Soft Cheesy Bread Recipe with Italian Herbs

There’s something dangerously addictive about Subway’s Italian Herbs and Cheese Bread, that soft, pillowy interior with a golden crust bubbling with melted cheese and herbs.

But what if you could make it fresher, cheesier, and even better at home?

This copycat recipe gives you that signature flavor and texture, without preservatives, without the line, and without settling for “extra cheese” that never feels like enough.

Let’s bake a loaf that rivals the original.

Why Make Italian Herbs and Cheese Bread?

My number one reason? I often like to make extra to give as gifts around the holidays. This recipe is luckily quite easy to double or triple as needed. You’d be surprised by how many people like getting a freshly baked loaf of bread as a gift.

My other favorite reason is that I can control what goes in it. There are no preservatives. I’ll sometimes experiment with different types of cheeses, though ones with more moisture, like Monterey Jack, seem to work the best.

The best part? It’s fresh bread! It’s usually not already days old when I buy it. As you’d expect, it makes great sandwiches.

How to Make Copycat Subway Italian Herbs and Cheese Bread

The ingredients to make this homemade yeast bread recipe are pretty basic, and you should have most of them at home already!

Why These Ingredients for Italian Herb and Cheese Bread?

This isn’t just a random mix of pantry staples. Every ingredient is carefully chosen to recreate that soft crumb, golden crust, and cheesy herb topping that makes this bread so addictive.

Warm Water

1 1/2 cups warm water (100-110 degrees F)

To get the yeast going, you want the water to be hot but not too hot. According to the Institute of Culinary Education, if you get it much hotter than that, the yeast starts dying off, and it’ll die completely if you get the water above 140 degrees F.

Active Dry Yeast

1 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast

Yeast is what’s known as a biological leavening agent – it’s actually alive! According to the Texas A&M University’s 4-H Extension’s fact sheet on common cooking and baking ingredients, this leavening agent works by metabolizing sugars into CO₂, which can cause bread dough to rise quite rapidly.

Sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Sugar provides yeast with the “fuel” needed to produce carbon dioxide and get the dough to rise.

Salt

1 tsp salt

Salt assists with several chemical reactions while baking that help with getting the right texture and flavor. I actually dialed back on the salt a bit for two reasons. First, I’m going on a low-sodium diet. Second, too much salt can actually kill the yeast before it has a chance to do its work.

Bread Flour

4 cups bread flour

Ever wonder why there are different types of flour, like bread flour or cake flour? It has to do with the amount of gluten that flour produces while baking. The gluten does a lot of the “heavy lifting” when it comes to getting the right texture for baked goods.

It’s also why it can be tricky to find a good substitute. If you’re going gluten-free, you can use Xanthan gum and gluten-free flour, but a study backed by the University of Michigan shows that Xanthan gum can change the gut microbiome while being digested. So far, no one really knows whether these changes will harm the gut health of people trying to reduce gluten or the diet or not.

Butter

1 tbsp butter, melted

A light brushing of butter on top of the bread loaves before baking adds a nice glaze.

Garlic Powder and Italian Seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp Italian seasoning

These seasonings will add the “Italian” flavor to the bread topping.

Monterey Jack and Parmesan Cheeses

1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

These cheeses add flavor and a more attractive look to the top of your bread. Personally, I like to buy them as blocks of cheese and shred them myself.

Directions to Make Italian Herbs and Cheese Bread

If you’ve ever made homemade yeast bread before, this recipe will be very straightforward. If you haven’t, well, I still think it’s a pretty straightforward recipe!

In fact, it’s a good basic bread recipe if you’re a beginner. I use my stand mixer with the dough hook attachment to handle the kneading for me, which makes it even easier. You can always knead by hand if you don’t have a dough hook attachment. (but go ahead and get one because they make it SO much easier!)

Step One: Activate the Yeast

Combine hot water, yeast, and sugar in a measuring cup or small bowl. Let it sit for 10 minutes to activate the yeast.

Step Two: Combine Dry Ingredients

While waiting for the yeast to activate, combine flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Step Three: Add Yeast Mixture

Add fully activated yeast mixture to the mixing bowl. Mix until there are no visible bits of dry ingredients anywhere in the dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated. With a stand mixer, this should take 5 to 10 minutes.

Step Five: Shape the loaves of bread

Apply a light dusting of flour to your work surface or put down some parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto your work surface and cut the dough into 4 equal parts. Shape each piece into a loaf of bread.

