Panera Asiago Cheese Bread Recipe (2024)

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Asiago Bread has a cheese crusted golden crust with a fluffy, soft inside. It’s a homemade bread loaded with Asiago cheese and a hint of black pepper. It’s excellent served alongside oursausage tortellini souporItalian skillet chicken.

Panera Asiago Cheese Bread Recipe (1)

The first time I tried Asiago Cheese Bread was the first time I ever stepped inside a Panera Bread, over 25 years ago. I was newly married and had a coupon for a free loaf of bread. And I’m all about free warm bread.

I stepped inside the restaurant and gawked at all of the egg soufflés, kitchen sink cookies and huge cinnamon rolls. Then my eyes landed on a loaf of cheese crusted Asiago Bread. I immediately knew what bread would be coming home with me that day. I served it with lasagna (Matt’s favorite), and fell in love.

A few years later I happened across a recipe for Asiago Cheese Bread. This savory bread recipe is a perfect Panera copycat recipe for that slightly tangy bread with a hint of pepper. I promise you’ll love it as much as we have over the years.

Ingredients for Asiago Bread

Panera Asiago Cheese Bread Recipe (2)
  • Bread flour. Using a high quality bread flour such as King Arthur yields a crusty loaf of bread.
  • Instant Yeast. Red Star Yeast is my choice for instant yeast.
  • Salt, sugar and black pepper. All three will work together to season the bread.
  • Milk & butter. Both ingredients add moisture and tenderness to this asiago bread recipe.
  • Asiago. Last but not least, the ingredient that makes this a great bread. Aged asiago is a mild cow’s milk cheese that is more moist than Parmesan cheese or Romano. Buy a chunk of fresh Asiago, generally in the from of a triangle or wedge, and shred it at home.

Step by Step: How to Make Asiago Bread

Mix the dry ingredients.In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Panera Asiago Cheese Bread Recipe (3)

Heat the milk and butter.Put the milk and in a microwave safe bowl. Heat the milk to 120-130ºF so that the butter starts melting. Make sure the temperature is just right so that it is warm enough to activate the yeast, but not kill it.

Panera Asiago Cheese Bread Recipe (4)

Combine the two.Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture and mix on low speed using the paddle attachment until smooth. Add in 1 ¼ cups shredded cheese and mix just until combined.

Panera Asiago Cheese Bread Recipe (5)

Knead the dough.Gradually add in 1 ¾ cups flour to make a soft dough. Knead in the stand mixer with the dough hook for 5 minutes.Don’t add too much flour.It should still be a sticky dough, slightly sticking to the bottom of the bowl as it kneads.

Panera Asiago Cheese Bread Recipe (6)

First rise.Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Add the bread dough to the bowl, then turn the dough over so the cooking spray coats both sides of the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until it is nearly double (30-45 minutes).

Panera Asiago Cheese Bread Recipe (7)

Shape and second rise.After the dough is doubled, punch it down and use a serrated knife or dough cutter to divide the dough in two. Shape each piece of dough into a loaf. Place the loaves on a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper. Cover the loaves with plastic wrap or a clean towel and allow them to rise again for 20-30 minutes. The loaves may not rise much, but that’s ok. They’ll spring up in the oven.

Panera Asiago Cheese Bread Recipe (8)

Bake.Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Whisk together the egg and water in a small bowl. Brush the tops of the loaves with the egg wash, then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes until lightly golden brown. The internal temperature of the asiago loaf should be 190ºF.

Panera Asiago Cheese Bread Recipe (9)

One Dough, Three Shapes

As if bread with cheese inside isn’t a beautiful enough, there are three options for shaping this asiago bread dough:

