Savory Cheese and Herb Quick Bread

Before you start

A savory quick bread is the fastest way to have a warm, sliceable loaf beside a bowl of soup. Instead of yeast, this one rises with baking powder, and instead of sugar it is packed with sharp cheddar, fresh herbs and scallions. A little dry mustard and black pepper make the cheese taste sharper without being noticeable on their own.

The texture is soft and moist, between a scone and a sandwich loaf, with a crisp, cheesy top. Use an aged, sharp cheese: mild cheddar disappears into the crumb. Grate it yourself, since pre-shredded cheese is coated in anti-caking starch and melts less evenly. As with any quick bread, mix only until the flour is moistened, then get it straight into the oven.

Ingredients

• 250 g (2 cups, spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp (12 g) baking powder
• ¾ tsp fine salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp dry mustard powder
• 150 g (1½ cups) sharp cheddar, coarsely grated — 30 g set aside for the top
• 3 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
• 2 scallions — thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves — or 1 tsp dried
• 2 large eggs
• 240 ml (1 cup) whole milk
• 55 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter — melted and cooled

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F) with a rack in the center. Grease the loaf pan and line it with a parchment sling.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and mustard powder in a large bowl. Add 120 g of the cheddar, the chives, scallions and thyme and toss until the cheese is coated in flour.
3. In a second bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and melted butter until combined.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and fold with a spatula just until there is no dry flour. The batter will be thick and lumpy, like a soft scone dough.
5. Spread the batter in the pan and scatter the remaining 30 g cheese over the top.
6. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until risen, the cheese on top is deep golden and bubbling, and a skewer in the center comes out clean. The center should read about 93 to 96°C (200 to 205°F).
7. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift the loaf onto a rack. Slice after another 10 minutes and serve warm with butter.

Tips for success

• Toss the cheese and herbs with the flour before adding liquid. The coating keeps them suspended instead of clumping in the bottom.
• Pat the herbs and scallions dry after washing; extra water makes the loaf dense around the greens.
• Thick slices are excellent toasted the next day with a little butter in a skillet.

Substitutions

Sharp cheddar

Gruyère, aged Gouda or a mix with Parmesan all work. Very salty cheeses such as feta or Parmesan alone call for cutting the salt to ½ teaspoon.

Whole milk

Buttermilk makes a tangier, more tender loaf. Add ¼ teaspoon baking soda to the dry ingredients and reduce the baking powder to 2 teaspoons.

Fresh herbs

Dill and parsley, or rosemary with sun-dried tomatoes, change the character completely. Use dried herbs at about a third of the fresh amount.

Variations

Bacon and cheddar loaf

Fold in 80 g chopped crisp-cooked bacon with the cheese and drop the thyme.

Olive and herb bread

Replace half the cheddar with 60 g chopped pitted olives and use oregano in place of thyme.

Troubleshooting

Cheese sank into a layer at the bottom

The batter was too thin or the cheese was finely grated. Use coarse shreds tossed in flour and measure milk accurately.

Bread tastes flat

Mild cheese or too little salt. Choose an aged, sharp cheese and keep the mustard and pepper; they lift the cheese flavor.

Greasy top

Pre-shredded or very oily cheese, or too much on top. Grate a block yourself and use only 30 g for the topping.

Storage

Because it contains cheese, refrigerate the loaf after the first day. Wrapped, it keeps at room temperature for up to 1 day and in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Toast or warm slices before serving. Freeze slices for up to 2 months.

Safety notes

Raw batter contains egg and flour; do not taste it. Contains wheat, egg and milk.