This Loaf with Cheesy Swirls is spicy and pretty…. and easy to make too!
Slice it up…… and display those lovely swirls! Slather on a bit of butter, take a bite and savor…… It instantly hits the spot! Subtly cheesy… with a little tang…. and just a hint of heat… Yumm!
A festive occasion… or a cozy afternoon tete-a-tete with a friend… it all becomes extra special …. when you have this delicious bread to munch on!
And Hey, Don’t forget to look at the nutrition label…. Do you see that each serving packs 8 g of high quality protein, and only 4 g of fat? How many of your other favorite snacks can boast that?
The Cheesy Swirls Loaf: Tangy heat from fresh red chilli paste
One bite of this cheesy loaf and you taste it right away…. the subtle, tangy heat that tickles and delights your taste-buds!
Where does it come from? Fresh red chilli paste….. I like to use my homemade Thai-style fresh red chilli paste in this bread. I think it gives it just the right amount of heat, enough to give this bread that little extra ‘Oomph’!
Can you actually ‘see’ the chilli paste? Look a little more closely at the swirls…. And I bet you will begin to spot little bits of ‘red’….. here and there…. peeking through the cheesy golden swirls!
The gold-rimmed swirls – from the melted Cheddar
And the lovely gold-rimmed ‘holey’ swirls? What caused those holes? It’s from the melted Cheddar cheese, of course!
While baking, all the cheese just melts….. and leaves a gaping ‘hole‘ where the cheese shreds initially occupied some space…. That’s how you get the well-defined swirls in the loaf…. ‘holes’ with a golden, cheesy lining!
Cheesy Swirl Loaf: Start with a basic bread dough
This pretty loaf with all its cheesy swirls starts with a basic bread dough, with some yogurt and herbs mixed in for extra flavor. Mix all the ingredients, make the dough…. knead it well… and set it aside to rise..
A word about the flour… I highly recommend using bread flour (also called strong flour), rather than all purpose flour (also called plain flour), to make this bread. Why? Bread flour typically yields a more fluffy and airy textured bread than all-purpose flour.
How come? The key difference between the two lies in their gluten content. Bread flour has 11-13% gluten, while all-purpose flour typically has 9-11%.
And what if you can’t get bread flour where you live? That’s OK… Just make this loaf with all-purpose flour… but know that it will likely be a bit more dense. Trust me, it will still be utterly delicious… and get polished off just as fast!
Why does Bread Flour yield a fluffy, airy bread?
Why does bread flour, with its higher gluten content, yield a fluffy, airy bread? Wheat has two different proteins, gliadin and glutenin, which begin to swell as soon as you add water to wheat flour. As they swell, they begin to form long chains that are elastic and stretchy structures.
Then, as you start kneading the dough, these elastic strands start to get entangled with each other. Keep kneading some more….. and you begin to get a strong and elastic 3-D network of these entangled protein strands. This is what’s actually happening when folks say, ‘kneading helps the gluten to develop’.
This 3-D elastic network, or the developed gluten as it’s also called, does something rather interesting…. it traps the ‘gas’ that the yeast produces…. by stretching to accommodate its volume!
To me, this is akin to blowing up a balloon by filling it with gas! This trapped gas is what makes the dough rise when the yeast starts feeding on the starches in the flour. The more gas that the dough traps, the fluffier and lighter the bread that results.
If the gluten network is not very strong, it can ‘break’ if its gas-trapping capacity is exceeded …. This is similar to how a balloon bursts if you try to squeeze air into it after it has already been stretched to its limit…. or how an elastic rubber band breaks when you stretch it beyond its capacity.
In essence, then….. Flour that has more gluten can trap more gas… and make bread more fluffy and airy!
Cheesy Swirls Loaf: What to do once the dough doubles in volume?
When the dough is doubled (in about 45 min or so), it’s time for the next steps. Gently transfer the dough onto greased parchment paper (placed on a large cutting board). With greased fingers, pat the dough out into a rectangle.
Now for the toppings… It’s kind of like adding toppings on a yeasty pizza base!
I keep it pretty simple…. Not much cutting chopping needed here! Spicy, fresh red chilli paste, paprika, shredded Cheddar cheese and chopped fresh parsley… and a bit of grated Parmesan as well, if you like….That’s it!
Roll up the dough and let it rise again, then bake till golden
Okay…. So the dough is now all ready to be rolled up!
Start from the shorter side of the rectangle, and start rolling it up … tightly! We don’t want any air pockets in the roll… Why? Air pockets make the roll flimsy and challenging to handle.
When done, maneuver it (gently!) such that the outer edge of the roll is on the bottom. Pinch the two side-ends of the roll to ‘close’ them, then tuck the sealed ends underneath the roll.
