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Cheddar Chive Savoury Loaf (Bread Machine, Soup and Toast)

Midweek dinners often call for something comforting that does not add extra work. I started making this Cheddar Chive Savoury Loaf on Wednesdays when soup is on the menu, because it turns a simple pot of vegetables or lentils into a full, satisfying meal with almost no extra planning. The flavour is gently sharp and creamy from cheddar, with a fresh oniony lift from chives. The crumb bakes up soft and sliceable, with pockets of melted cheese and a savoury aroma that makes excellent toast the next morning. A bread machine keeps it realistic on busy weeks: you load the pan, let the machine knead and proof consistently, and come back to a warm loaf ready for slicing.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 1000 g loaf
Course: Bread
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

1kg loaf
  • 290 g water room temperature (about 1 1/4 cups)
  • 25 g unsalted butter softened (about 1 3/4 tbsp)
  • 15 g sugar about 1 tbsp
  • 10 g fine salt about 1 3/4 tsp
  • 500 g bread flour about 4 cups, spooned and leveled
  • 25 g dry milk powder optional, for softer crumb (about 3 tbsp)
  • 7 g instant yeast about 2 1/4 tsp
  • 120 g cheddar cheese grated (about 1 1/4 cups, loosely packed)
  • 10 g chives finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
  • 1 tsp mustard powder optional, boosts cheddar flavour

Equipment

  • 1 Bread machine (1kg loaf capacity recommended)

Method
 

  1. Add ingredients to the bread pan in this order: water, butter, sugar, salt, flour, dry milk powder (if using). Make a small well in the flour and add the yeast.
  2. Select the Basic or White bread program, 1 kg loaf size, and medium crust (or your preference).
  3. At the mix-in beep (or 8 to 12 minutes into kneading), add the grated cheddar and chopped chives. If your machine has no beep, pause briefly after the dough has formed a smooth ball and add them then.
  4. Check dough consistency during the first knead. It should be soft and slightly tacky, not soupy. If it looks dry or the machine struggles, add 1 tbsp (15 g) water. If it looks wet and smears around the pan, add 1 tbsp (8 to 10 g) flour.
  5. When baking finishes, remove the pan promptly. Let the loaf cool on a rack for at least 60 minutes before slicing, so the cheese pockets set and slices stay neat.

Notes

Use the Basic/White cycle for most machines. If your machine runs hot and the cheese browns too much on dark crust, choose light crust. Mix-ins should go in at the dispenser beep if available. If your cheddar is very oily, chill and grate it, then add at the mix-in stage to reduce smearing. For very tall loaves, reduce cheese slightly (10 to 20 g) if you see collapse near the end of baking.
Tips:
- Best cheese choice: use a firm cheddar that you can grate (young to mature). Very soft processed slices can melt too early and streak the dough.
- For soup night: slice thick and toast lightly, then rub with a cut clove of garlic for a quick garlic-cheddar side.
- For a dairy-free version: use 25 g neutral oil instead of butter, omit milk powder, and use a dairy-free cheddar-style shreds that melts well. Results vary by brand.
- Storage: wrap once fully cool. Keeps 2 days at room temperature, 5 days refrigerated. Freeze sliced for easy toast.
Approximate nutrition, will vary with exact brands of flour and cheese and slice thickness.