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Bacon, Egg & Cheese Bread Boat

Bacon, Egg & Cheese Bread Boat

A crisp sourdough loaf filled with smoky bacon, soft-set eggs and mature cheddar, baked until golden for a generous breakfast or relaxed brunch centrepiece to share.

35 mins total for first methodServes 4Oven
Ingredients ↓Method ↓

Ingredients

Method

10 mins prep25 mins cook35 mins total

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C, 170°C fan, or Gas 5. Place the loaf cut-side up on a baking tray and carefully remove some of the soft bread from the centre, leaving a sturdy base and thick sides.

  2. Warm the butter or oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and fry for 5–7 minutes, until browned and beginning to crisp.

  3. Scatter the cooked bacon and about two-thirds of the cheese into the hollowed loaf.

  4. Beat the eggs with the milk, mixed herbs if using, and plenty of black pepper. Pour the mixture slowly into the loaf so it settles around the bacon, then finish with the remaining cheese.

  5. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the egg is set in the centre, the cheese is golden and the bread is crisp. If the edges brown too quickly, cover them loosely with foil.

  6. Leave the bread boat to rest for 5 minutes, then cut into thick slices and serve.

Notes

Slightly stale bread is ideal because it absorbs the egg mixture without becoming too soft.

Add chopped spring onions, mushrooms, peppers or cooked sausage to the filling.

For extra flavour, spread a thin layer of mustard or tomato relish inside the loaf before adding the bacon and cheese.

About this recipe

This bacon, egg and cheese bread boat makes a generous breakfast or brunch centrepiece from a crusty loaf, smoky bacon, softly set eggs and mature cheddar. The bread is hollowed just enough to hold the filling while keeping its shape, so each slice has crisp edges, a tender egg centre and plenty of savoury cheese.

Cooking the bacon first gives it a lightly crisp texture and lets its flavour carry through the egg mixture. Slightly stale bread is useful here because it absorbs the seasoned egg without turning soggy. Bake until the centre is just set and the cheese has taken on a golden colour, then rest the loaf briefly so it cuts neatly into thick slices.

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