Crispy bread with cheese and honey
- Preparation 10 min
- Cooking 12 min
- Servings 4
- Freezing Absolutely
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🍞 A classic that’s not going anywhere
This famous crispy honey bread is the side dish you pull out at every dinner and that disappears before the main course even hits the table. Belgian bread sliced in half, drizzled with olive oil, covered in a mountain of melted marbled cheddar and drizzled with a generous pour of golden honey before going under the broiler. It’s simple, decadent and absolutely irresistible. Perfect as a starter to keep guests happy, as a side alongside a beautiful piece of meat off the BBQ or with a steaming bowl of soup on a fall evening. The kind of recipe everyone asks for again and nobody ever forgets.
🔥 The marbled cheddar. For the look and the flavour
Marbled cheddar isn’t just there for show. Though the visual once it’s melted really is something. It’s a cheese that melts beautifully, has real character, and whose orange and white streaks create that signature gratinated look we’re going for. That said, this is a recipe that invites creativity: gruyère, raclette, emmental, smoked gouda or even a mix of whatever is sitting in the fridge. Any good melting cheese works beautifully here. The important thing is to not be shy with the honey. Truly not.
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🔪 Rub the olive oil in with your hands for even coverage
Don’t just pour the oil over the bread — take the time to rub it into the entire cut surface with your hands. This simple gesture ensures even distribution that prevents the bread from drying out in the oven and creates a slightly crispy base under the melted cheese. It’s the difference between dry bread and bread that’s soft inside with a perfect crust.
🌡️ 8 minutes in the oven then broil — in that order
The 8 minutes at 400°F (200°C) allow the cheese to melt completely and evenly before the surface browns. Going straight under the broiler without this step gives cheese that’s golden on top but not fully melted underneath. The final broil is only there to create that golden, slightly crispy crust — keep a close eye on it, it goes fast.
⏱️ Don’t be shy with the honey — seriously
The honey is the soul of this recipe. A timid amount gives an ordinary bread; a generous amount gives the famous crispy honey bread everyone talks about. The honey caramelizes in the oven heat and creates sweet, slightly sticky pockets that nestle between the melted cheese. Aim for at least 1 cup (250 ml) — and if you feel like adding more, go for it without hesitation.
✂️ Freeze before baking to always have some on hand
Make several breads at once, assemble them completely (bread + oil + cheese + honey + parsley) and freeze before baking on a sheet pan. Once frozen, transfer to freezer bags. To cook, bake directly from frozen at 400°F (200°C) adding 5 minutes to the baking time. A decadent side ready in 15 minutes with zero prep.
🍋 Switch up the cheese based on what you have
Marbled cheddar is the classic choice for its look and flavour, but this recipe works with almost any good melting cheese. Gruyère, raclette, smoked gouda, emmental or a mix of cheese scraps from the fridge — all give delicious results with their own personality. The only rule: choose a cheese that melts well and has character.
Ingredients
- 1 Belgian bread loaf, sliced in half lengthwise
- Olive oil
- About 1 cup (250 ml) honey
- 4 cups (400 g) marbled cheddar, shredded
- Fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- Ground pepper
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Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Place both bread halves on a baking sheet, cut side up. Drizzle generously with olive oil and rub it in with your hands to coat evenly.
- Spread the shredded marbled cheddar evenly over both halves.
- Drizzle the honey generously over the cheese — don’t hold back. Top with chopped fresh parsley and season generously with ground pepper.
- Bake for 8 minutes, then broil until the cheese is deep golden and slightly crispy around the edges.
- Cut into wide strips and serve immediately. Warning — it’s very hot!
Any broad, dense loaf works well — ciabatta, country bread, thick focaccia or even a wide baguette sliced in half lengthwise. Avoid breads that are too thin or too soft, which absorb too much oil and can’t hold the weight of the cheese and honey. A slightly day-old bread often gives a better result than ultra-fresh bread.
Absolutely — it’s actually encouraged. Gruyère, raclette, smoked gouda, emmental, fontina or a cheese blend all work beautifully. The key is choosing a cheese that melts well and has character. Avoid soft-rind cheeses like brie or camembert, which melt too quickly and run off the bread.
Yes. Assemble the bread almost completely (oil + cheese + honey + parsley) and refrigerate up to 4 hours before baking. Remove from the fridge 15 minutes before putting it in the oven. For even further advance prep, freeze before baking and cook directly from frozen, adding 5 minutes to the baking time.
Yes, and it’s a great idea. Lavender honey, truffle honey, herbs de Provence honey or spiced honey — each variety brings its own personality to the dish. Plain clover honey remains the timeless classic, but flavoured honeys let you personalize the bread to match the meal’s other dishes or your guests’ preferences.
This bread is extraordinary alongside a beautiful piece of meat off the BBQ — my grilled tomahawk with deluxe barbecue dry rub, my grilled rib steak with creamy shiitake sauce or my dark beer marinated beef flank steak are all perfect partners. For an appetizer and bite-sized spread, it also shines next to my deluxe gratinated snails. Serve immediately out of the oven, always.
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