This savory quick bread is a flavorful and cheesy herbed quick bread, which means it’s made without yeast. You’ll cut cold butter into dry ingredients, which is the same technique used to make scones, pie crust, and biscuits—this helps promise a deliciously flaky exterior. I usually make it with asiago or parmesan cheese and fresh basil and parsley. Use your favorite cheeses, herbs, and even swap out the sun-dried tomatoes for corn, olives, bacon, and more. See flavor options below.
I originally published this recipe in 2021 and have since added new photos and more success tips.
A savory bake, but without a big time commitment! You’ll appreciate that this versatile recipe delivers big as a bread and that there’s no dough rising or overly complicated steps required.
One reader, Megan, commented: “This might be my favorite bread recipe of yours! All of your recipes are so good so it’s a tough call, but this bread is delicious!! It was so quick and easy to make. And heavenly to eat! I am making this again! ★★★★★”
Savory Quick Bread Details
- Flavor: The flavor in today’s bread can really be whatever you make it. The batter is very forgiving and we’ve tried it with plenty of add-ins including bacon, olives, feta cheese, and more. The base flavor is buttery and savory, with a hint of fresh pepper and garlic (feel free to add more!). Nutty parmesan or asiago cheese fits right in if you want to try either of those first.
- Texture: It may be difficult to wrap your head around a savory quick bread, especially when you’re used to banana bread and orange cranberry bread. But despite its loaf shape, this quick bread isn’t really like either. The bread’s crumb is more similar to cornbread—though there’s no cornmeal in the batter—and its exterior reminds me of biscuits or scones. It’s soft, moist, and slightly dense.
- Ease: This is a quick and easy recipe, but the butter step could be new to some beginner bakers. A pastry cutter or food processor makes this step quicker and more manageable.
Plus, it’s wonderful as a side dish for most dinners including soup, chili, chicken meatballs, lemon salmon, and more.
Recipe Testing This Savory Quick Bread
When I began working on this recipe back in 2021, I started by using olive oil as the fat in the batter. The resulting texture was too cake-like—honestly, it was just a confusing piece of bread because the texture screamed “sweet!” but the flavor was salty. It didn’t go over well with many taste testers, either. I tried melted butter, but the results were mediocre at best—still a lot of that contradicting flavor and texture.
Like a salty piece of cake. It was odd!
*Cut in Cold Butter: Using the same amount of butter but adding it in a different way was the fix the bread (and all of us!) craved. The texture had an instant improvement. Oh, the magic of butter. Make sure it’s extra cold and work the butter into the dry ingredients until coarse crumbs form, just like we do with pie crust and biscuits.
Here are all of the ingredients you need for the pictured loaf:
After you cut the butter into the dry ingredients, mix in the cheese and add-ins (I use sun-dried tomatoes), then mix in your wet ingredients. The batter is thick, chunky, and sticky. You cannot bake this batter on a baking sheet because it’s quite loose. For a savory drop biscuit with similar flavors, try my zucchini biscuits.
(And for other pan options, see the recipe Notes below.)
Since first publishing the recipe in 2021, one tweak I’ve added is pouring a bit of melted butter over the batter before baking. This is something I picked up after working on a beer bread recipe for my cookbook Sally’s Baking 101.
It adds the most delightful crisp-crunchy exterior:
You can bake this bread in a 9×5-inch loaf pan or an 8.5×4.5-inch loaf pan (what I used here).
Flavor Options
Think of this bread as having 3 add-ins including (1) cheese, (2) herbs, and (3) extras like sun-dried tomatoes. You can swap and substitute your favorites as long as you stick with the base recipe including buttermilk, eggs, flour, baking powder & soda, sugar, salt & pepper, and cold butter. Here are some variations:
- Herbs: I recommend 1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil and parsley here, but feel free to substitute your favorite herb. If you’re using a fresh herb that isn’t leafy (such as rosemary or thyme), reduce the amount to 1 Tablespoon. If using dried herbs, reduce to 1 teaspoon.
- Shredded Cheese: Asiago cheese is a favorite here (and in asiago-crusted skillet bread), but I also love this batter with parmesan cheese, crumbled feta cheese, sharp cheddar, white cheddar, gouda, and pepper jack. Avoid super-soft cheeses. You can leave out the cheese if you’d like, but you’ll lose some flavor. If skipping the cheese, add extras like another few Tablespoons of chopped sun-dried tomatoes or any of the other options described in Extras next.
