Easy Italian Cheese Bread
This easy Italian cheese bread is incredible! The simple dough is mixed by hand, and the baked bread is cheesy and full of flair and flavor!
Ok, you guys, stop what you are doing right this minute, and make this bread! Seriously. It will be the best decision you’ve made all week.
It is by far some of the most delicious bread I have ever eaten!
Bread Dough Mixed by Hand
The dough for this award-winning Italian cheese bread is mixed together by hand. No stand mixer needed!
Dough ingredients:
- flour
- sugar
- yeast
- olive oil
- salt
As you mix, the dough will come together in a shaggy mess. This is when I ditch the mixing utensil, lightly grease my hands, and dive in to mix and lightly knead the dough for a few minutes until it forms a rough ball shape.
Try not to add additional flour unless absolutely necessary. The soft dough is what ensures the bread will bake up perfectly fluffy (you may even get some of those cute little artisanal air pockets if you’re lucky!).
Assembling the Cheese Bread:
Once the dough has risen, it’s time to make the deliciousness happen.
- press the dough onto a lightly greased half sheet pan about 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick (it won’t cover the entire bottom of the pan – just get it into a rough oval shape)
- brush the top with Italian salad dressing (lots of notes in the recipe about store bought vs homemade; spoiler alert: either will work!)
- sprinkle with a simple mixture of pantry-ready dried herbs
- cover with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese
You already know how mentally allergic I am to anything related to soggy bread dough – I promise the salad dressing doesn’t make the dough soggy! Instead it adds the most incredible layer of flavor and helps the cheese adhere to the top of the dough.
Glorious Italian Cheese Bread
Bake the bread until the crust is golden and that cheese is a’sizzlin.
The aroma emanating from your oven is likely nothing you’ve ever experienced. All of my kids mentioned how amazing it smelled when they walked in the house the first time I made this bread. (And that’s saying a lot, because my family is used to the house smelling like food, for better or for worse. 😉)
I have made this bread over and over since then. It is honestly some of the most stunning homemade bread ever. And it is so easy!
I am so grateful that Sarah M (a loyal MKC reader for almost 20 years!) sent me this recipe. She’s been making this bread for over a decade and even won Grand Champion for it at her local fair!
I can never leave well enough alone, so I adapted the recipe to work a bit better for home cooks who may not own a pizza pan, and changed the quantities of the bread and toppings to better suit my carb-loving heart.
Last week, I packed up slices of this bread and took it to my son’s high school tennis match thinking it would make a simple dinner for me and Brian while we watched (yes, the whole loaf 👀😜). We never even got a single slice after my son, followed by a hoard of his ravenous teammates, spied it, devoured it, and begged me to bring it again.
I can’t wait for you to make this bread! It would be perfect for so many different occasions and meals. Or, just because you need Italian cheese bread in your life.
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Easy Italian Cheese Bread
Ingredients
Dough:
- 3 cups (426 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 ÂĽ cups warm water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the pan
Toppings:
- â…“ cup bottled Italian salad dressing (see note)
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ÂĽ teaspoon dried oregano
- ÂĽ teaspoon garlic powder
- ÂĽ teaspoon salt
- Pinch dried thyme
- 1 cup (113 g) shredded mozzarella cheese (see note)
- ÂĽ cup (28 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese (see note)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add the water and the 2 tablespoons olive oil and mix until the dough starts to come together in a shaggy ball.
- Lightly grease your hands and continue mixing the dough, folding it over on itself and kneading it lightly (pressing it with the heel of your hand) 5 to 6 times, until the dough has formed a rough ball shape.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until noticeably puffy, 30 to 60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Brush two tablespoons oil evenly across a half sheet pan.
- Lightly punch down the dough and turn it out onto the prepared pan. Press the dough lightly into a rough oval shape, about 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick. It won't cover the entire bottom of the pan. It's ok to flip the dough once or twice while shaping; add more oil to the pan, if needed.
- Brush the top of the dough evenly with the Italian salad dressing. In a small bowl, combine the basil, oregano, garlic, salt and thyme. Evenly sprinkle this mixture over the dressing.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses across the top of the dough.
- If you have the time or want a slightly fluffier bread, let the bread rest for 10-20 minutes before baking. Otherwise, you can bake right away.
