Sausage and Cheddar Breakfast Bread

Name: Sausage and Cheddar Breakfast Bread
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 oz (225 g) breakfast sausage (pork or turkey), uncooked, crumbled; 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour; 1½ tsp (7 g) baking powder; ¾ tsp (4 g) kosher salt; ¼ tsp (1.3 ml) freshly ground black pepper; 1½ cups (170 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded; 4 medium stalks (40 g) green onions (scallions), thinly sliced, white and light green parts; 2 whole (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature; 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk; 4 tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter, melted

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A savory quick bread studded with crispy breakfast sausage, sharp cheddar cheese, and fresh green onions. This tender loaf is perfect sliced warm from the oven with butter, or cooled and toasted for breakfast, brunch, or lunch. The combination of eggs and buttermilk creates a moist crumb, while the sausage and cheese add savory depth.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 50 min
Wait: 15 min
Total: 1 hr 20 min
Makes: 1 loaf (10–12 slices)

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Steps

Before you start

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line or grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
Cook and crumble the sausage ahead so it cools slightly before mixing into the batter.
Have all ingredients at room temperature for even mixing.

1
Cook the sausage
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the crumbled breakfast sausage and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fully cooked and lightly browned, reaching an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to cool for 2–3 minutes, then break into bite-sized pieces if needed.
- The sausage should be crispy but not hard; you'll have about 6 ounces (170 g) of cooked meat.
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Ready when: Sausage is no longer pink, edges are light brown, internal temperature is 165°F (74°C)
Tip: Don't skip cooling—hot sausage will make the eggs scramble prematurely when mixed in.
2
Combine dry ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Make sure there are no lumps of baking powder; it should be evenly distributed through the flour.
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Ready when: Dry ingredients are evenly mixed and no lumps remain
3
Mix wet ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter until fully combined.
- The mixture should be smooth with no visible streaks of butter.
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Ready when: Eggs, buttermilk, and butter are fully combined and homogeneous
4
Combine wet and dry
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold together with a wooden spoon until just combined.
- The batter should be thick and slightly lumpy—do not overmix.
- A few streaks of flour are fine; overmixing will make the bread tough.
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Ready when: Wet and dry ingredients are loosely combined with small lumps remaining
Tip: Resist the urge to beat the batter smooth—lumpy batter means tender bread.
5
Fold in sausage, cheese, and onions
- Gently fold the cooled cooked sausage, shredded cheddar cheese, and green onions into the batter using a wooden spoon.
- Mix until evenly distributed; the sausage and cheese should be scattered throughout without any large pockets.
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Ready when: Sausage, cheese, and green onions are evenly distributed throughout the batter
6
Transfer to pan and bakeOven 350°F / 175°C
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Smooth the top with a spatula.
- Place in the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven and bake for 48–52 minutes, until a toothpick or instant-read thermometer inserted into the center comes out clean or reads 190–200°F (87–93°C).
- The top should be golden brown and spring back when lightly touched.
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Ready when: Top is golden brown, toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, internal temperature is 190–200°F
Tip: If the top browns too quickly (after 35 minutes), loosely tent with foil to prevent overbaking the exterior.
7
Cool in pan and turn out
- Remove the loaf from the oven and let it rest in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Run a thin knife around the edges to loosen it, then turn it out onto a wire rack.
- Let it cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
- The bread will continue to cook slightly as it cools.
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Ready when: Bread is loose in the pan and can be turned out; internal crumb has set
Tip: Don't skip the cooling step—cutting into a warm bread will compress the crumb.

Good to know

Tips

For extra flavor, add ½ tsp smoked paprika or a pinch of cayenne pepper to the dry ingredients if you like a hint of heat.
Don't skip cooking the sausage separately—raw sausage won't cook through properly during the 50-minute bake and will release too much fat.
Use a kitchen scale if possible for the shredded cheese and green onions; it ensures consistent moisture and flavor in every loaf.
Slice the cooled loaf with a serrated bread knife using a gentle sawing motion to avoid compressing the crumb.

Make ahead

You can prepare the batter up to 4 hours ahead. Cover it and refrigerate, then bake as directed, adding 2–3 minutes to the baking time if baking from cold.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: wrap cooled loaf in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Refrigerator: wrap and store for up to 4 days. Freezer: wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil; freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat: thaw at room temperature, then warm individual slices in a toaster or toaster oven at 325°F (160°C) for 3–4 minutes.

Substitutions

breakfast sausage (pork or turkey), uncooked → 8 oz (225 g) cooked bacon, crumbled, or 8 oz (225 g) diced ham. Both will provide similar savory texture and flavor. Reduce salt by ¼ tsp if using ham, as it is already seasoned.
sharp cheddar cheese → 1.5 cups (170 g) shredded Gruyère, Emmental, or smoked Gouda. These cheeses add different savory notes—Gruyère is nuttier, smoked Gouda adds depth. They all melt and distribute evenly.
green onions (scallions) → ¼ cup (25 g) fresh chives or 2 tbsp (8 g) dried chives. Chives provide a milder onion flavor. If using dried, reduce to 2 tbsp and hydrate in the buttermilk for 5 minutes first.
buttermilk → 1 cup (240 ml) Greek yogurt mixed with 2 tbsp (30 ml) milk, or 1 cup (240 ml) milk mixed with 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice. Both create similar acidity and moisture. Let the milk-lemon juice mixture sit for 5 minutes before using.