- Extras: I stick with 1/3 cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes because this amount adds enough flavor without overpowering the bread. If you want to use other extras, you could definitely increase that amount to about 3/4–1 cup and use chopped or sliced olives, corn (cooked or canned, and if using frozen, thaw first), finely chopped pepperoni, or chopped cooked bacon. 1 finely diced jalapeño is another great option and would pair wonderfully with cheddar cheese and 1 Tablespoon of fresh oregano as the herb. I haven’t tested this with wetter additions like roasted red peppers, but if you do, use about 1/2 cup chopped and pat it dry with a towel before adding to the batter.
Any of these extras would be great in these savory ham and cheese scones, too!
For a yeasted bread using similar flavors, try this rosemary garlic pull apart bread or this homemade cheese bread. Both have been extremely popular.
Print
Savory Cheese Quick Bread
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is a cheesy savory quick bread made without yeast. We usually make it as written, but you can use your favorite cheeses, herbs, and even swap out the sun-dried tomatoes for corn, olives, chopped cooked bacon, and more. See flavor options described above.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240ml) cold buttermilk*
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon (12g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup (6g) chopped fresh basil or parsley (or 2 Tbsp each)
- 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 and 1/2 cups (190g) shredded asiago or parmesan cheese*
- 1/3 cup (50g) chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes*
- optional for topping: 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9×5-inch or 8.5×4.5-inch loaf pan with butter or nonstick spray.
- Whisk the buttermilk and eggs together until combined.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, garlic powder, sugar, salt, pepper, and basil/parsley together in a large bowl or pulse together in a large food processor. Add the cubed butter and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or by pulsing several times in the processor. Cut/pulse until coarse crumbs form. If you used a food processor, pour the mixture into a large bowl.
- Stir in the cheese and sun-dried tomatoes until combined, then pour in the buttermilk mixture and stir to combine. Batter is thick, chunky, and sticky.
- Pour/spread batter into prepared pan. Pour melted butter evenly over the top, if using. (Adds wonderful flavor and texture on the final bread.)
- Bake for about 50–60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Start checking at about 45 minutes. If using an 8.5×4.5-inch pan, the bake time is closer to 60 minutes. Halfway through bake time, if you notice the top is quickly browning, tent a piece of aluminum foil over the loaf pan to help the bread bake more evenly.
- Cool bread in the pan set on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving, or cool completely in the pan.
- Cover leftovers tightly and store bread at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Baked and cooled bread freezes well up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×5-inch Loaf Pan or 8.5×4.5-inch Loaf Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Food Processor | Pastry Cutter | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe. You can make your own DIY buttermilk substitute by measuring 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring glass. Add enough milk (whole milk is best—lower-fat or nondairy milks work in a pinch, but the baked good won’t taste as moist or rich) in the same measuring glass to reach 1 cup. Stir it and let sit for 5 minutes. The soured milk will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in your recipe.
- Garlic: Feel free to skip the garlic powder and replace with 3 cloves of minced garlic.
- Do not leave out the sugar. You really need it to balance out the robust salty and savory flavors; the flavor is quite flat without it.
- Cheese & Herbs: For other flavor options such as a replacement for the asiago cheese or if you want to use dried herbs or other fresh herbs, see details above.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Use sun-dried tomatoes that are packed in oil. Drain before using. No need to pat dry, but try to avoid getting a lot of excess oil in the batter. We found dry sun-dried tomatoes dried out the texture of the bread.
- Muffins or Other Size Pans: Feel free to bake this batter in a greased or lined muffin pan to yield about 12 muffins. Prepare batter as directed, then use the same baking instructions as banana muffins. (Steps 1 and 3.) You can also bake this batter in a greased 9-inch square baking pan or a seasoned 9-inch or 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Bake time at 350°F (177°C) is at least 25 minutes, but use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Reader Comments and Reviews
This was delicious! The bread was light and airy, similar to a biscuit, and the flavors of the sun-dried tomato and basil made it taste like pizza. The added saltiness from the Asiago cheese complimented the sun-dried tomatoes as well. Thank you for another great recipe
This bread was fantastic. I used parmesan cheese, and only half the amount called for because I ran out.. This was still amazing. It’s like a cross between a biscuit and a bread. I plan on trying this again with multiple other flavor combinations.
Asiago cheese is not available where I live, so I used half Parmesan and half Cheddar. For everything else I followed the recipe. It was very easy to make this bread, and the result is absolutely gorgeous!