Pick up the parchment sheet (with the rolled up dough) and place it on a cookie sheet. Keep in a warm draft-free area to proof (rise again). When doubled, place the cookie sheet in a preheated oven (400F/200C) and bake (18-20 min) till the crust is evenly golden.
Take it out of the oven, immediately spread butter all over…. watch it become beautifully glossy as you do this…. and set the loaf on a cooling rack.
Want to see those pretty swirls? Cool the loaf before slicing
And now…. Patience, please! You do want to see those pretty swirls in your slices, right? Well, then…. Do NOT slice into the loaf until its completely cooled to room temp – minimum 1 hour, preferably even longer!
Yes, I do understand… Waiting for a just-baked loaf to cool sufficiently before slicing into it is so very hard… But…. Let me emphasize this point: the wait is definitely worth it!
Rush in while the bread is still warm…..and you will likely mangle and ‘smoosh’ the beautiful golden loaf you just baked… No matter how fancy your bread-knife is!
The inside of the bread needs to ‘rest’ undisturbed…. to become a little firm and less sticky as it cools… Then your knife will not end up squishing it all and ruining that lovely look you were hoping for!
More Bread Recipes to try
Do you love trying out different kinds of bread? Would you like to try a few more bread recipes? Here are a few fun ones that I’ve posted….
- Bun Maska – pillow soft, the Irani Cafe favorite… enjoy any time of day
- Rye Bread with Pumpkin – gorgeously golden and super-soft, with the inimitable flavor of caraway
- Apricot bread – studded with chopped up dried apricots, its fruity sweetness always hits hits the spot
Make them…. share them with the bread-lovers in your circle of family and friends…. and do post reviews and star ratings…. many thanks!
Special Diets
This delicious cheesy loaf with its pretty red swirls is vegetarian, soy-free, nut-free and sesame-free. It also has no onion or garlic, in case this is important to you. To make it vegan, use your preferred plant-based butter, yogurt and cheese instead of the dairy-based ingredients.
So…. When you feel like making a bread that looks pretty ‘special’…. and tastes even better….and is also pretty easy to make…. This one would fit the bill perfectly!
Make it, slice it up and serve, with butter on the side, of course! Maybe a cup of tea/coffee as well…. and you’re all set!
One look at your gorgeous presentation…. and how can your friends not go, ‘Wow! You made this?!’….. even before they’ve had a chance to grab a piece and dig in! You just know it’s going to all vanish in a flash!
Do leave a review and star rating…. Thanks!
Enjoy!
Loaf with Cheesy Swirls: Spicy, Pretty, Easy to Make
Equipment
- Oven: electric or gas for baking the bread
- Rectangular cookie sheet 10" x 14" ( 25cm x 35 cm) or larger
- Parchment paper if not available, follow alternate directions
- Bread machine / Stand mixer optional To mix and knead bread dough; if not available, do this manually
Ingredients
For Making the Bread Dough
- 2 cups Bread Flour if not available, See Recipe Notes for options
- 2 tbsp Yogurt – plain (unflavored) – at room temperature See recipe Notes for alternatives, including vegan options.
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp Instant yeast if not available, OK to use Active Dry Yeast, but will need to activate it first; details given in Recipe directions
- 2 tsp Butter for vegan loaf, use a neutral oil or a plant-based butter
- 2 tsp Milk powder if not available, OK to omit: add extra 1 tbsp yogurt instead
- 2/3 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper – freshly crushed preferred
- 1 tsp Lime/Lemon juice – freshly squeezed preferred
- 2/3 cup Water – room temperature filtered water, or previously boiled and cooled may need a little bit more – up to 2 tbsp – to make a smooth soft dough
- 1 tbsp Dried Basil or 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Oil to coat the kneaded dough before setting it o rise; I prefer to use peanut oil; any neutral OIL is OK to use
Toppings: to spread on the patted out dough
- 1 1/2 tsp Oil – divided (1 tsp + 1/2 tsp ) 1 tsp to grease the parchment; 1/2 tsp to coat the rolled up loaf
- 1 1/2 tbsp Fresh Red Chilli paste – home-made preferred See Recipe Notes for link to easy home-made recipe posted on this site, and alternative options
- 1 tsp Paprika (optional) if not available, OK to omit; I do NOT recommend smoked Paprika for this bread
- 1/2 cup Parsley – finely chopped
- 2/3 cup Cheddar Cheese – shredded Extra Sharp preferred
- 1 tbsp Parmesan Grated (optional)
Instructions
Activate the yeast if using Active Dry Yeast: Skip this step if using Instant Yeast
- If using Active Dry Yeast (instead of Instant Yeast), you will need to activate it first: From the measured 2/3 cup of water, transfer 1/4 cup lukewarm water to a cup; add 1 tsp sugar and 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast – stir well, cover and set aside for about 10 min – you will see a thick foamy layer on top. Use this mixture when making the dough with all the rest of the ingredients listed: flour, yogurt, butter, milk powder, salt, pepper, lemon juice and basil. Note: Use the remaining water – from the initially measured 2/3 cup – from which the 1/4 cup was removed for activating the active dry yeast – as needed, to make the dough.
