Ricotta Chive bread is a savory, flavorful bread with beautiful crumb. It tastes great toasted with some butter and makes excellent grilled cheese sandwich.

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Here's a deliciously savory yeast bread made with chives and ricotta cheese. It is a great sandwich bread or can be eaten just toasted with some butter or cream cheese.
When we lived in NJ, I had a small raised bed garden where I planted chives. They grew really well in summer even with very little care. I had an abundance of chives and I had to look for recipes to use them up.
I started making this ricotta chive bread and the whole family is now officially hooked to it. It has a subtle onion flavor and the texture is soft with a beautiful crumb. It is the perfect recipe to use up those fresh chives from the garden.
Ingredients
The main ingredients for this recipe are ricotta cheese and chives.
You can use either whole milk or part-skim variety. Both of them will work well.
I have tried this recipe with both regular and Asian chives and both work beautifully.
The main difference between the two is that the ones we get in US have an onion flavor. Whereas Asian variety have garlic flavor. Here is a comparison of garlic vs regular chives by the spruce eats. Also wild leeks or scallions would be great alternatives.
You need Bread flour. I add white whole-wheat flour to bump up the fiber and nutrition.
Other ingredients you need are instant yeast, sugar, salt.
Instructions
- Combine flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of the stand mixer. Whisk well to combine.
- Add ricotta cheese, chopped chives and lukewarm water.
- Mix and knead until a soft and slightly sticky dough forms.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and allow to let rise until the dough is doubled in volume.
- Lightly grease a 81/2"x41/2" loaf pan (affiliate link).
- Gently deflate the dough and form into a 9" long loaf. Pinch the seam.
- Place the log seam side down in the prepared pan. Press lightly to spread it evenly in the pan.
- Cover with a greased plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes or until the dough crests 1" over the rim of the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the bread for 35~40 minutes or the top of the bread is golden and the internal temperature when a instant read thermometer is inserted in the center reads 190°F.
- Remove from the oven and from the pan. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Taste Test
This is a delicious bread with a beautiful crumb. The addition of ricotta cheese makes it super soft and the chives make it very flavorful.
Have it toasted with some butter or with more ricotta cheese on top. It makes excellent grilled cheese sandwich and makes great base for sandwiches.
You can also make avocado breakfast sandwich or an open face egg sandwich with the bread.
Leftovers
Wrap any leftover bread well with plastic wrap and store in a ziploc bag at room temperature for 3~4 days. Place them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Tips
- If you have abundant fresh chives, then chop them up and freeze in ziplock bag for later use. Thaw and use them in this recipe.
- Scallions, wild leeks, garlic scapes are great alternatives to use.
- Ricotta cheese can be substituted with cottage cheese.
- This bread can also be made in a bread machine. Just program the machine for basic bread, light crust.
- You can also use a 9"x5" loaf pan, in which case the dough won't crest 1" above the rim. Bake for 30~35 minutes instead.
- Wrap any leftover chive bread well with plastic wrap and store in a ziploc bag at room temperature for 3~4 days. Or place them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Out of fresh chives? Then use ¼ ~ ½ cup of dried chives instead.
- Don't like onion or garlic flavor - make the same recipe with fresh chopped herbs. Fresh rosemary, oregano etc.
More Yeast Breads to try
Ricotta Chive Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups Bread flour*
- 1 tablespoons Sugar
- 1½ teaspoons Salt
- 2½ teaspoons Instant Yeast
- 1 cup Lukewarm Water
- ⅓ cup Ricotta cheese (whole or part-skim)
- 1 cup Chives, chopped
Instructions
- Combine the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of the stand mixer. Whisk well to combine.
- Add ricotta cheese, chopped chives and water. Mix well.
- If the dough seems dry, add 1 tablespoon water at a time until the dough comes together. Mix and knead until a soft and slightly sticky dough forms, about 6 minutes on a stand mixer and 8 minutes with hand.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the dough is doubled in volume.
- Lightly grease a 8½"x 4½" loaf pan.
- Gently deflate the dough and form into a log. Pinch the seam together.
- Place the log in the prepared pan, seam side down. Cover with a greased plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes or until the dough crests 1" over the rim of the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the bread for 35~40 minutes or the top of the bread is golden and the internal temperature when a instant read thermometer is inserted in the center reads 190°F.
- Remove from the oven and from the pan. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
- If you have abundant fresh chives, then chop them up and freeze in ziplock bag for later use. Thaw and use them in this recipe.
- Scallions, wild leeks, garlic scapes are great alternatives to use.
- Ricotta cheese can be substituted with cottage cheese.
- This bread can also be made in a bread machine. Just program the machine for basic bread, light crust.
- You can add whole-wheat flour along with all-purpose flour. I add 1 cup wwf and 2 cups apf in this recipe.
- You can also use a 9"x5" loaf pan, in which case the dough won't crest 1" above the rim. Bake for 30~35 minutes instead.
- Wrap any leftover bread well with plastic wrap and store in a ziploc bag at room temperature for 3~4 days. Or place them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Out of fresh chives? Then use ¼ ~ ½ cup of dried chives instead.
- Don't like onion or garlic flavor - make the same recipe with fresh chopped herbs. Fresh rosemary, oregano etc.
Priya Suresh
Am sure this bread makes an excellent sandwich, ricotta and chive in bread, wow am in love already with this bread. Cant wait to give a try.
Usha
Bread looks amazing! It has a nice crumb and a lovely texture. Chives must have been a nice addition to bread.
Priya
Must be one flavorful loaf!! Looks delicious!!
sapna
That is one beautiful loaf. Looks very inviting.
Srivalli
Love the crumbs and how inviting this breaf loaf looks Pavani...wish I could bake as you make it sound so easy!
Kushigalu
Love the flavor combination in the bread recipe. Can't wait to try this out. Yum!!
Beth
This looks so delicious! I can't wait to make this!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
That bread looks amazing and perfect for customising with different herbs!
Marie-Charlotte Chatelain
This would make for an amazing sandwich bread! LOVE the addition of ricotta cheese !
Toni
It was so good and easy to make!! So yummy!
dorothy heldt
Can I make this in a bread machine? Have not tried the recipe but wld. like to.
cookshideout
Hi Dorothy, I have not made it myself in the bread machine, but I think you can definitely use it. I would suggest to check the consistency of the dough once it comes together just to see if it needs any more water or flour. Please let me know how it turned out. Thank you.