Easy Braai Bread (Oven-Baked)

A Sunday braai is more than a meal in South Africa — it’s a ritual. Family and friends gather around the fire, the smell of smoke drifts through the yard, and conversation flows as easily as the drinks. But no braai table is complete without a warm, cheesy loaf of braai bread sitting proudly in the middle of it all.

This particular bread doesn’t even need the fire — it bakes beautifully in a regular oven, which means you can enjoy that classic braai-bread flavour any day of the week, not just when the coals are glowing. If you want to really impress your guests, set out a spread of jam and cheese alongside it; the combination of warm bread, melted cheese, and a touch of sweetness is hard to beat.

Most of us know the simple joy of tearing into warm bread and watching butter melt into every crevice. This recipe delivers exactly that, with minimal fuss. It’s endlessly adaptable too — sprinkle the top with whatever you like before baking, whether that’s seeds, herbs, or a scattering of coarse salt. Give it a try; it won’t disappoint.

Ingredients

• 2 cups nutty wheat
• 2 cups baking flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 500g cheese, cut into small cubes
• 500ml buttermilk

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Sift flour, salt, and baking soda together; stir in nutty wheat.
3. Mix in buttermilk and cheese until a cohesive dough forms.
4. Spoon into a loaf tin, top with seeds or Maldon salt.
5. Bake for 1 hour until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
6. Serve warm with butter.

Cheesy Buttermilk Braai Bread

Irene Muller

Warm, cheesy, buttermilk braai bread that brings the taste of a Sunday braai to your kitchen any day of the week.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, lunch

Cuisine South African

Servings 6

Equipment

• Small Loaf Tin

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups nutty wheat
• 2 cups baking flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 500g cheese cut into cubes
• 500ml buttermilk

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  
• Sift the flour and salt together in a mixing bowl with the baking soda, then stir in the nutty wheat.
• Add the buttermilk and cheese, mixing until all the flour is moistened and the dough forms a cohesive mass. Add a splash of water if the dough feels too dry.
• Transfer the dough to the loaf tin. Sprinkle with seeds and Maldon salt if desired.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown.
• Test with a skewer — if it comes out clean, the bread is ready.
• Serve warm, with plenty of butter.

Keyword Buttermilk, Cheese, Nutty Wheat