- Bake for 15 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is sizzling. Let rest for about 5 minutes before cutting into squares and serving. The bread is delicious warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from this recipe by way of a reader, Sarah M., who has been making this bread for 20 years (and won Grand Champion at a local fair for it!) – I increased and adapted quantities so the bread is perfect for a half sheet pan
SO GOOD! For my double date, we made this easy, yummy bread and a Zuppa Toscana soup and it turned out perfectly! Everyone was very impressed and thought it was very delicious! Thanks, Mel!🤍
Sounds fun! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, Adalyn!
We really liked this one! Only you, Mel, are trustworthy enough that I could make two new recipes from your site for a take in tray meal. That’s trust! Risky but I knew they’d be perfect 🙂 Will definitely make this one again! Thanks Mel!
In the words of my husband, “That may be one of the greatest things I’ve ever eaten.”
Hello Mel, is this like a foccacia bread and also does it come out fluffy?
It’s a bit like a focaccia bread but not quite as airy.
Hi Mel!
I’ve been following your recipes literally my whole life… and this is definitely one of my all time favs. It is so easy and always successful!
I was wondering though, would there be any way to adapt this recipe to sourdough?
Thanks!
Abigail (age 15)
Abigail! You’re amazing! Glad you like this one. Yes, you can definitely adapt this to sourdough. If it were me, I’d add 1 cup sourdough starter (discard or active) and reduce the flour and water BOTH by 1/2 cup. I’d probably keep the yeast the same, but you might be able to back off on the yeast a bit, too.
Y’all. This bread is in unbelievably delicious and so easy. I will be making this again and again. Thanks again, Mel!
What am I doing wrong? I was so anxious to try this bread but all I have is a pourable “dough”! I’ve been making bread for decades and have never, ever had this problem. I obviously need to add a fair amount of flour, but I’m always hesitant to do it! It doesn’t even approach shaggy!
I added another 1/2 of flour and stretched and folded for a good 15 minutes and can still see moisture. Help, please. I feel certain that after the rising time, it will be a flat, moist mess at the bottom of my bowl.
It’s ok to continue adding flour until the dough is soft to the touch and clears the sides of the bowl.
Easy and delicious!!!!
Best homemade bread! quick and easy and very delicious.
Lucky for me, I’m related to Sarah M. I have made this bread for years and it’s never disappointing. I’m glad she shared it with you all!
Oh, my — so delicious!
I’ve made it 2 times.
First time, as is.
Second time: subbed 1 c.whole wheat flour.
Both times delicious!
Family devoured it tonight!
So wonderful – – thanks for the recipe!
This is so delicious! Â We absolutely love it! Â My 15-year old daughter has already made it twice for our family.Â
Oh man this is delicious! I used Caesar dressing and served with chicken Caesar salads. Mel, you’re simply the best!Â
Several of the kids that ate this exclaimed with mouths stuffed full of bread “This bread is so good!”. As always, I appreciate that it was also easy. I can honestly say I did not change anything about this recipe…and that is not the norm.
My family asks for this bread regularly! Another hit!
Amazing! Was expecting a lot, since Mel’s recipes are always a home run, but this was a grand slam!!
Made this last night and the whole family loved it! Will definitely be making it again soon. The dough was suuuuuper sticky, so no way was I kneading that for 5 minutes, even after spraying my hands. Maybe made it to a minute of sticky messiness kneading before I gave up .Can I use a KitchenAid next time? Didn’t seem to master much as it turned out perfectly fluffy and the flavor was delish!
Hi Bri, yes, you could probably use a kitchenaid!
So good!! I’ve been making this recipe for years! My mom found the recipe in a Taste of Home magazine 20 plus years ago and it’s our favourite Spaghetti accompaniment … like the kids are mad if we have spaghetti but not this bread
I’ve started making it with my favourite pizza dough recipe, but the quick no mixer needed recipe still works when I’m in a pinch!Â
This bread is fabulous!! We are going to dip it in marinara sauce next round! Thank you!!!
Thank you Mel!!! What a great recipe! I canNOT believe how easy and freaking delicious this bread is. Â It smells divine and the finished product is absolutely gorgeous. (When I pulled it out of the oven I may have gasped.) Needless to say my family inhaled it and I hid the 2 remaining pieces to enjoy later. By myself. Alone.Â
So yummy! So easy! Thanks for another winner, Mel.
