White Cheddar Pizza Bread

When you think of a pizza bread recipe, my guess is it’s something along the lines of a French bread pizza.

This is not that. At all. This is a loaf of yeast-raised bread with pockets of sharp white cheddar, a spicy pizza seasoning, and crunchy edges that taste like the best part of a pizza. You’ll make it with all-purpose flour, with the addition of oats. This in turn makes it kind of dense but in the best way. It’s best toasted so that those cheesy edges become even more charred with flavor. But it’s also delicious as-is.

This is a loaf you can make in a day, so no overnight proofing or anything like that. You will need a few hours, however, because it is a yeast-risen bread. But it’s all inactive time and requires nothing more than a few minutes of kneading by hand, shaping, and baking.

Let’s talk about the ingredients for a minute. First, the seasoning. I made my own seasoning out of red pepper flakes, garlic and onion powder,  Italian seasoning, and crushed fennel seeds. If you have a favorite pizza blend that you like, feel free to use it.  Make sure your spices are as fresh as possible because once you bake the bread, the flavor will be much less strong.

Now, for the cheese. I wavered on this one quite a bit. I know that mozzarella seems like the natural choice for a pizza bread recipe, but I wanted something that would be bold, while also leaving big pockets of cheese in the bread. A softer mozzarella would have way more moisture. It is also a mild cheese.  Parmesan works, but I want something different and unexpected.  Aged white cheddar seemed perfect (I used Tillamook Maker’s Reserve, but any good aged cheddar works. Don’t shred it, cut it into cubes.

You can eat this so many ways. Plain sliced. Toasted with good butter and a drizzle of honey. Or with a slather of ricotta and Parmesan. No matter how you eat it, it won’t last long, so be prepared.