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Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread – make this restaurant favorite bread at home! An easy recipe for a whole wheat, slightly sweet, savory and delicious bread.
If you have ever been to Cheesecake Factory you know just how good the bread they serve is. It has a hint of sweetness, a almost nutty-ness, and when you slather on the butter it is just heavenly! Well, now you can make it at home!
Along with Chicken Madeira and Cookie Dough Cheesecake, you can have a complete restaurant meal without having to leave your house!
What Is Brown Bread
It really is a wheat bread that is a darker brown color because of the molasses, cocoa powder and espresso powder that is in the recipe. It has a hint of sweetness to it, but is not a sweet bread.
What You’ll Need
- Warm Water (110-115º F)
- Sugar
- Yeast
- Bread Flour
- Whole Wheat Flour
- Cocoa Powder
- Espresso Powder
- Salt
- Butter
- Honey
- Molasses
- Cornmeal
- Old-Fashioned Oats
How To Make Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread
- Mix together warm water, sugar, and yeast and let it rest for 10 minutes. It will bloom and foam up.
- Whisk together bread flour, whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt.
- Pour in yeast mixture, butter, honey, and molasses and mix until it forms a rough and tacky dough.
- Turn onto a well floured surface or use the dough hook on your stand mixer to knead the dough for 8-10 minutes. Add additional flour if the dough is too stickly.
- Once the dough is soft and smooth, place in a well oiled bowl, cover and let rise for 60-90 minutes, until it doubles in size.
- Punch down the dough, and divide into 4 equal portions.
- Roll each portion of dough into about a 8 inch log.
- Place a towel on a large baking sheet, dust with cornmeal. Put one log of dough on the edge, touching the lip of the baking tray. Pull up the towel to make a little wall next to the dough, repeat with the rest of the dough. If you have a baguette pan, place the dough in your baguette pan.
- Lightly spray the tops of the dough with non-stick spray and sprinkle oats over the top. Cover and let rest for 30-40 minutes until it almost doubles.
- Score the tops of the loaves with a sharp knife and bake for 35-40 minutes. You want an internal temperature of 195º F to know that it is fully cooked. It will also sound hollow when you knock on it.
- Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing to serve.
What If I Don’t Have A Baguette Pan
Don’t worry! They are relatively cheap on Amazon if you want to order one, but they are definitely not necessary. I don’t have one, and I think my bread turns out great! It may not be perfectly shaped, but it still tastes great. I just use a tea towel on a baking sheet. Place one loaf down, pull some of the towel, so it forms a little wall next to the loaf, place down the next and repeat. You can use more than one towel if necessary, but this will help guide the bread in the correct shape to rise and bake.
Can I Use All-Purpose Flour
The recipe does call for bread flour, because it helps give the bread its texture and crumb. It contains a higher protein level, so when you knead the dough it produces more gluten and gives it the structure. That being said, all-purpose will work if that is all you have. It just might be a softer, slightly different bread. But in my family our motto is any fresh bread is better than no fresh bread.
How To Store Fresh Bread
You will want to store the bread in an airtight container, and it will last for 4-5 days. You can buy Bread Bags that are reusable on Amazon to store this bread and any other bread you make in. They work great and keep the bread fresh. But if you don’t have them, you can use foil, plastic wrap or even storage containers.
And I Freeze Brown Bread
Absolutely! Bread freezes really well. After the bread has cooled completely wrap in plastic wrap and palce in a freezer safe storage bag. It will freezer for 3-4 months. Let it thaw on the counter before serving. You can place the thawed loaf in the oven for 10-15 minutes if you want it served warm.
Tips For Baking With Yeast
- Pay attention to the temperature of you liquid. You need the water or milk to be warm, but not really hot. If there is a temperature listed in the recipe, actually measure the temp of your water to make sure it is accurate. If the water is too hot you will kill the yeast and it will not rise. If the water is too cold the yeast will not grow and your bread will not rise.
- Use good yeast. You want to make sure your yeast is not expired and is stored in the proper conditions. Storing it in the fridge is the best bet. If the yeast is expired, toss it and get new stuff. Yeast it was makes your bread rise, so it is important to make sure it is fresh.
- Knead your dough. You can use an electric mixer with a dough hook or your hands, but make sure you follow the recipe. If it says knead for 10 minutes, watch the clock and knead for 10 minutes. When I first started making bread I just estimated and had a lot of failures.
- Let your bread rise. Yeast likes to feed on the sugar and rise in a slightly warm dark place. If it is winter and your house is cold, place your bowl of dough near a heat vent. If you have a bread proof setting on your oven, use it.
More Delicious Bread Recipes
- French Bread Rolls
- Texas Roadhouse Rolls
- Olive Garden Breadsticks
- Parmesan Garlic Knots
- Potato Bread
- Honey Oat Bread
- Classic Oatmeal Bread
- English Muffins
Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups warm water, 110-115º F
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 packet
- 3 1/2 cups bread flour
- 3 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa pwoder
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup cornmeal, for dusting
- 1/4 cup old fashioned oats, for topping
Instructions
- Mix together warm water, sugar, and yeast and let it rest for 10 minutes. It will bloom and foam up.
- Whisk together bread flour, whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt.
- Pour in yeast mixture, butter, honey, and molasses and mix until it forms a rough and tacky dough.
- Turn onto a well floured surface or use the dough hook on your stand mixer to knead the dough for 8-10 minutes. Add additional flour if the dough is too sticky.
- Once the dough is soft and smooth, place in a well oiled bowl, cover and let rise for 60-90 minutes, until it doubles in size.
- Punch down the dough, and divide into 4 equal portions.
- Roll each portion of dough into about a 8 inch log.
- Place a towel on a large baking sheet, dust with cornmeal. Put one log of dough on the edge, touching the lip of the baking tray. Pull up the towel to make a little wall next to the dough, repeat with the rest of the dough. If you have a baguette pan, place the dough in your baguette pan.
- Lightly spray the tops of the dough with non-stick spray and sprinkle oats over the top. Cover and let rest for 30-40 minutes until it almost doubles.
- Preheat oven to 375º F.
- Score the tops of the loaves with a sharp knife and bake for 35-40 minutes. You want an internal temperature of 195º F to know that it is fully cooked. It will also sound hollow when you knock on it.
- Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing to serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I can’t wait to make this. One of my favorite things at Cheesecake Factory is their brown bread.
Ohh! These looks tempting! I’ll gonna try these as soon as possible!
What if I don’t have espresso powder? I don’t know that I’ve ever seen it in the stores near me.
It is most grocery stores, it comes in a small little container – so I think you should be able to find it. Will the bread bake up like bread without it? Absolutely. But it will not have as dark of color or the rich brown bread taste. You could try instant coffee in its place. It really enhances the flavor, so you ideally don’t want to leave it out.
My favorite bread and I can make it at home! Thanks for the recipe!