When you go to the Cheesecake Factory® you always get served two kinds of bread to start. One is a white bread which, while tasty, you can get anywhere. The other… the other is just plain special. You know the one, the dark, invitingly sweet and tender roll just crying out for a little butter. How do they make this wondrous loaf of goodness? Here’s how! Copycat Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread takes a few hours to make, but it guarantees you’ll have as much of that deliciously tantalizing appetizer as you want! You could even make sandwiches out of Copycat Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread; the possibilities are truly endless!
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups warm water
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 (.25-ounce) packet active dry yeast
- 2 1/4 cups bread flour, or to taste
- 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour, or to taste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- semolina flour or cornmeal, to taste, for the bottom of the pan
- oil, to taste
- old-fashioned oats, to taste, for topping
Directions
Step 1 –In a bowl, mix the warm water, the honey, the molasses, and the brown sugar together.
Step 2 –Sprinkle the yeast on top of the sugar mixture and let it sit until it is foamy, about 5 minutes.
Step 3 –In a second, large bowl, mix 2 cups of the bread flour, 1 cup of the whole wheat flour, the cocoa powder, and the salt together.
Step 4 –Add the yeast mixture and the melted butter to the flour mixture and mix until a dough forms, adding more of the bread flour and the whole wheat flour as needed until the dough is elastic, not dry, and only very slightly sticky.
Step 5 –Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes. If using the dough hook attachment of a stand mixer, mix for 6-8 minutes. The dough should be smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky when ready.
Step 6 –Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, sprinkling the paper with the semolina flour.
Step 7 –Lightly oil a clean bowl and add the dough.
Step 8 –Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 1-2 hours.
Step 9 –Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
Step 10 –Use a knife or bench scraper to cut the dough into 4 equal pieces.
Step 11 –Form each dough piece into a 7-8-inch-long loaf.
Step 12 –Spread the loaves out onto the prepared sheet, leaving some space in between.
Step 13 –Top the loaves with the oats.
Step 14 –Cover the loaves loosely with plastic wrap and let them rise until the dough puffs up, about 30-40 minutes.
Step 15 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 16 –Uncover the loaves and bake, rotating the pan once, until they are cooked through, about 30-35 minutes.
Step 17 –Let the bread cool.