A no yeast bread that is super quick to prepare! With swirls of herbs and ribbons of melted cheese, this is a wonderful afternoon tea served with lashings of butter, or for dipping into soups.
I like to wedge chunks of cheese in the batter so you get lovely pockets of cheese and the lovely textured crust on top. But you could just mix it through – even faster to prepare!!
A terrific no yeast bread recipe
I don’t often bake with yeast because it requires patience for the dough to rise.
Oh, and the kneading.
I’ve actually got reasonable upper body strength. My challenge is my height. Sigh. OK, there you have it. I haven’t admitted this on my blog before but not only do I have abnormally small Baby-Hands, I am also vertically challenged.
For those of you also in the same boat, you will understand when I say that kneading is much harder for short people because the work surface is higher and you don’t get the benefit of being able to push down with your body weight.
I can’t believe I just wrote that. How embarrassing.
So. I love no yeast breads that don’t call for kneading – quick breads like this recipe, and these No Knead Dinner Rolls.
The ingredients of this no yeast bread are similar to a muffin but I altered the recipe to make it less crumbly, making it suitable to slice and even to toast. It is light, fluffy and super moist.
I like to add the herbs and slices of cheese in after pouring the batter into the bread tin so that you get “swirls” of herb and pockets of cheese in the bread, rather than almost invisible bits of herb and grated cheese all throughout which you can’t really see. But this step is optional. The easier and faster way to make this is to mix grated cheese and herb into the batter, then just pour it all into the tin.
This bread lasts quite well – really fresh for 3 days in a very airtight container, up to 4 is ok. Beyond 4 I would toast it and store it in the fridge.
Serve this as a side for meals, or for afternoon tea served with lashings of butter. It’s also fantastic for dipping into soups and slow cooked stews!
– Nagi x
More quick bread recipes
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No Yeast Cheese, Garlic and Herb Bread
Ingredients
Cheese and Herbs
- 4 tbsp fresh herbs , finely chopped (I used a mix of dill, rosemary, parsley and thyme) (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 5 oz / 150g block cheese (cheddar or tasty), cut into 2mm / 0.1" thick slices (about 10 to 12 slices) (Note 2)
- Butter for greasing
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk (See Note 3 for substitute)
- 2 eggs
- 2 small garlic cloves , crushed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Grease a bread tin (21 x 11 cm / 8" x 4") or small cake tin with butter.
- Mix the herbs and olive oil in a small bowl.
- Sift the Dry Ingredients into a bowl.
- Combine the Wet Ingredients into a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Make a well in the centre of the Dry Ingredients. Pour the Wet Ingredients in and mix until just combined.
- Pour 1/3 of the batter into the bread tin. Dollop half the herbs across the top then use a knife to "swirl" it into the batter up and down, and also turning the batter over (refer photo below).
- Use half the cheese slices and push them randomly into the batter. Push some all the way in and leave some poking out of the batter.
- Pour the remaining batter over the top. Dollop and swirl the remaining herbs, then randomly wedge in the remaining cheese, pushing most of it below the surface of the batter. Even out the surface.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden. Remove from oven and cover with foil, then bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes (total baking time of 45 to 50 minutes). Check to make sure the centre is cooked by inserting a skewer - it should come out clean.
- Turn the bread out onto a cooking rack. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting.
Recipe Notes:
1 tbsp vinegar. Set aside for 10 minutes until the surface of the milk curdles. Then use the milk, including the curdled bits, as the buttermilk in this recipe. 4. Store in an airtight container for 3 days (4+ days, keep it in the fridge and toast to freshen up). 5. Nutrition per serving.
Nutrition Information:
If you enjoyed this recipe, I think you’ll LOVE my Cheese & Garlic Crack Bread!
Thank you for this recipe. My family loved the taste and I will certainly be making it again. It’s much quicker and easier than using yeast and the texture was not dry like some non-yeast bread recipes.
Being tiny myself, I appreciate your thinking of your vertically challenged fans.
