Savory Garlic Herb & Cheese Quick Bread

Savory Garlic Herb & Cheese Quick Bread

This savory loaf lives up to its name — it’s quick and easy, with no yeast, no kneading, and no rising required. Packed with aromatic herbs, garlic, and pockets of gooey, melted cheese, this Cheese, Herb, and Garlic Quick Bread is perfect for a cozy afternoon tea or served warm alongside your favorite soup.

Cheese Quick Bread

🧄🧀 Cheese, Herb & Garlic Quick Bread (No Yeast!)

A Savory No-Yeast Bread Everyone Will Love

This isn’t your typical yeast bread. In fact, it’s closer to a savory muffin batter baked in a loaf pan — no kneading, rising, or waiting around. Instead, you get a beautifully golden loaf with a tender, fluffy crumb, swirls of herbs, and ribbons of melty cheese throughout. It's quick, incredibly satisfying, and perfect for dunking into soups or serving warm with tea.

And the best part? While traditional bread-makers are still waiting for their dough to rise, you're already enjoying your first cheesy, garlicky slice.

✨ Updated & Improved

I first shared this recipe back in 2015, but over time I’ve tweaked it for better flavor, a softer crumb, and longer shelf life. The original version used buttermilk, which I rarely keep on hand — so I adapted it to use a mix of yogurt and milk instead. The result? A more plush, sliceable loaf that stays fresh for days. Let’s dive into this new and improved version!

🛒 Ingredients

1. Flavor Boosters: Cheese, Herbs & Garlic

Cheese – I like to use cheddar, colby, or tasty cheese (a popular Australian cheddar). Choose any flavorful melting cheese. Avoid mozzarella (too bland) or hard cheeses like parmesan or pecorino (too salty). Cut the cheese into strips or chunks to tuck into the batter.
Fresh Herbs – My go-to combo is rosemary (earthy) and parsley (bright and fresh), but feel free to mix in thyme, dill, or whatever you have on hand. Rosemary is potent, so limit it to 2 tablespoons.
Dried Herbs – A touch of thyme and oregano adds an earthy base that complements the fresh herbs beautifully.
Garlic – Use freshly crushed or grated garlic (not just chopped) so the flavor infuses evenly through the herb oil.
Olive Oil – Blends the herb and garlic mixture into a pesto-like swirl.
Salt – Essential to bring out the flavors of everything.

Shortcut: You can use store-bought or homemade pesto instead of making your own herb mix!

2. The Batter

This batter is a lot like a muffin — but tweaked for better slicing and toasting. Here's what you need:

Plain Yogurt – Keeps the crumb moist and helps it stay fresh for up to 5 days. Use full-fat, unsweetened yogurt if possible.
Milk – Regular full-fat milk is best. The combo of yogurt + milk replaces the buttermilk in the original recipe.
Flour – All-purpose (plain) flour works best.
Baking Soda – Helps the loaf rise. If you don’t have any, substitute with 3½ tsp baking powder.
Eggs – Use large eggs (50–55g each with shell). If using jumbo eggs, measure accordingly.
Butter + Oil – Butter adds flavor, while oil keeps the crumb moist and tender for longer.
Garlic – Yes, again! Garlic is also infused into the batter for that unmistakable flavor.
Salt – Rounds everything out.

🥄 How to Make It

1. Make the Herb & Garlic Mixture

Mix chopped herbs, garlic, olive oil, and salt until it’s spoon able. If it’s too dry, add a little more oil.

💡 Shortcut: Blitz everything with a stick blender for a smoother, more “pesto-like” consistency.

2. Mix Dry Ingredients

Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

3. Mix Wet Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk yogurt, milk, eggs, melted butter, oil, and garlic.

4. Combine Wet & Dry

Pour wet into dry. Mix until just combined — a few lumps are fine! Don’t overmix or your loaf will be dense.

🍞 Layering the Goodness

Using a 21 x 11 x 7 cm (8.3 x 4.5 x 2.75") loaf pan:

Layer 1: Add ⅓ of the batter. Dollop ⅓ of the herb mixture and gently swirl. Wedge in strips of cheese.
Repeat twice more, finishing with cheese and herb mix on top. Let the cheese peek out — it gives a golden, crispy finish!

🔥 Baking Instructions

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 180°C/350°F (fan or no-fan).
Cover loosely with foil and bake another 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool at least 10 minutes before slicing.

📌 Note: The baking temp is the same for fan and standard ovens — more details in the FAQ section below if you're curious why!