  • Asiago Bread Loaves. That’s the method we describe in the recipe card below. It makes two small loaves of asiago bread.
  • Asiago Rolls. Divide the dough into 12 dough balls of equal size. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray, place the dough balls in the prepared pan in 4 rows of 3 dough balls. Cover the pan and allow the rolls to rise until they are almost double. Brush the top of the rolls with the egg wash, the sprinkle asiago cheese on the rolls. Bake the rolls for 22-24 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown on top.
  • Asiago Bread Bowls. Divide the dough into 4 large dough balls. Allow the dough to rise about 20 more minutes. Brush the top of the large dough balls with the egg wash and sprinkle with asiago. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the top of the bread bowls are golden brown. Allow the bread bowls to cool on a wire rack. Slice off the top of the bread bowl, then use your fingers to pull out the fluffy interior, leaving at least ¾ inch bread on the bowl walls. Fill up the asiago bread bowls with soup.Broccoli Cheddar Soupor beef stew is especially delicious in asiago bread bowls.
Panera Asiago Cheese Bread Recipe (11)

Panera Asiago Cheese Bread Recipe (12)

Panera Asiago Cheese Bread Recipe (13)

Asiago Bread

4.70 from 49 votes

Asiago Bread has a cheese crusted golden crust with a fluffy, soft inside. It's a homemade bread loaded with Asiago cheese and a hint of black pepper.

Servings 20

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Rise Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 55 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 1/4 cups bread flour*
  • 1 package instant yeast** 2 ¼ teaspoons
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 1/4 cups 2% milk
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Asiago cheese divided

Egg wash:

  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon warm water

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and pepper. Set aside. 3 ¼ cups bread flour*, 1 package instant yeast**, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon black pepper

  • Put the milk and in a microwave safe bowl. Heat the milk to 120-130ºF so that the butter starts melting. Make sure the temperature is just right so that it is warm enough to activate the yeast, but not kill it. Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture and mix on low speed using the paddle attachment until smooth. Add in 1 ¼ cups shredded cheese and mix just until combined. 1 ¼ cups 2% milk, 2 tablespoons salted butter, 1 ½ cups shredded Asiago cheese

  • Gradually add in 1 ¾ cups flour to make a soft dough. Knead in the stand mixer with the dough hook for 5 minutes. Don’t add too much flour. It should still be a sticky dough, slightly sticking to the bottom of the bowl as it kneads.

  • Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Add the bread dough to the bowl, then turn the dough over so the cooking spray coats both sides of the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until it is nearly double (30-45 minutes).

  • After the dough is doubled, punch it down and use a serrated knife or dough cutter to divide the dough in two. Shape each piece of dough into a loaf. Place the loaves on a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper. Cover the loaves with plastic wrap or a clean towel and allow them to rise again for 20-30 minutes. The loaves may not rise much, but that’s ok. They’ll spring up in the oven.

  • Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Whisk together the egg and water in a small bowl. Brush the tops of the loaves with the egg wash, then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon warm water

  • Bake for 30-35 minutes until lightly golden brown. The internal temperature of the loaf should be 190ºF.

  • Allow the loaf to cool, then slice and serve. It’s also delicious served the next day!

Video

Notes

*All-purpose flour also works, but the bread flour yields more of a crusty bread loaf.

**Use active dry yeast if that’s what you have, but proof the yeast in the milk according to the temperature on the back of the packet of yeast.

***Knead bread dough by hand or use your bread machine on the dough setting.

This is also delicious with cheddar cheese or parmesan cheese.

Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.

The calories shown are based on the loaves each being cut into 10 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of bread. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. **

Nutrition

Calories: 126kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 315mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 123IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Author Julie Clark

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Calories 126

Keyword asiago bread, cheese bread, homemade bread

Have you tried this recipe?

Share a review below or share on Instagram with the tag #tastesoflizzyt.

Adapted from Food.com

Other Yeast Bread Recipes

If you love this asiago

  • Raspberry Sweet Rolls
  • Orange Sweet Rolls
  • Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
  • Sourdough Bread
  • Egg Twist Bread
Panera Asiago Cheese Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Does Panera bake bread from scratch? ›

Historically, Panera uses FDFs to produce all the fresh bread, bagel, and roll dough for the brand, and transport the fresh dough to surrounding Panera bakery-cafes every day, where they are baked from scratch on premises.

How to store asiago bread? ›

Store at room temperature and avoid direct sunlight. The crust of the un-sliced bread naturally protects the freshness. Avoid the refrigerator as it dries out the bread more quickly.

