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Original post published August 25th, 2020. Post last updated on April 10th, 2024.
Packed with raisins, walnuts, and cinnamon, this blue cheese bread recipe is one of my all-time favorites to bake (and eat!) Try making this rustic blue cheese bread with Gorgonzola, Stilton, Roquefort, or any of your favorite blue cheeses.
What Inspired This Blue Cheese Bread?
Several years ago, I took a baking class at Bread Ahead Bakery and School in London, where we learned how to make a fairly standard potato bread recipe. (I’ve adapted it here, if you’d like to give it a try.) Passionate and full of helpful tips, the course instructor mentioned something that really stood out: when making this recipe at home, he always added a handful of cheese.
Ever since that class, I’ve loved finding ways to sneak as much cheese as is humanly possible into a loaf of bread. Take my recipe for rustic cheese and olive bread, for example, or this ultra-cheesy pepper jack bread.
What’s Great About Blue Cheese Bread?
Though divisive, I absolutely adore blue cheese. It adds a sharp, salty note to everything from salads to potatoes to pizza. I love it on a savory galette or in a puff pastry pithivier, stuffed inside green olives, or wrapped inside a hand pie. But blue cheese is really, really great in a loaf of bread.
For this twist on a traditional raisin bread recipe, I’ve packed my bread dough with chunks of blue cheese, along with chopped walnuts, plus just a touch of ground cinnamon. This bread works just as well for breakfast (toasted and slathered with butter, of course!), as it does as an accompaniment to a soup or salad, or as the base for a sweet grilled cheese sandwich.
Blue Cheese Bread Ingredients and Substitutions
To make this blue chese recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Flour – You can use bread flour, all purpose flour, or a combination of the two.
- Olive oil – I’ve used plain olive oil, but feel free to use something like rosemary or basil oil instead.
- Kosher salt – Diamond Crystal is my go-to. You can also use fine sea salt, if you don’t have kosher salt on hand.
- Instant yeast – You’ll need one packet, or about 7 grams, of yeast.
- Ground cinnamon – Mimicking the classic “cinnamon raisin bread.” You can substitute another ground spice (cardamom, ginger, mixed spice) or omit the spices if preferred.
- Raisins – I’ve added raisins because I wanted to make a cheesy raisin bread recipe, but you can substitute currants, golden raisins, or cranberries instead.
- Walnuts – For a bit of crunch. If you don’t like walnuts, pecans would also be a nice choice. You can also omit the nuts.
- Blue cheese – This blue cheese bread recipe will work with any blue cheese. Try Stilton, Roquefort, or Gorgonzola.
Breadmaking Tools
This blue cheese bread recipe doesn’t require much in the way of special equipment, but here are a few tools I recommend to help make the process easier:
- Bread lame or kitchen shears – For scoring the loaf.
- Elastic food storage covers, shower caps, or clingfilm/plastic wrap – To cover the bowl while the dough proves.
- A half-sheet rimmed baking tray – For shaping and baking the loaf.
- Bench scraper – For mixing the dough, and working in the inclusions.
- Baking parchment – To line the baking tray.
For more tool recommendations, feel free to visit this post about all of the breadmaking tools I love.
Blue Cheese Bread Recipe Tips and Tricks
Feel free to be creative with your inclusions. (See some of my suggestions above.) And if you happen to have some fresh herbs on hand, finely chopped rosemary or thyme would also be a nice addition to this rustic blue cheese bread.
When scoring the loaf, you can keep things very simple (a few snips with a pair of kitchen shears) or create more intricate designs with a bread lame.
When adding the raisins, walnuts, and blue cheese, you want to mix just enough to make sure each addition is evenly distributed into the dough. Don’t confuse this process with kneading.
Other bread recipes you might enjoy:
Miniature Soda Bread
Date and Rosemary Dinner Rolls
Everything Bagel Bread
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Blue Cheese Bread with Raisins and Walnuts
- Total Time: 3 hours 35 minutes
- Yield: 1 9-10-inch round loaf 1x
Description
A blue cheese bread recipe with raisins, walnuts, and cinnamon. Try making this rustic blue cheese bread with Gorgonzola, Stilton, or Roquefort!
Ingredients
7 grams instant yeast (2 teaspoons)
30 grams granulated sugar (2 tablespoons)
250 milliliters lukewarm water (1 1/8 cups)
400 grams all-purpose flour (or bread flour, or a combination of the two) (3 1/8 cups)
25 milliliters olive oil (2 tablespoons), plus more for greasing bowl
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
75 grams blue cheese, crumbled (2/3 cup, or 2 1/2 ounces)
100 grams raisins (2/3 cup)
35 grams walnuts, chopped (1/3 cup)
Instructions
Line a half-sheet rimmed baking tray with parchment. Set aside.
In a large bowl, dissolve the instant yeast and granulated sugar in the lukewarm water.
Sieve in the flour, followed by the olive oil, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt, making sure the salt does not come into direct contact with the yeast.
With a bench scraper, gently combine the ingredients until a shaggy dough forms.
Turn dough out on a lightly floured countertop.
Knead by hand until dough is soft and elastic, about 8-10 minutes.
Add the raisins, using your hands to work them into the dough.
Add the chopped walnuts.
Add the blue cheese.
Shape the dough into a ball. Place in an oiled mixing bowl, then drizzle the top of the dough with more oil.
Cover and let stand in a warm place for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Punch dough down.
Shape dough into a ball and place it on prepared tray.
Cover and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 45 – 60 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400° F / 205° C.
Coat loaf in flour and use a bread lame or kitchen shears to score as desired.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until both the top and bottom of the loaf are deeply golden brown.
Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Rise time: 150 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Bread