Homemade Cheesy Bread: This perfect party appetizer is loaded with cheesy goodness, and pairing it with my recipe for Easy Marinara Sauce is a sure way to have you and your guests coming back for seconds. While you do need to make the dough a day ahead of time, the hands-on time is very minimal (there's no kneading involved - I promise!) and totally worth it!
Recipe Components and Ingredients
There are four components to this recipe: dough, olive oil sauce, cheese mixture, and marinara sauce. All of these parts are very simple to put together. All of the steps are outlined in more detail below.
Dough
As I mentioned previously, you need to make this dough at least a day before-hand, but the hands-on time is pretty minimal. An overnight ferment in the refrigerator adds flavor, and long proofing times give us the pillowy-soft texture that is crucial to achieving a perfectly light and airy dough. Right now, it's all about the ingredients:
- Bread Flour - This provides slightly more gluten than regular all-purpose flour. This, in turn, provides a little bit chewier crust and bigger air bubbles. (All-Purpose flour can be substituted.)
- Water - Warm water helps activate the fermentation process and makes the dough easier to work with. Aim for 90 to 100°F.
- Sea Salt - Using fine sea salt instead of larger kosher salt makes it easier to incorporate evenly into the dough.
- Sugar - Granulated sugar lends just a hint of sweetness and helps the bottom of the crust caramelize lightly. This also helps the yeast get the fermentation kicked off.
- Oil - Any neutral-tasting oil can be used (olive, canola, avocado, etc.) This also helps the crust brown while baking.
- Active Dry Yeast - This is where the magic happens as these little guys do the heavy lifting of the fermentation process. Active dry yeast requires an initial bloom to activate it. (Do this by mixing with the warm water and sugar for 5 to 10 minutes.) An equal amount of instant yeast can be substituted and can be added directly to flour without the initial blooming stage.
Olive Oil Sauce
This simple sauce is made with three ingredients: extra-light olive oil, Italian seasoning, and kosher salt. Feel free to add a bit of garlic (freshly minced or dried; either will work!) if you're feeling fancy!
Just mix all of these ingredients in a small bowl and you're good to go!
Cheese Mixture
The combination of whole milk low-moisture mozzarella, sharp white cheddar, and parmesan is the same one I use in pretty much all of my pizzas (check out my recipe for the Ultimate Pan Pizza here), and it works perfect for this cheesy bread too! If there's one takeaway from this section, it's to make sure that you shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheeses typically have anti-caking agents/coatings applied to them that inhibit melting and can prevent the cheese from melting or browning properly. Honestly, this was one of the biggest tips that helped elevate my homemade pizza making!
Marinara Dipping Sauce
Cheesy bread without homemade marinara-dipping sauce is just plain sad. To remedy that, I always make my recipe for Easy Marinara Sauce to go with this!
How to make Homemade Cheesy Bread
Now onto the most important part of this recipe: how to make it! The comprehensive guide below will walk you through the process from start to finish.
Dough Shaping and Proofing
After mixing the dough together as outlined in the recipe, making this cheesy bread begins with several steps to properly shape, proof, and ferment the dough, which are outlined in detail below. Keep in mind, this does need to rest in the fridge at least overnight (up to 3 days) for optimal flavor and texture, so you do need to make it at least a day ahead of time.
Slap and Folds
After mixing the dough, I like to add some strength and structure to the dough by performing a few sets of "slap and folds." This process is basically picking up the dough, letting it stretch out some, slapping the hanging end onto the counter, then folding the dough over onto itself. This is a quick process and should only take about a minute or so. This step aids in gluten development and also helps the dough keep its shape while proofing. More details are below!
After the slap and folds, transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and allow to proof (or rise) for one hour.
Stretch and Fold
After the first proof, punch the dough down and perform two sets of "stretch and folds". This is a more gentle process than kneading, but it does essentially the same thing. It aids in the development of gluten, gives structure to the dough, and also brings some air to the party. This is key to allowing the dough to stretch out and not collapse on itself as it ferments during the long second proof (more on that later). This also helps give the dough its soft and fluffy texture, which is definitely what we're after. The process is outlined below:
Overnight Proof
After the last 30-minute rest in the stretch and fold stage, divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Transfer to lightly oiled quart-sized deli containers, zip-top bags, or covered bowls and ferment in the fridge at least overnight, up to three days. Resting the dough in the refrigerator adds a ton of flavor and is an important step to not skip.