This recipe came together easily, the taste for us was just okay. I think I would like it better with something spicy…. I still enjoyed another baking challenge and trying something new:)
Super easy bread and super flavorful. I chose to use cheddar and fresh rosemary. I did also still keep fresh parsley in there. Definitely try this one.
This quick bread recipe is so easy, so versatile and of course, YUMMY! I made it with cheddar cheese, chives and bacon. Topped it with chives and garlic scapes from the garden. The kitchen smelled amazing and the bread was so pretty. My husband and I had a slice for lunch and wow, was it tasty.
Absolutely a breeze to put together! Delicious and very versatile, I’ll be making this again.
Lovely recipe with excellent results. My basil plants aren’t too right now and I think I should have added more, but it’s excellent as it. I topped it with some shredded cheddar and black pepper. We’ll definitely have it again.
I love how easy this recipe was to make. No yeast, no extra rise times… I’m so shocked at how quickly this came together. We tried a cheddar and serrano peppers version and it was delicious. Can’t wait to try other varieties of this quick bread recipe.
The smell of this bread alone was delicious, my family loved it. Really simple to make and doesn’t take a lot of time. I will definitely make this again with more variations! I will probably try taking it out before 45 minutes next time I make it!
This is such an easy to follow recipe & so versatile. I used black olives, feta, & oregano. I can’t wait to try more delicious flavor combinations.
We made this exactly as directed and it was delicious – so much cheese in a beautiful bread.
This turned out so yummy! I used dried Italian seasoning instead of the fresh herbs but it turned out delicious regardless. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. Looking forward to trying it again with olives and jalapeños!
This was delicious! Nice and fluffy. I will definitely make again, but might try baking in a muffin pan since I loved the crispy edges.
This recipe is a winner!! The bread is so soft, but still holds up really well with the fillings in it. I used a tsp of dried Italian seasoning in place of fresh herbs (along with asiago and sun dried tomatoes) and it was fabulous. Next time I want to try adding olives! Great recipe, and so easy to make.
I served this with homemade tomato soup—the perfect pairing! I love that this recipe can be catered to specific tastes or meals. I enjoyed trying some new ingredients, but will definitely make this again with some familiar family favorites… cheddar, bacon, chives. Yum!
This bread has crazy amazing flavor and texture! Was a huge hit. Simple to make, even easier to eat! Will be one of my go to recipes.
This bread was so quick and easy. I made it exactly as written. I’ve never had asiago cheese before so this was a first for me. I guess I don’t like it…. but, I liked everything else about it. The texture of this bread was wonderful, so I’ll try it again with parmesan or even pepper jack cheese.
Absolutely delicious! And so easy to make. We made with parsley, Asiago and sun-dried tomatoes. My tip is def save some and put on the top- we liked the crunch that gave.
It was super easy to make and very tasty. Came out moister than I expected. I want to try it with bacon next! Not bad for my first bread.
Where have you been all my life? This was absolutely incredible. Will definitely be making this again.
I found this recipe easy, quick, and flavorful. The flavor says sassy Foccacia but the texture says fluffy homemade bread. An interesting idea!
This sounds great. Can any of the flour be substituted with whole wheat, almond, oat or any other flour? Thanks!
Hi Lisa, we suggest sticking with all purpose here for best results, but let us know what you try!
I made this today as written and it ‘s delicious! Thank you for a great recipe, Sally!
I love how fast this this savory quick bread came together using my food processor. I used oil based sun-dried tomatoes with herbs. I never tried Asiago cheese before but I like its tangy flavor. The bread is delicious and one I will make again and again.
Such a good recipe! Very easy to make and super tasty. I used goat cheese, rosemary and sun-dried tomatoes. I’ll for sure make it again with different flavors!
I made this bread . I used
Half apf n half whole wheat flour and used cheddar cheese instead of Asiago.
The bread came out very tasty
Very delicious and super easy to make!! This pairs nicely with a hearty salad or pasta!
This recipe was delicious! I followed the suggestions with Asiago, sundried tomatoes and basil. I thought for sure the bread would be too salty, but it was perfect. It was suprisingly moist– not like a biscuit like I thought it would be. The tomatoes added the perfect touch of tang. I’d like to try it again in muffin form with bacon and chives.
“It was fantastic!” Says the man with the fine pallet. Definitely a keeper! To make it even better, I’d recommend fresh garlic. Fabulous!