BA HA HA!!!! So glad to hear from fellow shorties like myself!!! 🙂 N x
Question : For the herbs, do you use one tbs for each of the hers listed?
Hi Kristin! Just use 4 tbsp in total of whichever herbs you want – you can choose!
Thanks so much! Making this tomorrow for our bible study:)
I am my own worst enemy, visiting your blog when I am fasting. What I wouldn’t give for a slice of this cheesy bread…
OMG, I feel your pain. My diet is forever starting tomorrow….
I MADE IT FEW TIMES ALREADY! BKZ IM IN BRAZIL I EXCHANGED THE BUTTERMILK FOR PLAIN YOGURT. (they dont have it here). IT WORKS VERY WELL.
FIRST BREAD I MADE IT AS THE RECIPE. THE SECOND I ADD OLIVES & SAUSAGE. & TODAY I AM GONNA ADD CHICKEN. 🙂 I LOVE YOUR RECIPIES & THIS ONE HAS TO COME THE WKNDS. 🙂
YAY!!! So glad you enjoyed this Daniella – and thank you SO MUCH for coming back to let me know!! N x
I made this a couple weeks ago and will again tonight. I’ve tried several no yeast bread recipes. This is the best! And it’s so easy. Making for some friends tonight since I know it’s so good.
Fantastic to hear Kathy! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know! N x
Oh my. This turned out SO WELL. So, so, soooo well. I absolutely adored it. I was really in a crunch with what to bring to a pot-luck gathering and was cursing myself for not having any yeast. But this really saved me and was such a hit. I was even asked for the recipe which is always a good sign (and the person kept asking when I forgot to send it that night).
I had it plain but it would be amazing with butter and a little bit warm. Maybe with some pumpkin soup or potato and leek soup.
Fantastic work, I can’t wait to try out some other recipes!!!
That’s wonderful Kelly! I’m so glad you enjoyed this and thank you for coming back to let me know! 🙂 N x
I used 1 tsp each of the following dried ingredients: ground sage, cilantro leaved, basil, ground bay leaved, dill weed & parsley. I also used lactose free milk with vinegar instead of buttermilk & 1 cup worth of a combination of feta cheese chunks & shredded mild cheddar & Monterrey jack cheese. I’ve never had any luck making homemade bread but this was so easy & it turned out just wonderfully. I will definitely make it again & might try my hand at swapping the herbs & cheese for sweet ingredients like raisins & cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, brown sugar & vanilla. 🙂
Oooh, I love that Misty! Thanks so much for sharing what you did! <3 N x
NAGIIII, this is the first recipe i tried from your website (confession- normally i stare at the food drooling away and then get lazy)… My family loved it! i used dry herbs and the typical Indian Amul cheese, and it was delicious! More cake like than bread, but yummm… And beautiful! The white cheese oozing out had everyone(my dad specially) breaking off pieces before I could even wait for it to cool n slice it! Wanted to try it with your honey lemon chicken but we settled for a everything-in-the-fridge frittata! 😛
oh i also used 50% whole wheat and threw in a variety of seeds to feel better about all the cheese!
Thanks for your lovely message Anishaa! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! N x
Thank you so much for this recipe! I love the combination of garlic, cheese, and herbs. I also especially love how quick and easy this is to make.
Thank you Miho! I am so glad you enjoyed it!!! N x
Thank you for this amazing recipe!! Best bread I’ve had in ages!!! Just wondering if I can leave out the cheese as my son hates cheese? Thanks!
Hi Summer! So glad you enjoyed it! And yes you can definitely leave out the cheese! 🙂 I would add a bit more herb & garlic though, to make up for loss of flavour by omitting the cheese!
Thanks for the prompt reply! I officially have a baking crush on you lol. Made this with leftover pesto omitting the cheese and sprinkled with bacon. It was divine! Thanks for the great blog 🙂
OOOH! Bacon! I should totally share a bacon version of this!!!!
