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This Swirled Garlic Herb and Cheese Bread is soft, buttery and oh, so pretty! Swirled with cheesy cheddar cheese and fresh herbs, this is the perfect bread to elevate your meal and impress your dinner guests! Best served warm right out of the oven with some salted butter.

Cheese and bread. Does it honestly get any better?!

Above shot of Swirled Garlic Herb and Cheese Bread on a farm table with fresh herbs and linen

It’s a rainy spring day here in Northern Nevada and the trees are finally beginning to blossom. After such a long, dark cold winter, springs slow arrival has been more than welcomed.

I am so eager to get into my garden and plant this years harvest, but I know if I start planting too soon we will get a cold snap and I will have to start all over again.

But spring comes…

And even with the fight between winter and spring, my herb garden is slowly but surely coming back to life; like resurrection of all good and beautiful things.

Herbs are by far one of my favorite things to grow. With all the cooking and baking that happens in my home, there is nothing quite like going out into my garden and collecting fresh herbs to elevate a dish. Not to mention the smell of fresh herbs growing in the garden on a summer night…. it captivates me every time.

So with the change of seasons and the slow return of things beginning to grow again, this is the perfect spring and summer bread to make this season. It’s light, buttery and would be the perfect bread to showcase all the fresh seasonal herbs coming back to life.

Swirled Garlic Herb and Cheese Bread Details

This cheese bread is the easiest homemade swirled bread you will ever make- made with cheesy cheddar cheese and fresh, herby goodness. It’s a simple yeasted dough, tasting like a cross between a brioche loaf and a soft dinner roll. Each slice is extra buttery and soft with a perfect outer crust and swirls of melted cheese throughout. For extra flavor the dough gets brushed with a garlic herb butter before baking that is truly irresistible!

Swirled Garlic Herb and Cheese Bread Ingredients

bread flour- the higher protein in bread flour is best for soft breads due to a stronger gluten formation resulting in a higher, fluffier rise. If you don’t have bread flour you can still use all purpose flour, however the bread just wont be as light and airy.
buttermilk- buttermilk creates a rich and moist bread with unbeatable flavor because of the higher fat content. But if you can also use whole milk if you prefer.
instant yeast
sugar- for a touch of sweetness and to help the yeast proof.
eggs- preferably organic, free range eggs for optimal flavor!
salted butter- I always use salted butter but especially in bread recipes. No one wants bland bread!
garlic- fresh garlic finely chopped
fresh herbs- a combination of basil, oregano and thyme; but really any of your favorite herbs will do.
garlic powder- for the garlic butter drizzle
sea salt
cheddar cheese- the cheddar pairs so well with the fresh herbs, and is also so pretty when you cut into the bread, but feel free to use whichever cheese you prefer!

Above shot of sliced Swirled Garlic Herb and Cheese Bread on a farm table with fresh herbs and linen

Making the Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the room temperature buttermilk, instant yeast, granulated sugar, eggs, 3 ½ cups bread flour, and salt.

Using a dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the room temp butter and mix until combined, an additional 2-3 minutes. If the dough is still sticky, add ¼ cup of flour at a time, adding more as needed until the dough is smooth and elastic to the touch.

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot. Allow the dough to rise for 2 hours, or until doubled in size. While the dough is rising, combine the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, chopped garlic, parmesan, basil, sage, and oregano in a small bowl.

How to Make Swirled Bread

Now for the rolling and twisting process, which I promise, is really pretty easy- especially if you have ever made cinnamon rolls.

Punch down the risen dough and roll out into a 12×18 inch rectangle.

Sprinkle the garlic herb over the dough as well as the shredded cheddar cheese.

Tightly roll the dough into a 15-inch log. Place the log on its seam.

Cut the log in half vertically, (leaving the very end on one side still intact) to expose those all those herby, buttery layers. Next, cross the dough ropes over each other, repeating the twisting process until you have a long, twisted dough.

Pinch the outer edges to seal as best you can.

Above shot of Swirled Garlic Herb and Cheese Bread dough

Once you have the bread shaped, transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and loosely cover the bread with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise for an additional 45 minutes. While the bread is rising, preheat the oven. Right before baking, brush the shaped dough with additional melted garlic butter if desired (but highly recommended!).

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden.

Your home will smell absolutely heavenly as this swirled bread bakes.

After baking, allow the bread to rest for 10 minutes, then slice and enjoy! Perfect with a smear of salted butter or olive oil for dipping.

side shot of Swirled Garlic Herb and Cheese Bread on a farm table with fresh herbs and linen

This Swirled Garlic Herb and Cheese Bread would pair so well with a saucy pasta dish like this Creamy Roasted Red Pepper alla Vodka Pasta, or this Pumpkin Kale Tortellini alla Vodka Pasta.

We hope you love this Swirled Garlic Herb and Cheese Bread as much as we do! If you make this swirled bread, please be sure to leave a comment and/or rating below! I truly love hearing from you!

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Recipe

Swirled Garlic Herb and Cheese Bread

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: bread, cheese, garlic, herbs

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 30

rise time: 2 45

Total Time: 3 45

Servings:

Author: Kaylen Nicole

Ingredients

¾ cups buttermilk at room temperature
2 /12 tsp instant yeast
2 tbsp granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3 ½-4 cups bread flour
1 ¼ tsp salt
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 tbsp salted butter, at room temperature + more for brushing and serving
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
½ cup fresh chopped basil
2 tbsp fresh chopped thyme
1 tbsp fresh chopped oregano

Topping:

2 tbsp salted butter, melted
¼ tsp garlic powder

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the room temperature buttermilk, instant yeast, granulated sugar, eggs, 3 ½ cups bread flour, and salt. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the room temp butter and mix until combined, an additional 2-3 minutes. If the dough is still sticky, add ¼ cup of flour at a time, adding more as needed until the dough is smooth and elastic to the touch.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot. Allow the dough to rise for 2 hours, or until doubled in size. While the dough is rising, combine the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, chopped garlic, parmesan, basil, sage, and oregano in a small bowl.
Once the dough has risen, punch the dough down and roll out onto a lightly floured surface, creating a large rectangle about 12 x 18 inches. Spread the garlic and herb butter evenly over the dough and the shredded cheddar cheese. Starting with the long edge closest to you, roll the dough into a log, keeping it fairly tight as you go. When you reach the edge, pinch along the edge to seal.
Using a sharp knife, cut the log of dough in half lengthwise, leaving a small portion at one end intact. Turn the halves to expose the filling. Cross the dough ropes over each other, repeating the twisting until you have a long, twisted dough.
Carefully transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm spot for an additional 45 minutes.
After the second rise, uncover and brush the top of the dough with the remaining 2 tablespoons of salted butter and garlic power.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Carefully transfer the bread to the oven and bake 30-35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the bread is cooked through.