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Close-up of a sliced savory breakfast bread with herbs and cheese, perfect for breakfast ideas.

Cheesy Herb Swirl Bread

This recipe creates a flavorful and visually appealing cheesy herb swirl bread, perfect for a special breakfast or brunch. It combines simple ingredients with a technique that results in a beautiful, layered loaf.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Cooling Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 8 slices
Course: Breakfast
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Bread
  • 7 oz / 200g block of cheese (cheddar or tasty) cut into 3mm / 0.1" thick slices, different widths for random ribbons throughout
For the 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 cloves garlic crushed using garlic press or finely grated
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt halve for fine table salt
For the Dry Ingredients
  • 2 1/4 cups plain flour (all-purpose flour)
  • 1 tsp baking soda (bi-carbonate soda) sub 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt halve for table salt
For the Wet Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt Greek or regular (full fat, unsweetened)
  • 3/4 cup milk full fat best, low fat ok
  • 2 large eggs (~50-55g/2oz each)
  • 3 1/2 tbsp (50g) unsalted butter melted
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 small garlic cloves crushed with garlic crusher or grated

Equipment

  • Loaf pan
  • Baking paper
  • Small bowl
  • Cooling rack

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F (fan or standard).
  2. Grease a 21 x 11 x 7 cm loaf pan lightly with butter or oil spray. Line it with baking paper.
  3. In a small bowl, mix the ingredients for the herb and garlic swirl until you have a thick, dollop-able mixture.
  4. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl.
  5. Whisk together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
  6. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
  7. Pour 1/3 of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Dollop 1/3 of the herb mixture over the top. Use a knife to swirl it into the batter, moving up and down and turning the batter. Add 1/3 of the cheese slices, pushing them randomly into the batter, with some fully submerged and some sticking out.
  8. Repeat the layering process two more times with the remaining batter, herb mixture, and cheese slices. It is okay if some herbs and cheese are exposed on the surface.
  9. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden. Remove from the oven, cover the loaf pan with foil, and bake for an additional 20 minutes (total baking time of 50 minutes). Insert a skewer into the center to check for doneness; it should come out clean.
  10. Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 5 minutes. Then, turn the bread out onto a cooling rack and allow it to cool for at least another 10 minutes before slicing. Butter is optional.

Notes

The different widths of cheese slices create random ribbons throughout the bread. This recipe is designed to be approachable for home cooks looking to improve their breakfast preparation.

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