Cheese Bread Recipe With Spinach Pesto

Craving homemade cheese bread that steals the spotlight? This golden, braided loaf with a focaccia-like texture is your new baking project. Rolled, stuffed, and braided with a vibrant spinach pesto made from fresh spinach, garlic, oregano, Parmesan, and feta, it’s no ordinary cheese bread. After a second rise, it emerges from the oven ready to elevate any meal—or shine solo.

Picture pulling a loaf of cheesy garlic bread from your oven, with a focaccia-like texture and the heavenly aroma of garlic filling your kitchen. If you're new to bread baking, check out my method for fragrant Dutch Oven Beer Bread and also the steps for making THE BEST BURGER ROLLS, also known as Devilish Butlers!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe!

· Unique Texture – The focaccia-like crumb is soft and chewy, offering a satisfying bite not found in typical bread recipes. The combination of feta and Parmesan gives a rich, layered cheese flavor irresistible to any cheese enthusiast.

· Great for Pairing – It pairs beautifully with wines or beers, enhancing your dining experience during special occasions or casual meals.

· Comfort Food – There’s something undeniably comforting about this homemade bread’s warm, cheesy, and herbaceous flavors.

· Leftover Potential – This bread remains delicious for days, transforming into great leftovers for sandwiches, toast, or even as a base for other recipes. Imagine it as savory garlic bread, cubed for fondue, or transformed into an epic grilled cheese.

Ingredients In Cheese Bread

This bread is flavored using not one, but two salty cheeses. The remaining intense flavorings are helped along by the use of fresh garlic, salted butter, honey, and dried oregano.

• Feta Cheese – Choose a milder feta for a subtle flavor or a sharper variety to give the bread a bolder taste. Stay away from crumbled feta and opt for a small block.
• Parmesan Cheese – This hard, salty cheese adds a nutty depth to the spinach pesto.
• Fresh Spinach – Key for a fresh, slightly earthy background note in our pesto. Frozen spinach will not work in this method.
• Dry Oregano – Brings a hint of earthiness that complements the garlic and cheeses beautifully.
• Fresh Garlic Cloves – Vital for achieving the classic garlic bread taste within our cheese-stuffed bread.

Variations

• Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Pesto – Replace the spinach pesto with a sun-dried tomato and basil pesto before rolling for a Mediterranean loaf. This version pairs beautifully with chopped, low-moisture mozzarella.
• Olives and Rosemary – For those who enjoy a more savory and earthy flavor, mix chopped green olives and fresh rosemary into the dough. Replace feta with a sharper cheese like Asiago to complement the olives’ briny flavor.
• Caramelized Onion and Gruyère – Add caramelized onions and swap feta and Parmesan for Gruyère cheese to create a sweet and savory bread.
• Spicy Jalapeño and Cheddar – Add finely chopped jalapeños and sharp cheddar cheese to the dough before rolling. This combination is great for those who appreciate a bit of heat with their cheesy bread.
• Roasted Garlic and Herb – Intensify the garlic flavor by using roasted garlic instead of raw, and scatter a variety of herbs like thyme, sage, and parsley before rolling. Opt for a milder cheese like shredded Havarti to let the roasted garlic shine through.