Final Proofing
Assembly and Baking
Assembly is as easy as spreading the olive oil sauce over the proofed dough, completely covering it with cheese, and baking it in an oven that has been preheated to 475°F for 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool before carefully removing it from the pan, slicing, and serving.
Storing and Reheating Tips
Store any leftovers you have in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheating is as easy as lightly covering the leftovers with tinfoil and baking at 400°F for several minutes until warmed, about 5 to 10 minutes depending on how much you need to heat.
Did you make this recipe for Homemade Cheesy Bread?
Let me know in the comments below how yours turned out, and don't forget to leave a rating!
Recipe
Homemade Cheesy Bread
Equipment
- 2 7 x 11-Inch Casserole Dishes Or one 9 x 13-Inch Casserole Dish
Ingredients
Cheesy Bread Dough
- 1 ¼ Cups 90 to 100°F Water 300 ml
- 2 ¼ teaspoon Granulated Sugar 10 g
- 2 ½ teaspoon Active Dry Yeast 7 g
- 3 ½ Cups Bread Flour 450 g (Substitute equal amounts All-Purpose Flour)
- 1 Tablespoon Fine Sea Salt 20 g
- ⅓ Cup Olive Oil 72 g - Plus more for greasing the pan.
Cheese Mixture
- 1 lb. Whole Milk Low-Moisture Mozzarella Grated
- ⅓ Cup Sharp White Cheddar Grated
- ⅓ Cup Parmesan Grated
Olive Oil Sauce
- ¼ Cup Extra Light Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- Pinch Kosher Salt
Easy Marinara Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Neutral Oil
- 4 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 1 28 oz Can Whole Peeled Tomatoes San Marzano Preferred
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Oregano Minced
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Basil Minced
- 1 Tablespoon Parmesan Grated
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- Pinch Kosher Salt
Instructions
Cheesy Bread Dough
- In a small sauce pan, heat up the water to 90 to 100°F. Remove from the heat and stir in the granulated sugar and active dry yeast to combine. Allow to bloom for 5 minutes until frothy. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and oil. Mix on low for 2 to 3 minutes until the ingredients are completely combined. Allow the dough to rest for about 10 minutes, then continue to knead on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes until the dough becomes smooth.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and perform 3 to 4 sets of slap and folds (complete instructions are outlined in the blog post above). Pick up the dough with both hands on either side and allow it to stretch some. Quickly slap the bottom of the dough onto the work surface, and stretch the dough over onto itself. Repeat this process 3 to 4 times. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and proof at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Punch the dough down and perform two sets of "stretch and folds" (complete instructions are outlined in the blog post above). Grab one edge of the dough and pull it up to stretch it some without tearing. Fold the dough over onto itself, then turn the bowl 90 degrees, and repeat with the remaining three sides. Allow to rest for 30 minutes and repeat once more.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface again, and divide into two equal-sized pieces. (Do not divide the dough if using a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish). Roll into dough balls and transfer to lightly oiled containers (deli containers, quart freezer bags, covered bowls, etc.) and refrigerate overnight or up to three days. Remove the dough from the fridge 4 hours before baking and transfer to two oiled 7 x 11-inch casserole dishes (or one 9 x 13-inch casserole dish). After 30 minutes, stretch the dough out by heavily dimpling it with your fingertips until it reaches the edges of the pans. Tightly cover the pans and allow the dough to rise for the remaining 3 ½ hours. In the last hour of proofing, preheat the oven to 475°.
Olive Oil Sauce
- While the dough is proofing, combine the extra light olive oil, Italian seasoning, and a pinch of kosher salt in a small bowl. Reserve until ready to assemble the cheesy bread.
Easy Marinara Sauce
- In the last hour of the dough proofing, heat oil over medium heat in a medium sauce pot. Add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add whole tomatoes, oregano, basil, parmesan cheese, and unsalted butter. Stir to combine until the butter is melted. Gently break the tomatoes with a wooden spoon, and bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Lower heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour until thickened. Crush the tomatoes further if desired. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Reserve until ready to serve.
Assembly and Baking
- Drizzle the olive oil sauce evenly over the dough, then sprinkle the cheese mixture on top, completely covering the dough from edge to edge. Add a small drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of kosher salt. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Optionally, add a sprinkle of dried oregano over the top.
- Remove the cheesy bread from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool for an additional 5 minutes. Slice and serve with a side of Easy Marinara Sauce.
Jacob says
5 stars from the whole fam! Loved this with your marinara recipe!