The photo looks like a golden, savory cheese-and-herb quick bread: crisp around the edges, moist inside, with melted cheese browned across the top and fresh thyme scattered over it. A no-yeast version is ideal because it requires no kneading or rising. Similar tested quick-bread formulas use flour, eggs, dairy, cheese, herbs, and baking powder/soda, with baking around 175–180°C.
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Recipe at a glance
Yield: 1 loaf, about 8–10 slices
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 45–50 minutes
Total: about 1 hour
Pan: 9 × 5-inch loaf pan
Texture: crisp, cheesy crust + soft, tender center
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
For the bread
Ingredient Amount
All-purpose flour 2¼ cups / 280 g
Baking powder 1½ tsp
Baking soda ½ tsp
Salt ¾ tsp
Black pepper ½ tsp
Sharp cheddar, grated 1 cup / 100–120 g
Parmesan, finely grated ½ cup / 45–50 g
Fresh thyme, chopped 1 tbsp
Fresh parsley, chopped 2 tbsp
Fresh rosemary, finely chopped 1 tbsp
Garlic 2 cloves, minced
Eggs 2 large
Whole milk ¾ cup / 180 ml
Plain yogurt ½ cup / 120 g
Unsalted butter, melted 4 tbsp / 55 g
Olive oil 1 tbsp
For the top
½ cup extra grated cheddar
1–2 tbsp Parmesan
A few fresh thyme leaves
Optional: 1 tbsp melted butter for brushing after baking
The combination of cheddar, Parmesan, fresh herbs and dairy is consistent with established herb-and-cheese quick-bread recipes.
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Detailed Method
1. Prepare the oven and pan
Preheat your oven to 175°C / 350°F.
Grease a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment, leaving some overhang on the long sides. This makes removing the cheesy loaf much easier.
2. Prepare the herbs
Finely chop:
parsley
thyme
rosemary
Mix them with the minced garlic.
Tip: Don’t chop rosemary into large pieces—it can become unpleasantly woody in the finished bread.
3. Mix the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together:
280 g flour
baking powder
baking soda
salt
black pepper
Mix thoroughly so the leavening agents are evenly distributed.
4. Add the cheese and herbs
Add:
1 cup cheddar
½ cup Parmesan
chopped parsley
thyme
rosemary
garlic
Toss everything through the flour.
Why do this? Coating the cheese with flour helps distribute it throughout the loaf rather than allowing it all to sink toward the bottom.
5. Prepare the wet mixture
In another bowl, whisk together:
2 eggs
milk
yogurt
melted butter
olive oil
Make sure the melted butter isn’t piping hot; slightly cooled butter is preferable so it doesn’t partially cook the eggs.
6. Combine
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture.
Fold gently with a spatula until just combined.
Don’t beat or knead it.
A few small lumps are perfectly fine. Overmixing develops gluten and can turn a quick bread dense and chewy. Similar quick-bread recipes specifically recommend mixing only until the flour disappears.
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7. Fill the loaf pan
Transfer the batter to your prepared pan.
Smooth the surface, but don’t compact it.
Sprinkle over:
½ cup cheddar
Parmesan
fresh thyme leaves
For the appearance in your photo, leave some larger patches of cheese on the surface. They’ll melt and develop those attractive golden-brown spots.
8. Bake
Bake at 175°C / 350°F for approximately 45–50 minutes.
Start checking at 40 minutes.
The loaf is ready when:
the top is deeply golden
the edges are browned
the center feels set
a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out without wet batter
If the cheese becomes dark before the middle is cooked, loosely cover the loaf with foil and continue baking.
A comparable cheese/herb loaf uses roughly 40–50 minutes at 350°F, while another layered version bakes initially uncovered and then under foil to prevent excessive browning.
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9. Rest before slicing
Leave the loaf in the pan for 10–15 minutes.
Then lift it out using the parchment and transfer to a rack.
For clean slices, wait another 10 minutes before cutting.
For the best experience, serve it warm rather than piping hot—the cheese will have settled slightly but remain wonderfully soft.
Optional Garlic-Herb Butter
For an even richer loaf, combine:
2 tbsp melted butter
1 small minced garlic clove
1 tsp chopped thyme
pinch of salt
Brush it over the hot loaf immediately after removing it from the oven.
Cheese substitutions
You don’t have to use exactly the cheeses above.
For stronger flavor
Use:
mature cheddar
Parmesan
Gruyère
For a milder loaf
Use:
mozzarella
Monterey Jack
mild cheddar
For extra stretchy cheese
Use:
½ cheddar
½ mozzarella
Sharp cheddar, Gouda and Monterey Jack are all commonly suggested alternatives in herb-and-cheese quick breads.