Step Five: Allow the Dough to Rise

Place each log of bread dough on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, making sure to leave about 4 inches of space between each log. Cover the bread dough with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for about 40 minutes in a warm place or until the dough is about double in size.

While it’s still rising, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).

Step Six: Top With Butter, Seasonings, and Cheese

Uncover the dough and cut 3 shallow slices in the tops of each one using a sharp knife. Brush with melted butter and then sprinkle evenly with garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Divide cheeses evenly on top of each one.

Step Seven: Bake Bread

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 C) for 20-25 minutes until the bread is golden brown.

Step Eight: Let It Cool A Bit

Place the bread on a cooling rack to let it cool enough that it won’t burn your fingers while eating it. I often like to get my favorite sandwich fillings out while I’m waiting.

Step Nine: Serve or Give as Gifts While Fresh

I like to eat this bread or give it as a gift while it’s still not much more than a day or two old. If giving as a gift, it looks nice wrapped in some parchment paper and tied with some colorful twine.

Nutrition Information for Italian Herb and Cheese Bread

This nutrition information is based on this recipe as shown, and assumes you will slice each loaf into 8 slices. (It’s okay if you don’t. Just multiply everything by 8 to get the approximate amounts in each loaf.) We calculated the nutrition information using VeryWell Fit’s nutrition calculator. If you’d like to explore scientifically accurate nutrition information for individual ingredients, please visit USDA’s FoodData Central.

• Servings: 32 Slices
• Calories: 139
• Total Fat: 5.5 Grams
• Saturated Fat: 2.5 Grams
• Cholesterol: 13 Milligrams
• Sodium: 1,259 Milligrams
• Total Carbohydrates: 19 Grams
• Dietary Fiber: 1.6 Grams
• Total Sugars: 6 Grams
• Protein: 4.6 Grams
• Vitamin D: 2 mcg (9% RDA)
• Calcium: 35 milligrams (2% RDA)
• Iron: 2 milligrams (8% RDA)
• Potassium: 147 milligrams (3% RDA)

Possible Substitutions for Italian Herb and Cheese Bread

Don’t have any bread flour? All-purpose flour should work in a pinch, though the bread may not rise as much.

If you’d rather use honey, 1.5 tablespoons of honey should work in place of the sugar. Adjust the amount of other liquids to suit.

Butter-flavored olive oil may work in place of the butter. (I get my flavored olive oils from a local place.) The olive oil may affect the flavor of the bread, though.

Don’t have any Italian seasoning? You can make your own by mixing basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and majorjam. Adding parsley and sage is optional.

FAQ About Italian Herb and Cheese Bread

Even experienced bakers run into questions when working with yeast dough. These answers will help you troubleshoot, adjust, and perfect your Italian herb and cheese bread every time. Feel free to drop yours in the comments.

Why is the dough too dry?

It may need more liquid. Gradually add 1-2 tablespoons of water until it is the right consistency.

Why is the dough so sticky?

It’s actually normal for dough to be somewhat sticky. You could try dusting your hands with flour before working with the dough if you don’t want it to stick to your hands. Using a stand mixer and mixing it long enough can also help make sure the dry ingredients are fully incorporated to absorb more moisture.

The trick is to resist the urge to overcorrect by adding too much flour, or the dough might become too dry.

Why didn’t the dough rise enough? / Why is it too dense?

One possible explanation is that something went wrong with the yeast.

• The water might have been too hot (killing the yeast) or too cold (affecting its ability to activate).
• There might not have been enough sugar.
• It may not have gotten long enough to activate before adding it to the dough.
• The dough might not have had enough time to rise before baking.

How do I know the bread is completely baked?

The bread should be golden brown with the cheese fully melted and slightly crisp. A digital cooking thermometer should read 190 to 200 degrees F (88-93 C) when inserted into the center of a loaf of bread.

How can I store leftover bread?

Leftover bread can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped in aluminum foil for 1-2 days. This is ideal if you expect to eat it quickly.

This bread can also be frozen in a large zip-top bag or an airtight container for 1-2 months.

Baked It? We’d Love to Hear From You!

Did this Italian herb and cheese bread make it to your favorites list? Leave a comment below and tell us how it turned out! Whether you kept it classic or added your own twist, your feedback helps other readers bake with confidence, and we truly love hearing from you.