What to use Asiago cheese for? ›

It is a brilliant cheese to bake into bread for a cheesy treat or grate over soft pretzels before baking. We also think it works particularly well with chicken dishes. Try pasta with asiago, chicken and a cream sauce or stuff a chicken breast with slices of Asiago and wrap it in pancetta or prosciutto before cooking.

Does Panera bread have cheese bread? ›

A cheesy sourdough loaf with a tender crumb and zesty Asiago cheese baked both inside and on top. No artificial preservatives, sweeteners, flavors or colors from artificial sources.

What makes Panera Bread different? ›

We use grains intentionally to impart flavor and texture — such as spelt, rye and oats. We include flavorings like black pepper to make our focaccia breads irresistible. We also rely on time-honored techniques, like using our sourdough starter, which we believe makes our breads taste better.

Why is Panera getting rid of half their menu? ›

The menu changes are symbolizing 'a new era at Panera' that is 'refocusing on innovating and enhancing the core Panera items guests love the most. ' According to Panera's statement, those core items are soups, salads, sandwiches and mac & cheese.

Why is it called Asiago? ›

Asiago is a firm cow's milk cheese hailing from Italy. Though we've heard it said many ways, it's pronounced ah-see-AH-go! It's called that because it originally comes from the Asiago plateau in Northeastern Italy.

Should Asiago cheese be refrigerated? ›

Always store Asiago in your refrigerator. Cheese wrapped in its original packaging can be repacked or wrapped completely with plastic wrap. You can also place Asiago in a container specifically designed to hold vegetables or cheeses.

Should you refrigerate bread? ›

The reason a refrigerator is bad for bread: When bread is stored in a cold (but above freezing) environment, this recrystallization, and therefore staling, happens much faster than at warmer temperatures. Freezing, however, dramatically slows the process down.

What meat pairs with Asiago cheese? ›

Here is a simple breakdown of the meats that pair well with some of the cheeses listed above: Asiago and Salami. Parmesan and Prosciutto. Romano and Capicola.

Is Asiago cheese healthy for you? ›

Asiago cheese is a delicious and nutritious cheese that is enjoyed all over the world. It is a great source of protein, calcium, and vitamin A. Additionally, it contains a small quantity of micronutrients and minerals, such as zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, choline, and vitamin B12.

What fruit goes with Asiago cheese? ›

Fruits
Type of CheeseFruit Pairings
AsiagoFigs, grapes
BleuPears, figs, blackberries
BriePears, plums, apples, strawberries
CheddarApples, grapes
5 more rows
Sep 20, 2022

What type of cheese does Panera use for their grilled cheese? ›

Sliced American cheese grilled on thick-sliced Classic White Miche.

What is the best bread for you at Panera? ›

Breads: The bread with the fewest calories is the whole grain miche with 130 per serving. Other good choices are the whole grain baguette or whole grain loaf with 140 calories (each option also has 3 grams of fiber per serving).

Is Panera Bread made from scratch? ›

However, the bread dough isn't actually made on-site. Panera has Fresh Dough Facilities throughout the country where the dough is created. The dough is then delivered to the bakeries at night to be baked fresh the next morning, which is a pretty efficient process.

Does a bread maker actually bake the bread? ›

While all bread machines generally work in the same way (by mixing, kneading, proofing, and baking a loaf of bread in an enclosed chamber), the Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus performs these tasks much better than any other model I've used.

Does Panera bake sourdough bread? ›

We Bake Bread, You Break the Bread.

Our sourdough bread is one of our original specialties, and we take enormous pride in continuing the tradition and recipe that started it all.

Does Panera use natural ingredients? ›

We utilize select organic ingredients and label them as such on our menu. Any organic ingredients or items will be labeled as organic in their nutritional information, found here.

Are Panera bagels boiled or baked? ›

The longer the boiling time, the harder the crust and the denser the bagels become. However, Panera went a different route with its bagels, opting to steam them with a steam-injection oven rather than boil them. Steaming is an easier option in Panera's kitchen.

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