Make Bread Dough
- In a large bowl, place all the ingredients listed for making the bread dough, except the water and the 1/2 tsp oil.Stir everything together with a spatula to distribute evenly.
- Add about 1/4 cup water (or the activated yeast mixture described above) and mix with a spatula. add more water as needed to make a shaggy dough.Now start mixing with your hands until the dough starts to come together.
- Knead the dough by hand for 8-10 minutes until it becomes silky smooth and elastic. Coat the dough with oil, cover and set aside to rise in warm, draft-free area.- will need about 40 min to double in volume
- You can also make the dough with a stand mixer ( mix with a dough hook for 7-8 min), or with a bread machine (use the dough setting)
- Bread Machine Dough: doubled and ready for next step
Assemble the Cheesy Swirls Loaf
- Place a parchment sheet on a large cutting board and grease it lightly with oil ( tsp). Transfer the risen dough to the parchment, and start patting it out (gently, with your fingers) into a rectangle – about 7 inches x 9 inches (18 cm x 23 cm).Note: The risen dough is quite soft, fluffy and pliable…. it should spread quite easily with just gentle pressure from your fingers. Do not press hard or the dough will lose its fluffiness.
- Spread the oil all over the parchment – with your fingers or with a spatula.
- Transfer the risen dough to the greased parchment
- With greased fingers, gently pat the dough into a rectangle – about 7 in. x 10 in. (18 cm x 25 cm) – do not press down hard – you don't want to lose all the lovely fluffiness!
- Place 1 1/2 tbsp of fresh red chilli paste on the patted out dough – my home-made fresh chilli paste. or a store-bought variety, like Sambal Oelek.
- Evenly spread the fresh red chilli paste all over the patted out dough. If using, sprinkle Paprika evenly all over the chilli paste.
- Measure out 1/2 cup of shredded sharp Cheddar cheese.
- Scatter the shredded cheddar cheese all over the dough.
- Rinse, towel-dry and finely chop the parsley.
- Cover the cheese with the finely chopped parsley
- If using, scatter grated Parmesan all over.
Roll it up and bake
- Starting from the short side, start carefully rolling up the dough – fairly tightly, without leaving air pockets.
- When fully rolled up, maneuver it gently, so that the outer edge is on the bottom.Pinch the ends to seal and tuck them under the roll.
- Gently move and turn the roll 90 degrees, so it is positioned lengthwise and at the center of the parchment. Transfer, along with the parchment paper, to a rectangular cookie sheet. Adjust it again so that the roll is centered on the cookie sheet. Gently pat the surface of the roll with a little oil. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside in a draft free area to proof: the dough should double in volume in about 30-40 min.
- If your kitchen is a bit cold, try this method for providing a warm humid environment for the dough to proof easily.: Place a shallow pan with medium-hot water – not boiling hot!! – in the microwave. Set the cookie sheet (with the rolled up loaf) over the pan and close the microwave door. Leave undisturbed to allow dough to rise. It should be ready to bake in about 25-30 min.
- About 20-22 min after the dough has been set aside for proofing, prepare the oven for baking. Place the oven baking rack in the center position of the oven (from top-to-bottom). Turn the oven on: set it to 400F / 200C. It will probably take 10-12 min (or maybe even a bit longer) to preheat to the set temperature.Also: Place a shallow pan/bowl with about 2 cups water on the rack below the center rack. If your oven only has one rack, place it on the same rack (in a corner) on which you will bake the bread. Why do this?The water in the pan will be boiling hot when the oven is preheated – this produces steam, which helps the dough to rise a little more during the first 5-7 min of baking.
- Check the roll after about 25 min of proofing, to see whether it is ready for baking: it should be almost doubled in volume by this time. Lightly press the side of the roll with a finger – if it springs back slowly, it is ready to bake. Note: If it springs back fast, give it another 5-10 min to rise a bit more before baking.If it doesnt spring back at all.… you risk over-proofing it – get it into the oven ASAP!
- Moisten the surface of the loaf before baking for a better oven spring:Heat some water in a small bowl for 20 seconds in the microwave. Dip your fingers in the warm water and gently splash/sprinkle some water on the top and sides of the roll. The surface of the roll should glisten and look uniformly 'wet'.Place the cookie sheet (with the roll) on the center rack of the oven. Also center the sheet on the rack: side-to-side, as well as front-to-back.
