No-Knead Cheese Bread

Name: No-Knead Cheese Bread
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 2 h 50 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: Western
Ingredients: 3 cups bread flour, plain all-purpose flour can be used instead; 2 tsp instant yeast, also called rapid rise yeast; 1½ tsp salt, cooking or kosher salt; 1½ cups tap water, very warm; 2½ cups Colby cheese, tightly packed, freshly shredded; or use another cheese of choice

Slices of golden cheese bread with melted cheese stretching between them. — Thick slices show the melted cheese inside the golden loaf.

A golden, cheese-crusted loaf with soft bread and ribbons of melted cheese inside. No kneading required.

By Cookin' KitchenOctober 17, 2026

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Total: 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 10 servings

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Rest: 2 hours
Total: 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 10

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Recipe

No-Knead Cheese Bread

A golden, cheese-crusted loaf with soft bread and ribbons of melted cheese inside. No kneading required.

Cookin' · https://cookin.club/recipes/no-knead-cheese-bread

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Rest: 2 hours
Total: 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 10

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Ingredients

10 servings

For 10 servings

Bread dough

3 cups bread flour, plain all-purpose flour can be used instead
2 tsp instant yeast, also called rapid rise yeast
1½ tsp salt, cooking or kosher salt
1½ cups tap water, very warm
2½ cups Colby cheese, tightly packed, freshly shredded; or use another cheese of choice

Equipment

Large bowl
Rubber spatula
Plastic wrap
Oven
Heavy-based pot with lid, 24–28 cm (4.5–8 quarts)
Dough scraper
Parchment paper
Cooling rack

Instructions

Magic no-knead dough

Step 1: Mix dry ingredients, mix in water. Rise 2 - 3 hrs until doubled.
Step 2: Preheat pot 240°C/450°F (220°C fan). Turn dough out. Reserve 1/3 cheese for topping. Fold inwards 4 times, stuffed/layered with remaining cheese. Flip onto parchment paper. Pile reserved cheese on top.
Step 3: Bake 35 minutes covered, 10 minutes uncovered. Rest 10 minutes. Eat!
Step 4: In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and yeast with a rubber spatula. Add the water and mix using the handle of the spatula until no flour is visible. The dough should be too sticky to knead by hand, but not pourable like cake batter.
Step 5: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave the dough to rise in a warm place for 2 to 3 hours, until it doubles in volume. The surface should be bubbly, and the dough should jiggle when you shake the bowl.
Step 6: Half an hour before the dough is ready, put a heavy-based pot with a lid, 24–28 cm (4.5–8 quarts), in the oven. Preheat to 240°C/450°F, or 220°C fan-forced.

Shape the loaf

Step 7: Sprinkle the work surface with 1 tablespoon flour. Scrape the dough onto it, sprinkle the surface with flour, and pat it into an approximately 20 cm (8-inch) disc.
Step 8: Set aside one-third of the cheese for the topping. Cover the dough surface with half of the remaining cheese.
Step 9: Using a dough scraper or a similar utensil, fold the sides inward four times to make a roughly round shape. Top each layer with some of the remaining cheese, leaving the final layer cheese-free so it forms the base of the bread.
Tip: Dust the scraper with flour as needed to prevent sticking.
Step 10: Flip the dough onto a sheet of parchment or baking paper so the seam side is mostly facing down. Tidy the shape if desired.
Step 11: Pile the reserved cheese on top of the loaf.

Bake

Step 12: Remove the hot pot from the oven. Use the paper to transfer the dough into the pot, keeping it on the paper. Put the lid on.
Step 13: Bake covered for 35 minutes. Remove the lid and bake uncovered for 10 minutes to color the surface.
Step 14: Remove the pot from the oven. Use the paper to transfer the bread to a cooling rack, then remove the paper. Cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Tip: Resting lets the inside finish cooking and dry out; slicing sooner can make the crumb seem doughy.

Notes

Substitutions and keeping

Plain all-purpose flour works in place of bread flour, though the loaf will be less chewy. Other meltable cheeses such as cheddar, Monterey Jack or Gruyere can replace Colby; mozzarella works but has less flavor. Freshly shredded cheese melts better, though pre-shredded cheese can be used.

The bread is best freshly made and stays enjoyable un-toasted for about 24 to 36 hours. After that, toast slices and serve with butter.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 273 kcal
Fat: 11 g
Saturated fat: 7 g
Carbohydrates: 29 g
Sugar: 0.3 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 13 g
Sodium: 552 mg
Cholesterol: 31 mg

Estimated values; they will vary with the exact ingredients and brands you use.

About this recipe

This no-knead cheese bread bakes up with a golden, cheesy crust and soft crumb threaded with melted cheese. The dough is mixed in a bowl, then folded around the cheese before baking.

A cut cheese bread loaf showing its soft crumb and melted cheese inside. — A close view of the bread’s cheese-filled crumb.

Bread flour, instant yeast, salt, warm water and Colby cheese make up the dough. Freshly shred the cheese for finer strands that melt well.

Flour, yeast, salt and warm water arranged for bread dough. — The basic dough ingredients arranged before mixing.

No-Knead Cheese Bread