Macaroni Cheese Loaf Bread - Viral Recipe!

Recipe: Macaroni Cheese Loaf Bread Recipe »

Love homemade bread and mac and cheese? This incredible mac and cheese bread combines both into one irresistible loaf. It starts with a soft, no knead bread layered with creamy macaroni cheese, plenty of cheese and a hint of onion. You won't need a sourdough starter to make this delicious viral bread!

About This Macaroni Cheese Loaf Bread

This homemade mac and cheese bread is the ultimate comfort bread to make and it is perfect for winter. A homemade loaf of bread is filled with layers of mac and cheese and grated cheese so that every bite is a crunchy, cheesy textural delight. Better still, this dough barely needs any kneading at all, just a little mixing.

I'll also show you how to fold the dough to get this gorgeous pattern of mac and cheese. This is Mr NQN's favourite ever bread and he asks me to make it all the time!

Why You'll Love This Mac and Cheese Bread

⭐ What's not to love about a little carb on carb action? The mac and cheese actually gives the bread a more moist texture and we use plenty of grated cheese just to add that mac and cheese flavour.

⭐ I also use a little ingredient to make this bread pop even more: onion powder! Cheese and onion is a great combo (shout out to New Zealanders and their cheese rolls!) and onion adds another dimension to this bread.

⭐ When I first saw Lizzygbakes make it on Instagram I knew I wanted to make a version that doesn't require a sourdough starter. This started me on so many experiments to get the flavour and distribution right that I made around 7 loaves of this bread until I got the ratios juuuust right. So you can make this with yeast using a barely knead overnight dough.

⭐ If you want to test it out, you can also make a small half loaf too especially if you have a small amount of leftover mac and cheese.

⭐The bread recipe is based on the famous no knead overnight dough by Jim Lahey's Sullivan Bakery. It gives sourdough looking results but without a sourdough starter.

⭐ This bread is absolutely delicious served with soup!

Video How To Make Macaroni Cheese Loaf Bread

Video: Macaroni Cheese Loaf Bread Recipe

Ingredients For Macaroni Cheese Loaf Bread

Bread flour - look for a high protein bread flour (around 11.5-12% protein) for baking bread as this will create a better, higher rise for your bread. It is usually labeled as bread flour or baker's flour.

Water - You want lukewarm water to activate the yeast, around 37C/98F-41C/105F.

Salt - Use fine salt as it will dissolve in the dough better.

Onion powder - Found in the spice aisle. You can also use French onion soup powder mix. Tip: keep onion powder in the freezer to avoid clumping!

Instant dried yeast - Make sure that your yeast is in date. To replace yeast with sourdough starter use about 1/2 cup (around 75g/2.5oz) of active sourdough starter and remove 1/4 cup/35g/1.2oz of flour and 1/4 cup/60g/2fl oz of water from the original flour and water weight.

Butter - This is my little trick when baking bread. When you add grated butter to the dough, it makes the end result super crispy and so much tastier!

Mac and cheese - I used Kraft mac and cheese but use your favourite one or make it from scratch. Try my macaroni cheese with bacon, crab mac and cheese, mac and cheese with chilli, bacon and tomato, pumpkin mac and cheese, stovetop mac and cheese, French onion mac and cheese or truffle macaroni cheese if you are feeling fancy! You can tell we love mac and cheese in this household ;)

Cheese - I used red Leicester cheese but you can use any red/orange cheese (or yellow cheese, I just like the colour contrast using the red).

Tips For Making Macaroni Cheese Loaf Bread

1 - Use frozen butter when grating as it will grate a lot easier.

2 - Make sure to cool the mac and cheese, if it is warm or hot it can tear the dough as it makes it more delicate.

3 - For your first attempt at this bread, don't use all of the mac and cheese. Once you get the hang of it, you can start adding more mac and cheese.

4 - The reason I don't preheat the lid is because it is so easy to accidentally grab a really hot lid and burn your hand. I know from personal experience! The pot is also the main part that you want to heat.

5 - Rest the bread for at least 45 minutes before cutting into it or your bread will have a gummy texture. The bread needs that time to set the structure of the bread.

6 - If you use the Kraft blue box mac and cheese you'll have some left over so try a mac and cheese toastie!

Macaroni Cheese Loaf Bread Recipe

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Recipe Overview

Preparation time: 30 minutes plus overnight resting time and cooling time

Cooking time: 60 minutes

Serves: 8-10 people

Ingredients Needed

• 450g/1lb bread flour
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon instant dried yeast
• 310ml/10.5fl oz water at 37C/98F
• 90g/3oz butter, grated
• Oil for greasing bowl
• 300-400g/10.6-14oz mac and cheese made up
• 300g/10.6oz red leicester cheese (or orange cheese), grated

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1 DOUGH - Whisk the bread flour, salt, onion powder and yeast in a large bowl until well dispersed. Add water and incorporate using your hand or with a wooden spoon or spatula for 30 seconds and then add the grated butter and mix for 30 seconds to 1 minute until there are no more dry patches. It will be a "wet dough" but that's ok. Lightly oil the inside of a second large bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest 12 hours at room temperature (approx. 18-22°C or 65-72°F). It should be puffy and risen.

Step 2 SHAPE - Make the mac and cheese according to box directions and allow it to cool completely. Have the grated cheese ready and a sheet of parchment. Flour a surface and spread out the dough into a 30x30cm or 12x12inch square. Cover with two thirds of the grated cheese and mac and cheese. Roll up into a log and then press down gently to spread it out a bit more and add the remaining third of cheese and mac and cheese. Note: I recommend watching the video above to show this folding process. Roll up into a ball and place on the parchment and cover with cling film and allow to rise for 2 hours.

TROUBLESHOOTING - If your dough breaks in a couple of places while rolling up into a ball keep rolling the ball until the hole is on the bottom and you have a smooth top if you can. But it's not the end of the world if there's a hole either!

Step 3 BAKE - Preheat oven to 220C/440F fan forced or 240C/464F conventional. Place the base of a large cast iron pot (don't heat the lid) in the oven to preheat. Then when ready lift the bread by the parchment and place the whole bread and parchment into the pot. Place the lid on and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden. Rest bread for at least 45 minutes before cutting (important!).

REHEATING - Heat slices in a 150C/300F fan forced or 170C/340F conventional oven for 15 minutes until warmed through.

Personal Note

It's been a couple of months since we've seen the in-laws because were away in Bali for my birthday so we decided to bunch together my birthday together with Araluen and Laporello's.

Tuulikki came along but now she's walking with a cane – a purple cane of course with swirls on it and it looks like a magical witchcraft staff which I expect no less from her. We brought some floral crackers and cheese as well as the chicken Alfredo bake, this mac and cheese bread fresh from the oven as well as two cakes and some cookies.

Not all of the kids were there as Mr NQN's nieces and nephews are going through teenage phases. Mr NQN's nephew Jett is 12 years old and decided he was not coming along so he stayed home on the Central Coast. He is also starting to rebel by eating meat. His cousin Aura, now Ari, is going on their second date. And yes, I felt ancient when I heard this.

But at least seven year old Finn came along (at least until he becomes a teenager and we become completely embarrassing). This kid has adult tastes in food. I brought along strawberry and matcha cake not expecting him to like the matcha as it is slightly bitter but he loved the cake and ate three pieces! When I was 7 years old I didn't like anything like that but Finn drinks kefir and other tart or sour drinks so I'm interested to see how his taste develops as an adult!

So tell me Dear Reader, did you have adult tastes when you were a child? Would you like this bread? Do you have a sourdough starter?