Soft and fluffy, this homemade cheesy bubble bread is fun to make and eat! It comes together easily, with simple pantry staples. The buttery, herby bubble bread, baked to golden perfection, is the ultimate crowd-pleasing snack or side.
I love baking breads that are fun to pull apart and share, like my pull-apart garlic bread or pizza pull-apart bread. This cheesy bubble bread is a simpler take on those favorites. Each little ball of dough is soft, fluffy, and filled with gooey melted cheese. The recipe is wonderfully forgiving, and the result is a warm, pillowy loaf that’s perfect for tearing into at the table!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
✨ Cheese bubble bread recipe is the one you’ll want to serve at every gathering. This is the kind of bake that disappears faster than you can say “just one more piece.”
✨ The versatile bread gives you endless scope to play around with flavors, making it a fun kitchen project to do with kids, too. They can pick their fillings and toppings, roll the dough, do the dipping and layering!
✨ It’s a total crowd-pleaser. Perfect for game day snacks, family dinners, or holiday spreads - as an appetizer, a side to your mains, or an anytime snack.
✨ It pairs beautifully with everything. Serve it with marinara or pizza tomato sauce for dipping, alongside a hearty barley soup with beans, with a fresh salad, or simply on its own (because honestly, cheesy bubble bread is that good).
Reader Love ❤️
Made this today with olive oil instead of butter and using parmesan cheese. Turned out SO good, we're addicted to it! Will add some more cheese next time since we like extra - Joshua
Cheese Bubble Bread Ingredients
Flour: I love using all-purpose flour for the soft, light crumb. You can swap in whole wheat flour. Bread flour will give you a chewier and fluffier loaf.
Yeast: Active dry yeast or instant yeast, either works to give the bread its rise. Ensure it’s active before adding it to the ingredients. Mix it in warm water. Think “baby’s bath” warm, not hot (about 40°C/105°F) so you don’t kill the yeast.
Oil: Olive oil makes the bread rich. You can use melted butter, too.
Cheese: I used cheddar for its sharp, melty goodness, but any hard cheese will do. Parmesan, Gouda, or even pepper jack would be fantastic.
Seasoning: Black pepper for gentle heat and Italian seasoning for a fragrant mix of herbs.
Butter to dip each dough ball before baking. Salted butter wins on taste for me.
Please see the recipe below for full information about the ingredients and quantities.
Variations
One of the best things about cheesy bubble bread is how endlessly customizable it is.
- Cheese options: Go for mozzarella if you’re chasing that epic cheese pull, cheddar for sharpness, gouda for smokiness, or mix and match for a rich, complex flavor profile.
- More flavor: Swirl in garlic butter, toss in fresh herbs, or sprinkle a pinch of chili flakes for a little kick.
- Mix-ins: Knead in bacon bits, caramelized onions, finely chopped olives, jalapenos, or even sun-dried tomatoes
- Once you’ve dipped the dough balls in butter, you can sprinkle on any topping you like - sesame seeds, extra cheese, chopped herbs, and make it your own.
- Or make a sweet version of bubble bread like I did with my cinnamon monkey bread.
How To Make Bubble Bread
Step 1: Stir yeast and sugar into warm water. Let it sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.
Step 2: In a large bowl, combine the flour, pepper, and salt. Pour the yeast mixture and olive oil into the dry mix. Stir with a wooden spoon or a spatula until a rough dough forms.
Step 3: Knead the dough by hand for 10-12 minutes or in a stand mixer for 8-10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky.
Step 4: Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled, about 1 or 1½ hours.
Step 5: Punch the dough down. Turn it out and gently knead in shredded cheese until evenly distributed. Let rest, covered, for 15 minutes.
Step 6: Break the cheesy bubble bread dough into 1.5" pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball. I made about 24 balls. You can make smaller 1" balls too.
Step 7: Meanwhile, grease an 8" × 4" loaf pan or casserole. Put melted butter in one bowl and Italian seasoning in another.
Step 7: Grease an 8" × 4" loaf pan or baking dish. Combine melted butter and Italian seasoning in a small bowl. Dip each ball in the melted butter mixture.
Step 8: Place the balls snugly in the prepared pan.
Step 9: Cover the pan and let the dough rise again in a warm spot for 45 to 50 minutes, until the loaf has roughly doubled.
Step 10: Bake the loaf in a preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is golden. Allow the bread to cool for at least 1 hour, then dig in!
Pro Tips
- Avoid adding too much extra flour. The dough should be soft, supple, and slightly tacky to the touch.
- Mix the shredded cheese gently into the dough. You can fold it in by stretching the dough out and folding it over the cheese. Do this 2-3 times until the cheese is evenly dispersed in the dough.
