Southern-Style Cheddar Cheese Quick Bread Recipe

This recipe describes how to create a “Southern-Style Cheddar Cheese Quick Bread,” a savory and hearty loaf perfect as a side dish, for breakfast, or as a snack. The image displays a sliced loaf of what appears to be a quick bread, characterized by its golden-brown crust and a dense yet tender crumb. Visible within the bread are flecks of melted, golden-orange cheddar cheese, which is the star ingredient. The bread’s texture suggests it’s moist and flavorful, perhaps with a slight savory tang from the cheese. It’s often served warm, allowing the cheese to remain soft and gooey, and can be enjoyed plain, with butter, or alongside a meal. The ease of preparation, requiring no yeast or proofing time, makes it a convenient and satisfying baking project. The rustic appeal of the sliced loaf emphasizes its comforting and homemade quality.

Ingredients:

For the Quick Bread:

• 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional, for a hint of sweetness to balance the savory)
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground, for best flavor)
• 1 ½ cups (about 6 oz) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, at room temperature (or 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice/white vinegar, let sit 5 mins)
• ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, melted

For Optional Topping (for extra flavor and crust):

• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1-2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
• A sprinkle of paprika or chives (for color and extra flavor)

Equipment:

• 9×5 inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan
• Parchment paper (optional, for easy removal)
• Large mixing bowl
• Medium mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Rubber spatula
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Cheese grater

Instructions:

Part 1: Prepare for Baking & Dry Ingredients

1. Preheat Oven & Prepare Loaf Pan: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan. For easier removal, you can also line the pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides to use as “handles.”
2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, optional granulated sugar, salt, and black pepper. Whisk well to ensure the leavening agents are evenly distributed.
3. Add Shredded Cheese: Add 1 ½ cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese to the dry ingredients. Toss the cheese with the flour mixture until it’s well coated. This step helps prevent the cheese from sinking to the bottom of the loaf.

Part 2: Combine Wet Ingredients & Form Batter

1. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium mixing bowl, lightly beat the large egg. Then, whisk in the buttermilk and the melted unsalted butter until well combined.
2. Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter. Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour, resulting in a tough and dense quick bread. A few lumps are perfectly fine; the goal is to mix until no dry streaks of flour remain. The batter will be thick.

Part 3: Bake the Quick Bread

1. Transfer to Loaf Pan: Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared 9×5 inch loaf pan. Smooth the top with the back of the spatula.
2. Add Optional Topping: If desired, brush the top of the batter with 1 tablespoon of melted butter, then sprinkle with the extra 1-2 tablespoons of shredded cheddar cheese and a pinch of paprika or chives.
3. Bake: Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. The internal temperature should register around 200-210°F (93-99°C).
4. Cool: Remove the loaf pan from the oven and let the bread cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes on a wire cooling rack. This allows the bread to set and makes it easier to remove.
5. Remove from Pan: Carefully remove the bread from the loaf pan (using the parchment paper overhangs if you used them) and transfer it to the wire cooling rack to cool completely before slicing. While delicious warm, slicing too soon can cause it to crumble.

Part 4: Serving & Storage

1. Slice and Serve: Once cooled, slice the Southern-Style Cheddar Cheese Quick Bread into thick slices. It’s excellent served warm with a pat of butter, alongside soups, stews, chili, or even as a savory breakfast toast.
2. Storage: Store leftover quick bread tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, you can freeze individual slices or the whole loaf (wrapped well) for up to 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature or reheat in the microwave or oven.

Tips for Success:

• Room Temperature Buttermilk: Using room temperature buttermilk helps it combine more smoothly with the other wet ingredients and results in a more tender crumb. If you don’t have buttermilk, the milk + lemon juice/vinegar substitute works perfectly.
• Sharp Cheddar: For the best flavor, use a good quality sharp cheddar cheese. Grating your own cheese from a block is often better than pre-shredded, as pre-shredded cheese can contain anti-caking agents that affect melting and texture.
• Don’t Overmix: This is the golden rule for quick breads. Mix only until the ingredients are just combined. Overmixing develops gluten, leading to a tough, rubbery texture.
• Even Cheese Distribution: Tossing the shredded cheese with the dry ingredients helps ensure it’s evenly distributed throughout the loaf and doesn’t sink to the bottom during baking.
• Baking Soda & Buttermilk: The baking soda reacts with the acidity in the buttermilk, creating carbon dioxide bubbles that help the bread rise, giving it a light and airy texture.
• Testing for Doneness: The toothpick test is reliable. If it comes out with wet batter, it needs more time. A few moist crumbs are acceptable.
• Cooling Properly: Allowing the bread to cool in the pan briefly and then fully on a wire rack is important for its structure and for easy, clean slicing.
• Savory Bread: This Southern-Style Cheddar Cheese Quick Bread is a savory bread. It contrasts with sweet desserts like Pineapple Upside Down Loaf Cake, Fresh Strawberry Pie, Cinnamon Swirl Apple Loaf Cake, No-Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake, Southern-Style Peach Cobbler, Super Moist Chocolate Truffle Cake, the chocolate cake held by a woman, Decadent Chocolate Ganache Layer Cake, Double Chocolate Cream Dream Cake, Fluffy Japanese-Style Blender Sponge Cake, Delightful Strawberry Crunch Cookies, No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake Lasagna, Southern-Style Blackberry Cobbler, Easy No-Bake Peanut Clusters, Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake, Homemade Fruit Cake, Classic Apple Bundt Cake, Creamy Lemon Pudding, Leche Flan, Fluffy Asian-Style Sponge Cakes (Mamon), Super Soft Vanilla Breakfast Cake, Lemon Meringue Cheesecake, World’s Best Butter Cookies, Classic Homemade Strawberry Cake, Healthy Carrot Cake, Homemade Creamy Ice Cream, Mini Cherry Cheese Danish, Pineapple Pecan Cream Cheese Pound Cake, Caramel Cream Cheese Pound Cake, Orange Blender Cake, Blueberry Bundt Cake, an unnamed chocolate pie, Maple Cream Pie, Vanilla Custard Puff Pastry Squares, Sweet Milk Fudge Squares, Strawberry Banana Pudding, Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes, Fried Apple or Peach Pies or Yogurt Cake. It is also different from other savory items like Sticky Honey Garlic BBQ Ribs, Cheesy Biscuit Bake with Pepper Topping, Irresistible Marinated Feta Cheese, Savory Sheet Pan Egg Muffins, Sizzling Chinese Pepper Steak with Onions, Longhorn Steakhouse Parmesan Chicken, Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza, Dorito Taco Salad, Hearty Ground Beef Cabbage Soup, Pan-Fried Cod with Lemon Butter Sauce, Crispy Ground Beef Rolls, Fish Cutlets, Old Fashioned Salisbury Steak, Shepherd’s Pie, Braised Oxtail, Garlic Parmesan Fried Lamb Chops, Mac and Cheese, Pepperoni Pizza Bombs, Garlic Butter Lobster and Scallops, Fresh Napa Cabbage Salad, or a basic loaf of bread.