Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread
Savory and slightly sweet, this Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread is a favorite copycat recipe that you can easily make and enjoy at home!
A TASTY COPYCAT BREAD RECIPE
I’m a huge fan of the Cheesecake Factory, unfortunately we don’t have one anywhere near us. My favorite there is the brown bread so I worked with a few recipes to be able make it at home now. With easy to find ingredients, this recipe is quick to put together. The hardest part is waiting for it to be done! This copycat recipe will be one you will want to make over and over. It also tastes pretty similar to the one at Outback Steakhouse – just not as much molasses. So if you are craving a tasty and easy homemade bread, then you need to make this Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Brown bread is made with whole wheat flour. It is made brown because of molasses as well as the cocoa powder and instant coffee.
Unsulphured molasses is made with matured sugar cane. It’s concentrated and gives you that dark color. Sulphured molasses is made from young sugarcane. Therefore, sulfur dioxide is added to that young sugar cane to preserve it as it goes through the concentration process. For most recipes, you will always be using unsulphured and that is the kind that is most often found in grocery stores.
You can easily order a baguette pan for cheap off of Amazon but you can just place your loaves on sheet pans lined with parchment paper. They will have a slightly different shape, but still taste the same!
This is more or less for bringing out and enhancing the flavor of the bread. You do not really taste these at all in the bread itself so you do not have to worry about it. But to taste more authentic, you do need to include these.
Bread flour is what is going to get you the best bread texture. It has more protein so it produces more gluten which gives you that perfect bread texture and gives the bread its tighter structure. However, you can certainly substitute with all-purpose flour here. It will just come out with slightly different but will still taste good.
This can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature where it will keep for up to 4-5 days. This can also be frozen, place cooled bread loaves in plastic wrap and then in a large freezer bag. These will keep frozen for up to 3 months. To defrost place in refrigerator overnight then you can place on your countertop to bring to room temperature.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- warm water
- active dry yeast
- granulated sugar
- whole wheat flour
- cocoa powder
- instant coffee powder
- salt
- honey
- molasses
- salted butter
- bread flour
- cooking spray
- cornmeal or rolled oats
HOW TO MAKE CHEESECAKE FACTORY BROWN BREAD:
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the hook attachment, add the warm water, yeast, and sugar, stir a few times to combine. Let sit for 5 minutes until bubbly. While waiting, in a medium-sized bowl stir together the flour, cocoa powder, coffee powder, salt and set aside. Once the yeast is bubbly, add the honey, molasses, and melted butter, stir to combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir it in, scrape down the sides as needed. Add 2 ½ cups of the bread flour and stir it in until combined. At low speed continue to add bread flour a little at a time until the dough comes off the sides of the mixer, if it is still sticking some to the very bottom of the mixer that’s okay. (How much bread flour you use depends on how humid it is out that day.) Turn the speed up to medium-high and knead the dough for 6-7 minutes. If you see the dough start to stick to the sides again, add a Tablespoon of the bread flour at a time until it is clean again. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Add the dough and spray the top of the dough with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it double in size, about 45-90 minutes.
Punch down the dough in the bowl. On a lightly floured clean work surface divide the dough into 4ths.
Using your hands, roll them out into long logs. Place them into the sections of a baguette pan. Spray the tops of the loaves with more cooking spray and sprinkle with the cornmeal or rolled oats. Slightly press it in so it sticks. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel again and let proof for 30 minutes, they should almost double in size again. While proofing, preheat the oven to 375°F. Score your bread 4-5 times and place the baguette pan directly into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Bake until the outside of the bread is no longer shiny and is crusty looking.
You can check the temperature the bread, if it has reached an internal temperature of 200-210°F it’s done.
Let cool slightly, cut and serve!
WANT MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES?
Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups warm water 105-110°F
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 cups whole wheat flour
- 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup molasses
- ¼ cup salted butter melted and cooled
- 3-4 cups bread flour
- cooking spray
- cornmeal or rolled oats, for tops
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the hook attachment, add the warm water, yeast, and sugar, stir a few times to combine. Let sit for 5 minutes until bubbly.
- While waiting, in a medium-sized bowl stir together the whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, coffee powder, salt and set aside.
- Once the yeast is bubbly, add the honey, molasses, and melted butter, stir to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet, stir to combine. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add 2 ½ cups of the bread flour and stir it in until combined.
- At low speed continue to add bread flour a little at a time until the dough comes off the sides of the mixer, if it is still sticking some to the very bottom of the mixer that’s okay.
- Turn the speed up to medium-high and knead the dough for 6-7 minutes. If you see the dough start to stick to the sides again, add a tablespoon of the bread flour at a time until it is clean again.
- Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Add the dough and spray the top of the dough with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it double in size, about 45-90 minutes.
- Punch down the dough in the bowl. On a lightly floured clean work surface divide the dough into 4ths.
- Using your hands, roll them out into long logs. Place them into the sections of a baguette pan. (See notes below if you don't have a baguette pan).
- Spray the tops of the loaves with more cooking spray and sprinkle with the cornmeal or rolled oats. Slightly press it in so it sticks. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel again and let proof for 30 minutes, they should almost double in size again.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Score your bread 4-5 times and place the baguette pan directly into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Bake until the outside of the bread is no longer shiny and is crusty looking.
- You can take the temperature of the bread, if it has reached an internal temperature of 200-210°F it’s done. Let cool slightly, cut and serve!
Video
Notes
- These can be frozen, see my tips above.
- Cornmeal or oats can be used, it is your preference.
- Make sure your water is between 105-110 degrees F for the yeast to proof.
- You do not have to have a baguette pan, you can place these on a parchment lined baking sheet and shape them with your hands.
- You do not need a stand mixer for this although it makes it easier. You will just have to knead the dough by hand instead of using the dough attachment on a mixer.
- Sometimes if it is very humid in a house, you will need a little more bread flour so keep this in mind.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
I’m leaving this a 5 star b/c I’m always trying bread recipes and have equal fails and successes and this was a success while being super easy. I also pay exorbitant prices for Cheesecake Factory bread at the local grocery store. My only tweak will be to add some salt. I think it needs salt added to the bread. not sure if it will affect the baking. I will see. I thought the salted butter would be enough but its not really enough for my taste.
Can plain white flour be used instead of bread flour?
You can but it will come out more dense and chewy 🙂
Can this be made in a bread maker?
I don’t have a bread maker so I haven’t tried. If you give it a go, let me know how it turns out for you!