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Grits and Pinecones
Herb substitutions
You can change the herb profile according to what you have.
Classic: thyme + parsley + rosemary
Italian: basil + oregano + parsley
Garlic-heavy: parsley + thyme + garlic
Fresh and lemony: parsley + thyme + a little lemon zest
Dried herbs: use considerably less than fresh. A useful starting point is roughly 1 teaspoon dried herb for each tablespoon of fresh herb, although strong herbs such as rosemary can require less.
Nut information
Is this recipe naturally nut-free?
Yes. The recipe as written contains no peanuts or tree nuts.
However, if you’re preparing it for someone with a nut allergy, check the labels of:
flour
cheese
yogurt
butter
baking powder/soda
packaged dried herbs
and watch for “may contain” or shared-facility warnings.
Can I add nuts?
Yes, if there is no allergy concern.
Good options:
Walnuts: ¼ cup, roughly chopped
Pecans: ¼ cup, chopped
Pine nuts: 2–3 tbsp
Almonds: ¼ cup, finely chopped
Toast them lightly first for more flavor, cool them, then fold them into the batter.
Important: If you’re serving someone with a tree-nut or peanut allergy, don’t simply substitute another nut—avoid nuts entirely and consider cross-contact from utensils, boards and ingredients.
Nut-free crunchy alternative
For texture without nuts, add:
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds, if appropriate for the allergy situation
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
Recipe Q&A
Why did my bread turn out dense?
Usually one of three things:
The batter was overmixed.
The baking powder/soda was old.
The loaf was underbaked.
Mix only until the flour disappears.
Why did the cheese sink?
This can happen if the cheese is very wet or if large quantities are concentrated in one place.
Tossing shredded cheese with the flour before adding the wet ingredients helps suspend it throughout the batter.
Why is the middle still wet?
Cheese can make the center look moist, but there shouldn’t be raw batter.
Return it to the oven at 160–170°C, cover loosely with foil and bake another 8–15 minutes, checking periodically.
Can I make it without yogurt?
Yes.
Replace the ½ cup yogurt with approximately ½ cup buttermilk or sour cream.
If using milk alone, the texture may be slightly less rich.
Can I use only baking powder?
Yes. A comparable cheese-and-herb quick bread uses baking powder as the primary leavener, while other versions combine baking powder and baking soda.
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For this recipe, use approximately 2½–3 tsp baking powder total and omit the baking soda.
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes, provided you use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend formulated for bread/cakes and verify that the other ingredients are gluten-free.
The texture may be somewhat more fragile.
Can I make it egg-free?
Eggs provide structure and richness, so replacing them changes the texture considerably. A commercial egg replacer designed for baking is the most predictable option.
Can I make muffins instead?
Absolutely.
Divide the batter among greased or lined muffin cups.
Bake at 175°C / 350°F for approximately 18–25 minutes, checking with a skewer.
Can I freeze it?
Yes.
Cool completely, slice, and wrap individual slices tightly.
Freeze for up to about 2–3 months for best quality.
Reheat slices in a toaster oven or oven. They’re particularly good toasted.
How long does it keep?
For best texture, eat within 2–3 days.
Keep it airtight once completely cooled. Similar cheese-herb quick breads are reported to remain usable for several days, with toasted slices helping restore texture.
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What should I serve with it?
This loaf works especially well with:
tomato soup
creamy mushroom soup
chicken soup
scrambled or fried eggs
roasted vegetables
green salad
grilled chicken
pasta
chili
It’s also excellent simply toasted with butter.
Key tips for getting the photo-like result
For that deeply golden, cheesy top:
Return it to the oven at 160–170°C, cover loosely with foil and bake another 8–15 minutes, checking periodically.
Can I make it without yogurt?
If using milk alone, the texture may be slightly less rich.
Can I use only baking powder?
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes, provided you use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend formulated for bread/cakes and verify that the other ingredients are gluten-free.
Use sharp cheddar + Parmesan.
Reserve some cheese specifically for the top.
Don’t skimp on the fresh thyme.
Use a metal loaf pan if available—it generally encourages good browning.
Don’t overmix.
Bake until the center is completely set, not merely until the surface is brown.
If the top browns too quickly, cover it loosely with foil for the remainder of baking.
The result should be crisp and deeply browned around the edges, golden and cheesy on top, with a moist savory crumb and visible green herbs throughout.