Few things in this world complement each other better than bread and cheese. Destined to be devoured together, this classic combo is so simple and yet so incredibly scrumptious. While we’ll never pass up the opportunity to enjoy some delightfully fancy blue cheese and fig shortbread, and we can’t resist the craziness that is grilled cheese bread pudding, sometimes you find yourself craving the basics. Hungry eaters all over the world have been baking cheesy bread for hundreds of years, and those traditional recipes never stop being delicious.
Kadeh
Photo Credit: Image courtesy of jewishfoodexperience.com
Finding its traditional origins in the ancient Kurdish Jewish community, kadeh is a leavened bread stuffed with feta cheese. Although this bread recipe can be eaten at any time of year and includes a variety of savory or sweet fillings, cheesy kadeh is traditionally eaten during the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, when dairy is a particularly important component of each meal.
Torta Umbra al Formaggio
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Made with pecorino and Parmigiano-Reggiano, this savory Italian bread is commonly served on Easter morning, with a side of boiled eggs and cold cuts. Italian cheese breads are often enjoyed throughout the spring season, and many recipes make use of particularly seasonal cheeses, such as ricotta. As animals graze on fresh grasses, their milk becomes more rich in flavor, resulting in truly decadent cheeses that enhance the overall flavor of a dish.
Pão de Queijo
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Made with tapioca flour, this Brazilian bread recipe rose out of a long history of enslavement. Originating in the 1600s, Brazilian slaves utilized the starchy remains of yucca roots that they were forced to harvest and baked small, bread-like rolls. Hundreds of years later, the recipe has endured as a historic culinary tradition in Brazil. Once dairy and cheese were more accessible, it became a staple ingredient in pão de queijo preparation.
Khachapuri
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Think “pizza-meets-quesadilla-meets-blintz,” and you’ve got yourself a khachapuri. Originating in the Republic of Georgia, this Eurasian delicacy is essentially a boat of oozing, cheesy goodness. While there are many variations in the preparation of khachapuri, the most common version has crispy edges and is filled with cheese. Traditionally, Georgians used a pickled and slightly sour cheese called sulguni, which has similar melting characteristics to that of mozzarella. Butter and eggs are often added to the cheese in order to create a creamy consistency and rich flavor.
Irish Soda Bread
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Notorious for being a poor man’s food, the original recipe for Irish soda bread only required four basic (and cheap) ingredients: flour, salt, soured milk, and baking soda. Modified versions included more flavorful ingredients if they were available, and a favorite was cheddar cheese. Dairy has always been a staple in the Irish diet, and modern adaptations of soda bread have popularized the use of cheese in the recipe.
Pupusa
Photo Credit: Image courtesy of sumpsimus.wordpress.com
Arguably more like a tortilla than bread, this delicious Salvadorian recipe is unarguably cheesy, and takes its place among other cornmeal-based recipes in South American cooking. Similar to the Colombian arepa, pupusas are flattened and fried street-treats that take plain old tortillas to an entirely new level.
Photo Credit: Featured image courtesy of jakesgoudacheese.com
Emily Dangler
Culture Intern Emily Dangler is a creative writer and travel enthusiast, who is always looking for a good story to tell. Originally a West Coast girl, Emily has spent several years migrating across the country and is currently an adopted resident of Boston, where she is enjoying the city's delicious food and rich history.