- I made about 24 dough balls, approximately 1.5" in size. You can make them smaller, 1" in size, or even smaller. The smaller the dough balls, the more "bubbly" your baked bread will look!
- Brush the warm bread with melted butter or olive oil for extra sheen and flavor!
- Please use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients for better and consistent results.
How To Store
This cheesy bubble bread is best enjoyed fresh from the oven when it's all nice and warm, gooey, and soft! Store the leftovers in an airtight container or wrapped well in foil for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave or toaster oven to refresh the texture.
For longer storage, keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or freeze the cooled bread for 1 month. Thaw in the fridge and warm in the oven.
How To Serve
This delicious cheesy bread is so so good on its own! But you can also serve it as an appetizer along with a simple tomato sauce, pistachio pesto, Yum Yum sauce, or whipped goat cheese dip!
It's fabulous served with stews and curries, like my Moroccan vegetable stew and spicy keema curry.
Serve it with a soup, like my creamy pumpkin soup and pea soup, for a light and comforting meal. Add a smashed chickpea salad or Italian tortellini salad to make the meal heartier.
Recipe FAQs
Bubble bread is a type of pull-apart bread made by cutting bread dough into bite-sized pieces, piling them together, and baking. Each piece is soft, fluffy, and easy to pull apart with your fingers.
Don’t confuse this cheesy bubble bread with monkey bread. While they’re similar, they are not the same. Monkey breads are usually sweet and are baked in bundt pans. Bubble breads are usually savory, though they can be sweet too. They are usually baked in loaf pans, cake tins, or casserole dishes.
📖 Recipe
Cheesy Bubble Bread
Ingredients
- 1.5 tsp Active dry yeast
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1/2 cup Water, warm
- 1.5 cup All-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Black pepper, coarsely ground
- 1 Tbsp Extra virgin Olive oil
- 1/2 cup Shredded cheese I used cheddar cheese
- 2 Tbsp Butter, melted You can also use olive oil
- 2 Tbsp Italian seasoning You can use any herbs /seeds/spices of your choice
Instructions
- Stir the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Keep aside for 5-10 minutes till bubbly.1.5 tsp Active dry yeast, 1 tsp Sugar, 1/2 cup Water, warm
- Combine flour, pepper, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the yeast mixture and oil, stir with a spatula or a wooden spoon until a rough dough forms.1.5 cup All-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp Salt, 1 Tbsp Black pepper, coarsely ground1 Tbsp Extra virgin Olive oil
- Knead the dough in your stand mixer for 8-10 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth, and a little sticky.You can also knead the dough by hand. Flour your work surface well, turn out the shaggy dough onto it. Knead it till it's smooth and elastic, for about 10-12 minutes.
- Form the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and leave the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles, 1 -1.5 hours
- Punch down the dough and turn it out on a floured surface. Fold the shredded cheese till well distributed. Let rest, covered, for 15 minutes.1/2 cup Shredded cheese
- Grease an 8"x 4" loaf pan or baking dish.
- Combine melted butter and Italian seasoning in a bowl. The Italian seasoning in another bowl.2 Tbsp Butter, melted, 2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- Break the dough into small 1.5" pieces, and roll into balls. Once all the dough has been used up, dip each ball in the melted butter mixture.Place in the prepared dish. Cover with a towel and let them rise in a draft-free spot for 45-50 minutes until the loaf has doubled in size.
- While the bread dough is rising, preheat your oven to 220 C/ 430 F. Once the dough has doubled in size, bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden.
- If the bread is browning too fast, cover loosely with a piece of foil.
- Let the bread cool for at least an hour before serving. Serve the bread in your baking dish or turn it out on a cooling rack. Enjoy warm!
Video
Notes
- Avoid adding too much extra flour. The dough should be soft, supple, and slightly tacky to the touch.
- Mix the shredded cheese gently into the dough. You can fold it in by stretching the dough out and folding it over the cheese. Do this 2-3 times until the cheese is evenly dispersed in the dough.
- I made about 24 dough balls, approximately 1.5" in size. You can make them smaller, 1" in size, or even smaller. The smaller the dough balls, the more "bubbly" your baked bread will look!
- Brush the warm bread with melted butter or olive oil for extra sheen and flavor!
- Please use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients for better and consistent results.
- If the bread is browning too fast, cover loosely with a piece of foil.
Ladonna Gardner says
Can u stuff the balls with a piece of a cheese stick
Natasha Minocha says
Oh absolutely! That would taste amazing!
Joshua says
Made this today with olive oil instead of butter and using parmesan cheese. Turned out SO good, we're addicted to it! Will add some more cheese next time since we like extra
Natasha Minocha says
Hey Joshua, so glad it turned out well for you! Parmesan sounds so tasty, I'll try that myself next time. Thanks for stopping by xx