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Cheddar and Parmesan Quick Bread
Half a cup of shredded Parmesan goes directly into the greased loaf pan before the batter, forming a crisp, golden crust on the bottom and sides as it bakes. Four ounces of extra-sharp cheddar cut into half-inch cubes fold into the thick batter whole, so each slice pulls apart around pockets of melted cheese. Sour cream alongside milk and melted butter keeps the crumb tender without yeast or a long rest. Ready to slice after about two hours total, serves eight.
Equipment
- Oven
- Loaf Pan
Ingredients
- 3 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded (1 cup)
- 2½ cups (12½ ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes (1 cup)
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray, then sprinkle ½ cup Parmesan evenly in bottom of pan.
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8.5 by 4.5-inch loaf pan and sprinkle half a cup of shredded Parmesan evenly across the bottom.
- 2Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne, and black pepper together in a large bowl. Stir in the cubed cheddar with a rubber spatula until the cheese pieces are fully coated. Coating the cheese in flour prevents it from sinking to the bottom during baking.
- 3Whisk the whole milk, sour cream, melted butter, and lightly beaten egg in a separate medium bowl until smooth.
- 4Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Fold everything together gently just until combined. Don't overmix the heavy, thick batter, or the bread will turn out tough.
- 5Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan, pushing it to the edges and smoothing the top. Sprinkle the remaining half cup of Parmesan cheese evenly over the surface.
- 6Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The bread is done when the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- 7Let the loaf cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Turn the bread out of the pan and let it rest on the rack for another 45 minutes to set before slicing.
Notes
- Variation: Swap the cheddar for Gruyere and fold cooked bacon and sauteed onions into the batter.
- Muffins: You can divide this batter into a greased muffin tin to make 12 savory cheese muffins. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, checking early for doneness.
- Storage: Keep leftover bread tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze slices in an airtight container for up to a month.
Recipe Details
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