Sourdough Cheddar and Herb Quick Bread
This quick and easy sourdough cheddar and herb quick bread is the perfect way to use up sourdough starter discard. It’s moist, tender, and full of savory, cheesy herb flavor!
This recipe makes the perfect side dish for dinner, a savory appetizer, or can be used as a tasty sandwich bread.
This sourdough cheddar and herb bread is a great way to use up leftover sourdough starter and those extra herbs from the holidays. You can even double or triple the recipe and bake a few loaves to freeze for later!
Like our sourdough zucchini bread, pumpkin bread, and banana bread, this one is straightforward to make and just as moist and tender in texture. This is a sourdough recipe you'll keep coming back to!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Dry Ingredients: You’ll need all-purpose flour, fresh thyme and oregano, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Feel free to mix it with your favorite fresh herbs like rosemary, dill, or basil, and swap the cheddar for parmesan cheese if you prefer!
- Wet Ingredients: For the wet mix, you'll need sourdough starter (discard or fed), milk, olive oil, and eggs.
How to make Sourdough Cheddar and Herb Quick Bread
Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Line a 9" x 5" loaf pan with parchment paper or lightly grease with cooking spray.
Step 1
Combine the all-purpose flour, fresh herbs, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2
Whisk together the sourdough starter, milk, olive oil, and eggs in a separate mixing bowl.
Step 3
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the shredded cheddar cheese.
Step 4
Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Optional: Sprinkle the top of the batter with shredded cheddar cheese before baking.
Step 5
Let the bread cool for 10-15 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack.
Step 6
Once the bread has cooled completely, slice and serve.
How to Store
After mixing and pouring the batter into the baking dish, you can cold ferment it in the fridge overnight. Just keep it covered until you're ready to bake.
Storage: Let the bread cool completely before storing. Cover and keep leftovers at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezing: Wrap the cooled loaf in plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thawing: Thaw the bread in the fridge overnight, then bring it to room temperature before slicing and serving.
More Sourdough Quick Bread Recipes
Subscribe to our newsletter and we'll send you more fresh recipes, valuable troubleshooting advice, useful tips, and other information we believe will be helpful to you!
Sourdough Cheddar and Herb Quick Bread
INGREDIENTS
Dry ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon fresh herbs (thyme and oregano)
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup (3 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
Wet ingredients
- ½ cup (125 g) sourdough starter (discard or fed)
- 1 cup (240 g) milk
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) olive oil
- 2 large eggs
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C) . Line a 9" x 5" loaf pan with parchment paper or lightly grease with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, 1 teaspoon (5 g) salt, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon baking soda.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together ½ cup (125 g) sourdough starter, 1 cup (240 g) milk, 2 tablespoons (30 g) olive oil, and 2 large eggs.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in ¾ cup (3 oz) shredded cheddar cheese.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool for 10-15 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack. Slice and serve.
Doubled the recipe and use two muffin tins. Greased with olive oil baked for 20 minutes. Turned out perfect. Thank you for this recipe.
Great taste and wonderful aroma. This quick bread turned out perfect and my husband inhaled it. He liked it so well that I made a second loaf a few days later, as it was a really good way to use up a little leftover sourdough.
Any other sourdough recipes that I've made that use discard, calls for some commercial yeast. I noticed this one does not. Will it still rise the same as it would if I used fed starter?
Yes it will rise from the baking soda and baking powder.
Delicious bread. How much rise do you typically get with this bread? I was expecting it to be the equivalency of a store bought loaf but I only got a 2 1/2 inch rise.
I used fresh starter not discard. Any other suggestions?
Hi Roxanne, that sounds about right.
absolutely loved it ❤️
Came out great.
Since I didn’t have sharp cheddar cheese, used a Mexican blend. And, didn’t have the fresh herbs (January) , used dried. This was delicious! Everyone wanted second slices. Will definitely make it again with a different cheese blend. Thanks!!
Got the email alert this morning and since I had extra preferment starter bubbling on the counter for regular sourdough bread I decided to give the quick bread a try! Used a tablespoon of my favorite dried spice blend (Savory Spice cantanzano herbs which includes lemon, garlic, basil, oregano) instead of fresh, and a sharp cheddar. I’m at 7300’ altitude so increased the oven temp to 365 F and was fully baked in 41 minutes. Delicious with a little butter. My husband also liked it a lot! Thank you!
Could I use all purpose Einkorn flour?
Yes you can. You will probably need to adjust the liquid or the flour amounts. I would mix the batter and add a little more flour if it's too thin.
This bread is so good! We loved it. The crumb is more like a biscuit than bread, which we enjoyed very much. I added chopped pickled peppers, which added a nice amount of heat and contrast with the cheese. Definitely making this loaf again!
Thank you for sharing Tammy! 🙂
Can this be baked in Pullman pan
Yes, but the smaller loaf pan.