Description
A flavorful quick bread with layers of cheese, garlic, and fresh herbs swirled throughout a moist, tender batter. Perfect for an easy-to-make savory loaf that’s great for breakfast, snacks, or as a side served warm with butter.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese
- 7 oz / 200 g block cheddar or tasty cheese, sliced 3 mm thick
Herb and Garlic Swirl
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely grated
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 1 tsp baking soda (bi-carbonate soda), or substitute 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt, Greek or regular (full fat, unsweetened)
- 3/4 cup milk, full fat preferred
- 2 large eggs (~50-55 g each)
- 3 1/2 tbsp (50 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 small garlic cloves, crushed or grated
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F (fan or conventional).
- Prepare Loaf Tin: Lightly grease a 21 x 11 x 7 cm (8.3 x 4.5 x 2.75 inch) loaf pan with butter or oil spray, then line it with baking paper for easy removal.
- Make Herb and Garlic Swirl: In a small bowl, mix chopped rosemary, parsley, oregano, thyme, crushed garlic, olive oil, and salt until it forms a thick, dollop-able mixture.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together yogurt, milk, eggs, melted butter, olive oil, and crushed garlic until smooth.
- Combine Batter: Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix gently until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
- Layer Batter with Herbs and Cheese (Layer 1): Pour one-third of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Dollop one-third of the herb mixture on top and use a knife to swirl it through the batter. Add one-third of the cheese slices, pushing some fully into the batter and leaving some partially exposed.
- Repeat Layers 2 and 3: Repeat the swirling and cheese layering process two more times with the remaining batter, herbs, and cheese. Don’t worry if cheese slices poke out; it creates a beautiful crust.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until the top turns golden brown.
- Cover and Continue Baking: Remove the bread from the oven, cover loosely with foil, and bake for an additional 20 minutes (50 minutes total baking time).
- Check Doneness: Insert a skewer into the center of the loaf; it should come out clean when done.
- Cool: Let the bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer onto a cooling rack and cool for at least 10 more minutes before slicing thickly.
- Serve: Serve warm with butter if desired—optional but highly recommended!
Notes
- Use cheese cut into varying widths (about 3-4 mm thick slices) for visible ribbons; shredded cheese can be substituted but won’t create visible slices.
- Colby, cheddar, and tasty cheese are best; avoid mozzarella due to low flavor and salt.
- You can experiment with different fresh herb combinations or substitute 1 tbsp dried herbs.
- For convenience, blitz herbs with a stick blender instead of chopping; may need a bit more oil to loosen mixture.
- Larger loaf pans produce flatter bread but still work well.
- Store airtight at room temperature for up to 4 days or refrigerate and toast to freshen.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
