Cheesy Herb Swirl Bread

Extremely soft, brioche style bread is swirled with a fresh herb butter and cheese then baked to a warm, golden perfection as it fills the house with the scents of basil, thyme and sage.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1 20

Rise2

Total Time3 50

Course: bread

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cheesy Butter & Herb Bread

Servings:

Calories: 417kcal

Author: Jessica & Nellie

Ingredients

Dough:

1 cup warm milk
3 Tbsp sugar
2 ½ TBSP yeast
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
4 cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
½ cup butter room temp, 1 stick

Filling:

⅔ cup fresh basil roughly chopped
¼ cup fresh thyme
3 fresh sage leaves
11 TBSP butter room temp
1 ⅓ cup mozzarella cheese
½ cup parmesan cheese fresh shredded

Instructions

Mix the Bread Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the warm milk, sugar and yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes to proof. Once the mixture is frothy, add in the eggs and beat for 1 minute to incorporate.
Switch to a dough hook attachment. Add in the flour and salt and mix until well incorporated. Let knead for 3 minutes. Add in the butter and continue to knead it in for 5 minutes.
Once the dough is complete, remove from the mixing bowl and roll into a ball. Place into a large, well greased bowl. Spray the top of the dough with baking spray. Cover with a damp towel and let rise for an hour or until doubled in size.
While the dough is rising, make the filling. Add all of the fresh herbs to a food processor. Process for 1 minute or until the herbs are finely chopped. Transfer to a medium sized bowl and combine with the butter. Mix until the herbs are fully incorporated.
Once the dough has risen, turn the dough out onto a well floured surface. Sprinkle the top with flour so that the rolling pin doesn’t stick. Roll out into a large rectangle about 12” wide and 18” long. Spread the herb butter over the surface of the dough. Spread the cheeses over the top of the herb butter.

Shape the Dough

Tightly roll the dough into a log. Flip the log 90 degrees so that it is now vertical and not horizontal. Slice the log from one end to the other end so that you have two long half logs. Take the left half log and fold the top end over the right top half end.
Carefully pick the right half log up and braid it over the left half log. Continue doing this until you have about 4-5 twists in the log. Pinch both ends together. Roll the braided log into a swirled circle so that one end is in the center and the other end is folded slightly under the outer edge.
Grease a 9” or 10” cast iron skillet with a thick coat of butter. Carefully transfer to the skillet. Cover with a towel and set in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes to 1 hour or until risen to fit all sides of the pan.

Bake the Bread

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Once risen, place into the oven to bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until the bread is golden and baked through. You may need to cover the edges with tin foil to prevent them from browning too much. Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a hot pad to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

Storage: Bread may be stored in an airtight container or baggie in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Nutrition