🧈 Serving Suggestions

You don’t need butter — but no one will complain if you add it!

Serve this loaf warm or toasted for:

Afternoon tea or brunch
A picnic snack
A savory side for soups and stews
A crowd-pleasing potluck dish

🧄🧀 Cheese, Herb & Garlic Quick Bread

No yeast, no kneading — just garlicky, cheesy goodness.

💡 Recipe Video Above

This easy quick bread is packed with swirls of herby flavor and gooey pockets of cheese, all wrapped in a tender, garlic-infused crumb. It slices beautifully, toasts like a dream, and is completely irresistible warm with a pat of butter.

Enjoy it with your morning tea, pack it for picnics, serve alongside dinner, or dunk it into a cozy bowl of soup or stew. Bonus: no yeast or rise time required!

Shortcut option: You can swap the herb & garlic swirl with store-bought or homemade pesto. Use ⅓ to ½ cup. Just note — the flavor will only be as good as the pesto you use 🙂

📝 Ingredients

🧀 Cheese (for pockets)

200g / 7 oz cheddar or tasty cheese block, sliced 3mm (⅛") thick in varying widths for ribbons

Tip: Pre-sliced cheese works too but won’t be as visually striking once baked.
Alternative: Use 2 cups tightly packed shredded cheese and mix directly into the batter before pouring into the tin.

🌿 Herb & Garlic Swirl

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried thyme
2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely grated
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp kosher or cooking salt (reduce by half if using table salt)

Time-saving option: Blitz everything with a stick blender for a smoother pesto-like mixture. Use ½ cup loosely packed parsley and ¼ cup rosemary leaves. Add garlic already crushed and loosen with extra oil if needed.

🥣 Dry Ingredients

2¼ cups (280g) plain/all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda (or substitute with 3½ tsp baking powder)
¾ tsp kosher or cooking salt (halve if using table salt)

🧈 Wet Ingredients

½ cup plain yogurt (Greek or regular, full fat preferred)
¾ cup full-fat milk (low fat is okay)
2 large eggs (50–55g/2oz each in shell)
3½ tbsp (50g) unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp olive oil
2 small garlic cloves, crushed or grated

🍞 Instructions

1. Prep the Oven & Pan

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (fan or standard).
Grease a 21 x 11 x 7 cm (8.3 x 4.5 x 2.75") loaf pan, then line with baking paper.

2. Make the Herb & Garlic Mixture

Mix all swirl ingredients in a bowl until thick and spoonable. Add a little more oil if needed.

3. Mix Dry & Wet Ingredients

In one bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, whisk wet ingredients until smooth.

Pour wet into dry, and stir until just combined. The batter will be a little lumpy — that’s fine! Don’t overmix.

4. Assemble the Loaf

Layer the batter, herb mixture, and cheese in three layers:

Layer 1:

Pour ⅓ of the batter into the pan.
Dollop ⅓ of the herb swirl and swirl gently with a knife.
Randomly push in ⅓ of the cheese slices (some fully in, some poking out).

Layers 2 & 3:

Repeat the process twice more. It’s okay if cheese and herbs peek through the surface — it adds a beautiful rustic finish.

5. Bake

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes (until golden on top).
Cover loosely with foil and bake another 20 minutes.
Insert a skewer in the center — it should come out clean.

6. Cool & Serve

Let the bread cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing thick.
Serve warm — butter optional (but highly recommended!)

🥄 Recipe Notes

Cheese Options:
- Best: Cheddar, colby, or “tasty” cheese (popular in Australia).
- Avoid: Mozzarella (too mild and bland for this recipe), hard cheeses like parmesan or pecorino (too salty).
Herb Substitutions:
- Use 1 tbsp dried herbs in place of fresh.
- Feel free to mix and match based on what’s in your garden or fridge.
Loaf Pan Size:
- Using a slightly larger pan will result in a flatter loaf — still delicious!

🧊 Storage

Keeps fresh in an airtight container at room temp for 4 days.
Refrigerate beyond that and toast to revive before serving.

📅 Recipe History

Originally published in September 2015, updated in June 2025 with a better recipe, new video, improved photos, and — most importantly — the Life of Dozer section 😉

🔢 Nutrition (Per Slice – 104g)

Calories: 271
Carbs: 29.5g
Protein: 10.5g
Fat: 12.3g
Saturated Fat: 5.1g
Cholesterol: 62mg
Sodium: 512mg
Calcium: 240mg
Iron: 2.2mg

Thank you for reading.