I can’t wait to try this!!! My mom is allergic to yeast so this recipe is perfect for her! That and I have a height problem as well. I know my mom has missed bread a lot and this will definitely cheer her up. Thanks!!!
Fellow vertically challenged….no knead bread is for US!!! (And your mum 🙂 )
What an awesome bread! I had to laugh when I read how long I can store this bread! Not at my house. I baked it this morning, I just walked out to get myself a piece of it. I even ran an extra mile on the treadmill to get a HUGE piece. There in the container sat the lonely TINY heal. My first and only piece. 🙂
You all have counter problems with your height, well I am 5’8 and hit my head on the bar light when I knead bread. 🙂
BA HA HA! And you made ME laugh!!! Extra mile on the treadmill for this bread? What a compliment!! 😉 PS I’ll trade my height for yours
Made this tonight with a few changes (due to on hand ingredients) the family loves it. I’ll definitely be making this again.
WOO HOO!!! So glad everyone loves it too! 🙂
U DEFINATELLY CAN MAKE THE BREAD RECIPE,IT IS DELICIOUS.& THE CHANGING OF BUTTERMILK FOR NATURAL YOGURT WORKED VERY WELL. FLOFFY & DELICIOUS.
YAY!!! So glad you enjoyed it Daniella!!!
I just made it. I changed the butter milk for NATURAL YOGURT….i hope it works. 🙂
What did you think? 😉
Hello from Wisconsin!
Just wanted to let you know that I made the No Yeast Cheese, Garlic and Herb Bread last night. I had buttermilk in the refrigerator that needed to be used up and was so happy that I came across this recipe on your blog. Absolutely the best no yeast bread I’ve had. My husband and I enjoyed with homemade bean soup last night. Thank you for the wonderful recipe! Have a great day:)
Ooooh, yay!!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this Pam, thank you for letting me know! Have a wonderful weekend! – Nagi, all the way from SYDNEY!!!!
YES please! I love bread! My husband and I always finish all the bread when we go to restaurants. Awesome that this bread has cheese and garlic. Most importantly, no yeast! Going to try it!
I swear, the bread basket is my favourite thing!! Especially at really posh restaurants 🙂
Dear Nagi,
I have been following and using your recipes for some time, with much pleasure. I can’t eat gluten and wonder if you have tried applying your hugely imaginative skills to this area. Someone needs to come up with decent bread for those of us who love it, but can’t enjoy the normal kind. Would that genius be you? If you need an incentive…..,you’ll make a fortune if you get it right! The standard joke among coeliacs and the gluten intolerant is “which tastes better? The GF bread or the packaging?
Hoping you can help.
Kathy
Hi Kathy….not an area I’ve put my mind too unfortunately!! A good friend of mine is gluten free and struggles as well. 🙁 Maybe one day soon!!! Who knows! I do have a Gluten Free category on my site though – have you seen it??
Many thanks.
Hi Nagi,
It looks delicious! do you think I can freeze it?
Thanks a lot!
Hi Vivian! Yep, you sure can. I made this 3 times for this post and I froze the leftovers! 🙂 Hope you love it!
Oh, short people problems! I’m totally hearing you on that. This bread sounds like a winner (and yes, well justified in slicing off the top for the chef!) 🙂
I know, right? We got the “short end” (ha ha!) of the genetic stick. Can you think of any benefit of being short? So unfair!! 😉
Nagi !my mum was only 5’2 and she always said she could lay flat in the bath and everything was wet together!
BTW Bread look great 🙂
I understand your cooking stilettos perfectly. I have a pair of “closet shoes”—very tall wedges that I could not possibly walk in but that allow me to reach higher shelves.
Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes, Nagi. My family has been the lucky tasters of many of them!
Hi Patti! I burst out into laughter reading about your “closet” wedges – that is legendary!!! And it makes absolute perfect sense – so much easier than dragging a stepladder! I love it, just love it 🙂 Thank you for your lovely message about my recipes, and I think your family is lucky to have you to cook amazing food for them!! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend – N x