - dough with hand kneading it. Image 3 - dough ball in glass bowl. Image 4 - risen dough ball in glass bowl. Image 5 - rolled out dough on wooden board. Image 6 - white bowl filled with cheese, bacon and smoked paprika

Instructions for shaping and baking

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

6 images numbered 1 to 6. Image 1 - dough with cheese and bacon sprinkled over. Image 2 - same dough half rolled up along long edge. Image 3 - rolled and filled dough rolled into a log and cut in half. Image 4 - two halves of rolled and filled dough. Image 5 - two halves of rolled and filled dough twisted together. Image 6 - twisted filled bread dough in black pan

Variations for this recipe

This recipe uses cheese, bacon and smoked paprika to create a tasty filled bread. However there are many variations that you can make using ingredients you have in your fridge. Here’s a couple of ideas but your imagination is the limit – just keep to approximately the same amount of filling.

use any firm cheese that you enjoy – for example Gruyere, Colby, Provolone, Gouda, Jarlsberg
ham, salami or any other deli type of meat can be used
make this homemade bread vegetarian but omitting the bacon
another vegetarian suggestion is to substitute sliced spring onions or scallions for the bacon
substituted chilli flakes for the smoked paprika – reduced to 1 teaspoon unless you like it hot

Bread loaf in pan on black wire with red and white cloth rack viewed from above

How to store

This bread, like all homemade bread, is best served on the day of baking. However, if well wrapped in plastic and sealed in an airtight container, this bread can be stored overnight in the fridge. I prefer to warm the bread in the oven or toast before serving.

Can this homemade bread be frozen?

Yes, that’s exactly what I did with mine. If you prefer to defrost a few slices at a time, slice the bread first before freezing. Either way wrap the loaf or even individual slices in plastic wrap and then into an airtight container or sturdy zip lock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

How to defrost frozen bread

Regardless of whether you are defrosting this particular loaf or a store bought loaf of bread, defrosting is the same. Frozen bread can be defrosted in a few ways. Here are some of my methods.

Wrap frozen loaf or slices in foil and warm in a moderate oven until heated through and defrosted – my preferred method because it tastes like freshly baked bread.
Toast slices until defrosted and golden brown.
Without removing wrapping, allow to defrost at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.

Cross section of cheese filled Bread loaf on black wire rack

Tips for success

There are two things you need to think about when making this recipe.

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 be feel smooth, springy and a little bit tacky to touch. Don’t add all the flour at once because then you can adjust as needed. If you think it’s too dry, you can always add a bit more milk or water.
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 braiding. However, it is still important to hold the dough carefully together as you lift and overlap the dough pieces. At the end the braided dough is longer than 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

How to serve

This homemade bread is perfect served with soup, stews or casseroles. Also, it’s perfect as part of an antipasto platter. But I like to just cut off slabs and eat it freshly baked!

Related recipes

Slow Cooker Minestrone
Easy Chicken and Vegetable Soup
Beef and Guinness Stew from Another Food Blogger
Buttery Beef Casserole from Mad Creations Hub
Mediterranean Beef Stew from It’s Not Complicated

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This updated post was first published on 30 May 2016