Cheese & Onion Muffin Bread - A Quick Bread to Love

 

 

I am ashamed to say that for most of my life I was a cheese virgin.  I grew up with plastic wrapped processed cheese slices and Velveeta. I was always bit squeamish about trying anything stronger. My mother would buy a bar of cracker barrel cheese every Christmas for my father.  Sometimes she would offer us a taste. I always turned it down.

It wasn't until I grew up and got married that I started getting a bit braver about cheese, and of course when I moved over to the U.K. my palate really broadened.

There used to be a beautiful indoor market right next to the old bus station in Chester where I lived. It was filled with all sorts of stalls.  Butchers, green grocers, a fish monger, a cheese seller, etc. The cheese seller always sold bags of mixed cheese crumbs for 50 pence. I used to pick up one or two of these bags every time I went in.

It was always a bit of a mystery what type of cheese the crumbs came from, but I can tell you they made a really fabulous macaroni and cheese!!

 

This recipe I am sharing with you today is for a delicious cheese and onion muffin bread.  It is considered to be a quick bread, which means that it does not use any yeast for leavening. There is no kneading or proofing of the dough needed either.

 

You simply mix the dry and wet ingredients together separately and then quickly combine them to make a thick batter, which then gets spooned into a round baking tin and baked. It is loaded with plenty of sharp cheddar cheese and herby spring onions.  Cheese and Onion are a beautiful flavor combination.

This quick and easy bread comes out of the oven light with a beautiful muffin-like texture and is gorgeous served warm, cut into wedges along with lashings of butter for spreading.

I could easily make a meal of just this and nothing else!  Yes, I promise you, it is that good!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CHEESE & ONION MUFFIN BREAD

A few simple baking cupboard and fresh ingredients. There is nothing too out of the ordinary here.

• 1 3/4 cups (220g) of plain all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• pinch of coarse black pepper
• 1/4 cup (57g) of butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup (240ml) of milk
• 1 cup (120g) of grated strong/sharp cheddar cheese
• 3 spring onions, washed, trimmed and coarsely chopped

 

I do not recommend using self-rising flour for this recipe. Plain all-purpose is what is recommended. That is the correct amount of baking powder. 

I used 1/8 tsp each of the black pepper and the cayenne pepper. Cayenne really helps to highlight the richness of the cheese.

Make sure your milk and egg are at room temperature before beginning. That will yield a much better result and mix with the melted butter better.

I used whole milk and salted butter.

Use a good quality sharp/strong cheddar and grate it yourself if possible. I used an orange dyed cheddar this time as that is all I had. White cheddar is also lovely.

Spring onions are also known as scallions or green onions.

HOW TO MAKE CHEESE & ONION MUFFIN BREAD

If you can make muffins, then you can make this delicious bread. It is simply a matter of folding wet and dry ingredients together, spooning them into a prepared pan and then baking.

Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter a 9-inch round cake tin very well and line with paper. Set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and both peppers into a bowl.

Stir in the cheese and onions with a fork, holding back a little bit of each to sprinkle on top at the end.

Whisk together the egg, milk and melted butter.

Add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients and stir together just to combine. Do not overmix.

 

Spoon the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the reserved cheese and onion over top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until well risen. The top should spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.

Leave to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before lifting out to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Serve warm. Cut into wedges with a serrated knife and serve the wedges with additional butter for spreading.

 

 

HINTS AND TIPS FOR QUICK BREAD SUCCESS

If you follow my hints and tips there is no reason why you can't bake a really great quick bread successfully!

1. Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature unless otherwise specified.

2. Use the best quality ingredients that you can afford and at your disposal.

3. Whisk all of the dry ingredients together in one bowl and your wet ingredients together in another bowl/beaker before combining together.

4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients together quickly and do not over mix. They need only be combined until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened without any large pockets or streaks of dry ingredients. 

5. Do not over combine the dough.  A light hand is preferable.  A few lumps are perfectly okay and quite acceptable. Over combining yields a tougher bake.

6. Spoon into your baking pan/tin as soon as possible after combining in order to gain the maximum lift from the leavening used.

 

To be honest I could have made a meal of this and nothing else. It is that good.  I can see several applications for it other than just cutting it into wedges and serving it spread with butter.

I think it would make a great round sandwich to take on picnics, filled with cold cuts and cheeses.  Fill before you leave and then cut into wedges at the picnic site.  Everyone is sure to love it!

It would also be lovely for breakfast, split and buttered, with a poached egg on top and some thinly sliced ham or crisp rashers of bacon.

The possibilities are endless!

 

I am a lover of quick breads. They are so much quicker and easier to make with yeast breads and go with all sorts. Here are a few more of my favorites!

CHEESE & PEPPER BREAD - This Cheese and Pepper Bread recipe is a fabulous quick bread recipe that goes together in a flash and that is perfect served alongside of soups, stews or salads, or with a meat and cheese tray, or even enjoyed slice and buttered all on its own. It has a beautifully cheesy and peppery flavor that goes especially well with other things and a beautiful texture.

MINI SCONE FOCCACCIA BREADS - This was adapted from a recipe which used refrigerated biscuit dough. I created my own biscuit dough and made the recipe with that with great success. Slightly flattened, dimpled and spread with an herby oil mixture and sprinkled with pine nuts prior to baking to crispy edged perfection. These are simply lovely.

Yield: 6 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Cheese & Onion Muffin Bread

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 5 MinTotal time: 45 Min

This is a lovely quick bread, baked as a round cake. It is loaded with plenty of sharp cheddar cheese and herby spring onions for a fabulous flavor and texture. It goes together quickly and easily and is delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups (220g) of plain all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• pinch of coarse black pepper
• 1/4 cup (57g) of butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup (240ml) of milk
• 1 cup (120g) of grated strong/sharp cheddar cheese
• 3 spring onions, washed, trimmed and coarsely chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter a 9-inch round cake tin very well and line with paper. Set aside.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and both peppers into a bowl.
3. Stir in the cheese and onions with a fork, holding back a little bit of each to sprinkle on top at the end.
4. Whisk together the egg, milk and melted butter.
5. Add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients and stir together just to combine. Do not overmix.
6. Spoon the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the reserved cheese and onion over top.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until well risen. The top should spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
8. Leave to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before lifting out to a wire rack to finish cooling.
9. Serve warm. Cut into wedges with a serrated knife and serve the wedges with additional butter for spreading.

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