- Bake at 400F / 200C for 10 min; open the oven door and carefully remove the pan of hot water.Close the oven door, decrease the oven temperature to 360F / 180C an bake for 10-12 min until the loaf is evenly golden brown. If it still looks pale after about 5 min, increase the temp back to 400 and continue to bake. Note:Do not bake the loaf for too long, otherwise it will become too dry !Oven temperatures can vary a lot, so you will need to adjust the temperature settings as needed.
- Remove the baked loaf from the oven and spread some butter over the top and sides of the loaf.Set it on a sturdy cooling rack, along with the parchment, to cool for about 15 min. Then remove the paper so the bread sits directly on the rack. Cool it completely – at least one hour – preferably longer – before slicing.
- Slice carefully with a sharp serrated bread knife.Arrange slices on serving platter to display the pretty swirls. Set out some butter and a pot of coffee (or tea)Enjoy!
Notes
What to do if Bread Flour is not available?
Bread flour yields a fluffy and airy-textured bread, because of its high gluten content. If you cannot find bread flour, its OK to use an equal amount of All purpose flour instead. Note: The bread will likely be less fluffy because of its lower gluten content. However: If vital wheat gluten is available where you live, then you can rectify this situation quite easily:- Measure 2 cups of APF into a bowl.
- Remove 1 tbsp from the measured APF and put it back into your flour storage jar.
- Now add 1 tbsp of vital wheat gluten to your measured flour.
- Stir well with a dry whisk or slotted spoon to distribute the gluten flour evenly.
What to use instead of Yogurt?
If yogurt is not available, or if you prefer to make a vegan loaf, use one of the following options- 1 1/2 tbsp Greek Yogurt (this will not be vegan)
- Plant-based yogurt (vegan) of your choice
- If you want to make a vegan loaf and can have soy, use the following mixture:
- 1 1/2 tbsp tofu (any kind) + 1 tsp lime/lemon juice + 1 tsp neutral-flavored, heat-stable oil ( I do NOT recommend using Extra Virgin Olive oil or other cold-pressed oil for this purpose)
Home-made Fresh Red Chilli paste:
If you would like to make a small jar of red chilli paste with fresh red chillies, here’s the link for the simple recipe I’ve shared on this site. Fresh red chilli paste I highly recommend making a batch, to have on hand whenever you need a flavorful and fresh tasting red chilli paste for any dish you need it in. The recipe I’ve posted makes about 1/3 cup… you can store it in a glass jar for about 2 months (or even longer!) Alternatives to Home-made Red Chilli Paste:- Sambal Oelek
- Sriracha Sauce
- Another variety of fresh red chilli paste you like
Advance Prep: To store dough in the freezer:
Make the dough ahead of time or make an extra batch – Home-made frozen bread dough. Freeze the dough immediately after kneading, before the first rise- Put it in a plastic bag or container with a well fitting lid
- Use a bag/container that is large enough to accommodate a little bit of rising before the dough freezes
- good for about a month, possibly longer
- To thaw frozen dough: plan for about an hour to thaw the dough, even though it may get done sooner.
- Place the container on the counter
- open the seal of the plastic bag, or ,
- if using a container with a lid, loosen the lid.
- the dough should get thawed in about 30 min or so.
- Do not rush the process.
- Continue with the thawed dough as described
- from the first rise
To store baked bread:
Keeps well at room temp for 2-3 days in a plastic bag, loosely tied to allow some air . To store longer: Slice the bread and place slices in a sealable plastic bag and- Refrigerate
- Use within 3-4 days
- I recommend toasting it briefly to soften the crumb.
- If you wish, you can microwave it very briefly- only 7-10 seconds
- do not heat longer in the microwave – it will become chewy and hard.
- Freeze
- Place bagged bread in another bag before freezing: “double-bagging”
- minimizes freezer burn and/or drying out of the bread
- Good for at least 2 weeks, possibly longer
- to thaw: remove as many slices as needed, then place on the counter for about 5-7 min before lightly toasting to soften the crumb.
- Place bagged bread in another bag before freezing: “double-bagging”
Looks good. Save a piece for me
Sure! 🙂
The recipe sounds amazing! Will try it soon
Wowww Sushma… The bread looks so good …. My mouth is watering. The tips and recipie method are a pleasure to read thru. Thank you. Will try it . Have you tried with sourdough?
Thanks, Usha… Hope you make it…
Yes I have tried it with sourdough, but did not do an overnight cold proof in the refrigerator. Shaped it after bulk ferment, let it rise again for about an hour or so, and baked! It was great!
Lip smacking recipe! It came out super good. My family loved it ❤️
Oh good! I’m so glad you all loved it, Ameetha! Thanks for your thoughtful review and star rating! 🙂