Cabbage Loaf

Name: British Cabbage Loaf
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 8 slices
Cuisine: United Kingdom
Ingredients: 450 g (1 lb) plain flour; 7 g (2¼ tsp) dried yeast; 5 g (1 tsp) fine salt; 15 g (1 tbsp) caster sugar; 240 ml (1 cup) whole milk, lukewarm; 40 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted; 300 g (10½ oz) white cabbage; 20 g (1½ tbsp) demerara sugar; 15 ml (1 tbsp) vegetable oil

★ 4.2

Last updated Aug 13, 2026 · Reviewed by the WhatWhereVacay editorial team

Cabbage Loaf counts among the traditional food of the United Kingdom, a bread locals hold dear.

About Cabbage Loaf

Cabbage Loaf counts among the traditional food of the United Kingdom, a bread locals hold dear. It is typically made with milk, cabbage and sugar.

🏛️ History & Culture

Cabbage Loaf is a traditional British bread, but its precise origins are not well documented, and the dish is less widely known than other regional breads. It is generally understood to have emerged in rural communities where cabbage was a staple crop, likely as a way to incorporate vegetables into the daily loaf. The inclusion of milk and sugar suggests a mildly sweet, moist crumb, though the exact historical development remains unclear.

Regional variations across the UK may adjust the ratio of cabbage to dough or add spices like nutmeg or caraway, but the core identity stays consistent. Culturally, it represents a resourceful use of local ingredients, often served warm with butter or as an accompaniment to hearty meals. Its significance lies in preserving a homely, seasonal baking tradition, even as modern recipes have made it a nostalgic specialty rather than an everyday staple.

🍳 How to make Cabbage Loaf

AI-assisted, not kitchen-tested

British Cabbage Loaf

A traditional British savoury-sweet bread loaf made with shredded cabbage and a touch of sugar. It has a tender crumb and is best served warm with butter.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 50 min
Total: 75 min
Serves: 8 slices
Difficulty: Easy

Recipe ingredients

450 g (1 lb) plain flour, all-purpose
7 g (2¼ tsp) dried yeast, one standard sachet
5 g (1 tsp) fine salt
15 g (1 tbsp) caster sugar
240 ml (1 cup) whole milk, lukewarm, about 38°C / 100°F
40 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
300 g (10½ oz) white cabbage, finely shredded, core removed
20 g (1½ tbsp) demerara sugar, sprinkled over the top
15 ml (1 tbsp) vegetable oil, for greasing the tin

Steps

1 Activate the yeast: stir the yeast and caster sugar into the lukewarm milk and leave for 8–10 minutes until foamy. If the mixture does not foam, the yeast is dead and the milk should be discarded and the process restarted.
2 Meanwhile, lightly wilt the shredded cabbage: place it in a dry pan over medium heat with a pinch of salt, stir for 3–4 minutes until just softened but still bright and not browned. Cool to room temperature and squeeze out excess moisture in a clean tea towel.
3 In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Pour in the activated milk, the melted butter and the cooled cabbage. Stir to a shaggy dough, then turn out and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
4 Shape into a tight oval, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until roughly doubled in size.
5 Grease a 900 g / 2 lb loaf tin. Knock back the dough, shape into a loaf to fit the tin and place seam-side down. Cover and prove a second time for 35–45 minutes until the dough sits about 2 cm / ¾ inch above the rim.
6 Heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F (fan 170°C / 340°F). Brush the top lightly with water and scatter over the demerara sugar.
7 Bake on the middle shelf for 45–50 minutes. The loaf is done when it is deeply golden and the internal temperature reads at least 95°C / 205°F on a probe thermometer; the base should sound hollow when tapped.
8 Turn out onto a wire rack and cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Serve warm, generously buttered.

Report an issue with this recipe

🧺 Key ingredients

milk
cabbage
sugar

🍴 Where to eat it

On chilly autumn evenings, locals slice it thick, toast it over the hearth, and slather it with salted butter before a cup of strong tea.

Find Cabbage Loaf restaurants on Google Maps

🍽️ Do you serve this?

Own or manage a restaurant that serves Cabbage Loaf? List it for free.

Do you serve this in your restaurant?

Planning a trip to United Kingdom?

Find places to stay and ways to get there.

→ Hotels & stays → Find flights → Travel guides

Recipes from travellers

No one has shared their own Cabbage Loaf recipe yet. Yours would be the first.

Share how you make Cabbage Loaf

You'll need to be signed in with Google or Facebook so your name can appear on it. Recipes go through an automatic food-safety check before they publish.

Title

Short intro (optional)

Prep (min)

Cook (min)

Serves

Difficulty

Ingredients

Steps

✅ Before you go to United Kingdom

Round out your trip — most travellers book these alongside their trip.

Toad in the Hole

Sausages baked into a puffed Yorkshire batter.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom · 📍 Nationwide

Meat & Grills ★ 4.5

Beef Wellington

Beef fillet wrapped in mushroom, pâté and puff pastry.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom · 📍 Nationwide

Desserts & Sweets ★ 4.4

Yellowman

Yellowman is a confectionery from the United Kingdom.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Cheese & Dairy ★ 4.6

Montgomery's Cheddar

Traditional clothbound farmhouse cheddar from Somerset, made by the Montgomery family at Castle Cary and aged at least a year on wooden shelves — savoury, dense, and slightly crystalline.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom · 📍 Somerset (southwest England, around Castle Cary and Bruton)