This ham and cheese loaf was one of my earlier recipes when I started baking bread in my previous restaurant years ago. It is an Asian-inspired recipe stuffed with ham and cheese, top with shredded cheese to create a cheesy crust. It has a soft and moist texture, with a pillowy texture. The loaf is a standalone meal with balanced nutrition.

This homemade bread has been in popular demand and became one of the favorites on the menu back then. I am glad to share this great recipe and hope you enjoy it.

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How to make ham and cheese loaf

The preparation is divided into three sections. Asian like soft bread with stuffing, likely influenced by the concept of having pao such as Char Siu Bao and others. Ham and cheese loaf is a typical example. 

A. Prepare the dough

1. First, place all the dry ingredients (bread flour, castor sugar, salt) except the active dry yeast in a large mixing bowl. Then, mix to distribute the salt and sugar evenly.
2. Dissolve the active dry yeast in warm milk. I suggest using room temperature or warm milk rather than cold milk to activate the yeast.
3. Once the yeast has been activated, pour the milk plus one egg into the flour mixture.
4. Mix the ingredients in a large bowl until they start to come together. It is sticky initially but will get more stretchy and less sticky as the flour absorb the milk and egg.
5. Knead the dough with a dough hook attached to an eclectic mixer. After about five minutes, the dough will come together and stay clean from the mixing bowl.  
6. Now add the soft butter. Alternatively, you can use olive oil as a healthier alternative.
7. Knead the dough until the butter has been incorporated thoroughly into the dough.
8. Transfer the soft dough to a work surface dusted with flour. Then knead by hand for a minute, and check whether it has achieved the texture that passes the ‘window-pane’ test. (see note section)
9. Place the dough in a container and cover with a plastic wrap or a  wet cloth to proof it until it doubles in size. It will take roughly forty-five minutes, but the actual duration depends on the activity of the yeast.

Note:

• This bread dough is soft as the amount of liquid (milk + egg) is slightly more than 2/3 of the weight of the flour used. Since this is a soft dough, you may need to add some additional flour while kneading if it becomes too sticky.
• You may consider using a stand mixer with the dough hook attached to take over the manual kneading work. I prefer using the electric mixer as the dough will not stick to my hand at the initial mixing stage, and it takes less effort to achieve the desired texture.
• The milk in the recipe is full cream milk. However, the flavor will not affect much if you use skim milk or low-fat milk.
• Before proofing the dough, do a ‘window-pane’ test by stretching the dough. It is considered done if you can stretch the dough until paper-thin and semi-translucent without breaking it.

B. Roll the ham and cheese into the dough

1. After the size of the dough has doubled, remove it from the large container and transfer it to a floured work surface.
2. Knead the dough for a minute, dividing it into four equal portions with a dough cutter.
3. Let each portion relax for five minutes before rolling it out. Then roll out each portion into a rectangle. Try to roll it slightly larger than the size of the ham you use.
4. Place the ham slices plus the shredded cheese on the dough, leaving about one cm clear from the edges of the dough. 
5. Roll the dough like making a Swiss roll to seal the ham and cheese inside the dough.
6. Apply some oil or butter to the bottom of the loaf pan.
7. Place the dough horizontally in a loaf pan to fit all four doughs in a row.
8. Cover the loaf pan with a wet cloth, and let it rises until it doubles its original volume. The time required will take about thirty to forty-five minutes.

Note:

• You can also use some leftover ham from other dishes you cooked previously. You can use chicken ham slices (those for making sandwiches) if you do not eat pork.
• I use cheddar cheese, the most common cheese for this bread. However, you can use other cheese as an alternative, such as Parmesan cheese or Swiss cheese.
• The total weight of four portions of dough is 4x180g= 720g. (1oz is about 28g).

C. Baking the ham and cheese loaf

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F.
2. Apply a thin layer of egg wash on the surface. Be careful not to apply too much as the egg may flow to the wall of the loaf pan and make the loaf difficult to unmold later.
3. Bake the bread for 30 minutes on the middle rack until the top has turned lightly golden.
4. Remove the loaf and apply another layer of egg wash. This step helps to adhere the shredded chees to the surface of the loaf.
5. Sprinkle the shredded cheese, castor sugar, and chopped parsley on top.
6. Return the loaf to the oven and bake until the cheese turns golden brown, around seven minutes.
7. Remove the loaf from the oven, and sprinkle more chopped parsley to garnish.
8. When the loaf is cool, run a sharp knife around the wall of the loaf pan to loosen it and overturn the pan to unmold it.
9. Slice the ham and chees loaf with a serrated knife with a bread slicer to reveal the beautiful pattern inside the loaf.

Note: 

• I made a small loaf with a pan measuring an 8-inch rectangle (width is 4.5 inches) which is ideal for the ingredients used in this recipe. However, you need to adjust accordingly should you want to make a large loaf of bread.

This bread can be kept in the refrigerator for two days in an airtight container.

More bread recipes for you. 

• Japanese milk bread –  This bread is the softest, lightest, and fluffiest one that I made.
• Whole wheat bread – It is a soft and flurry loaf using an Asian method, Tangzhong.
• Pineapple bun (Polo Bun) – A famous bun from Hong Kong looks like a pineapple!

Continue to Content

Ham and Cheese Loaf

Yield: 8 thick slices

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Proofing Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes

Make ham and cheese loaf at home taste exactly like those from Asian bakeries. Savory and delicious. Perfect for breakfast and afternoon tea.

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Ingredients

Ingredients A

• 400g bread flour
• 20g castor sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt

Ingredients B

• 220ml cold milk
• 3g active dry yeast
• 1 egg

Ingredients C

• 30g butter, cut into small cubes

Ingredients D

• 50g shredded cheddar cheese
• 4pcs ham of your choice

Ingredients E

• 10g sugar
• 2 tbsp shredded cheese
• Chopped parsley for deco

Instructions

1. Prepare the dough

1. Mix all the dry ingredients A.
2. Dissolve the active dry yeast in warm milk. 
3. Pour the milk plus one egg into the flour mixture.
4. Mix the ingredients in the large bowl with the electric mixer for five minutes.
5. Now add the soft butter. Continue kneading the dough until the butter has been incorporated thoroughly.
6. Transfer the soft dough to a work surface dusted with flour. Then knead by hand for a minute.
7. Cover the dough with a wet cloth to let it proof until it doubles in size. 

2. Insert the ham and cheese into the dough

1. Divide the dough into four equal portions with a dough cutter.
2. Let each portion relax for five minutes, then roll out each portion into a rectangle.
3. Place the ham slices plus the shredded cheese on the dough, leaving about one cm clear from the edges of the dough. 
4. Roll the dough like making a Swiss roll to seal the ham and cheese inside the dough.
5. Apply some oil or butter to the bottom of the loaf pan.
6. Place the dough horizontally in a loaf pan to fit all four doughs in a row.
7. Now cover the loaf pan with a wet cloth, and let it rise to double its original volume. 

3. Baking the ham and cheese loaf

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F.
2. Apply a thin layer of egg wash on the surface. 
3. Bake the bread for 30 minutes until the top has turned lightly golden.
4. Remove the loaf and apply another layer of egg wash.
5. Sprinkle the shredded cheese, castor sugar, and chopped parsley on top.
6. Return the loaf to the oven and bake until the cheese turns golden brown, around seven minutes.
7. Remove the loaf from the oven, and sprinkle more chopped parsley to garnish.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 302Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 482mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 13g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 25/5/2022