So good and easy to make!! Dough was a bit sticky and I wasn’t sure if I had spread it enough before baking, but it turned out great. The Italian dressing put it over the top!
I didn’t think your focaccia recipe could be topped, in either simplicity or taste, but this maybe does? They’re both easy & delicious! Thanks Sarah & Mel!
Quick Easy and Delicious!
This bread is amazing. Thanks for the recipe!
This bread is too good for words!!! Better than any restaurant bread I’ve ever tried! You must make it!
Could you just use Italian seasoning instead of the individual herbs?
You could definitely sub in Italian seasoning – I’d also suggest adding garlic powder and a bit of salt if your Italian blend doesn’t include it.
We’re keeping this recipe forever and always. I’d give it 10 stars if I could. It was so good! I live in a really humid place, so I had to add more flour, but I’m used to that. Your pictures are always really helpful, so I know what I’m aiming for. We loved this SO much!  I literally had to force myself to walk away. I could have eaten the whole pan.
This bread was excellent! I decided to make it a 13 x 9 inch pan(stretched to the edge). I used your Italian dressing recipe. It took about 5 minutes longer to bake. Very easy and delicious!
Oh My! Made this tonight. You were right about the house smelling amazing! I served it with beef vegetable soup and was the perfect “side” although I ate 4 pieces!
I’m addicted to your easy focaccia with my meatballs but may try this one! I only have a block of cheddar and parmesean so may try it with that.Â
Think it will work with gluten free flour?
Unfortunately, gluten-free flour behaves very differently in yeast bread recipes, and I don’t think it’s likely to work out without a lot of other changes to the recipe.
Made this tonight. I had Light Olive Garden dressing. It was yummy. I think I should’ve baked it a little longer than the 15 min, but my family was hungry for it, so we just dove in. I love how quick it was to pull together. I think next time I’d like to make it with bread flour to get a little more chew in the texture.Â
Great idea on the bread flour, Katrina!
Made those with spaghetti tonight. Super easy and yummy!! The Italian dressing definitely gives it a distinct flavor so make sure it’s one you like.Â
Thanks, Madison! Agree on the Italian dressing.
Appreciated your comment and it prompted me to make the homemade Italian dressing instead of whatever random option we had in our fridge – so delicious!Â
Made it for supper tonight; delicious and so easy! I didn’t have bottled Italian dressing, so I did homemade dressing using the link you provided. Very very good!
That’s awesome, Katie! I’m making it with the homemade dressing today, too.
Well, this was delightful! Bread sticks were on the menu but if you post something new, I am absolutely going to make it! So easy and so delicious. Everyone loved it.
I can’t believe how many of you made this same-day. Made me so happy!!
Just made it, so good!Â
Yay, Laura – thank you!
Saw this and had to make it the very same day you posted it. No one else gets that type of priority except you and your recipes Mel! 🙂 I used Monterey Jack because I was out of mozz. So fast. Easy and delicious.Â
Man, I just do not know how to act around warm bread.
Hahahaha, you and me both, Stephanie! So glad you made this and loved it. Thanks for making it so fast!
I had to make this as soon as I saw it. I did use pre-shredded cheese…and it definitely doesnt melt as well, but wow! Amazing. I even broke off a little piece of dough and made a small one on the side without cheese for my boy with allergies, and he was in love. Mel, you’ve done it again!
Natalie! You made this so fast!! Thanks for reporting back. So happy you and your son loved it!
Mel, I’m preparing an Italian dinner for 75 in a few weeks. I’d love to serve this with the meal. Can I make the bread ahead, freeze it, and warm it up before serving?
Hi Toni, I haven’t tried making ahead and freezing, so it might be worth doing a trial run (but I’m hopeful it will work just fine!)
Thanks !!! I’ll make a few this weekend and see how it goesÂ
Can’t wait for the cookbook!! I’m getting an autographed copy
I’m so excited for the cookbooks to get to all of you, too! We’re down to just a few weeks!
Haven’t made the bread yet, but definitely plan to! If I can make a suggestion based on a delicious focaccia bread I often make, try adding the dry herbs to the actual dough instead of just on top. Flavor all the way through! De-lish!
I did not think your focaccia could be topped, in either simplicity or taste, but this maybe does? They’re both easy and really good! Thanks to you and Sarah!