Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread (Copycat Recipe)
Copycat Cheesecake Factory brown bread is soft, slightly sweet homemade bread with the same signature color, texture and taste as the restaurant favorite. This bread recipe gives you warm, honey-sweetened bread loaves at home so you can enjoy them alongside dinner or anytime you can’t stop thinking about that bread basket.
If you’ve ever been to The Cheesecake Factory, you probably know that the loaves of brown bread in the basket they bring to the table is almost impossible to stop eating.
It’s soft and slightly chewy with just the right amount of sweetness.
What if I told you you could make it right at home with some pretty basic ingredients and it would taste just like the restaurant version’s?
Would you eat it all the time?
It’s time to find out with this copycat Cheesecake Factory brown bread!
This bread tastes just like the restaurant’s and now you don’t have to wait to enjoy it!
Serve slices alongside pasta, soup, salad, or your favorite copycat Cheesecake Factory recipes to have a restaurant experience at home.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Milk– It should be warm but not hot.
- Yeast– 1 packet of active dry yeast.
- Flour– Both bread flour and whole wheat flour. Do not substitute all purpose flour for either.
- Butter
- Molasses and Honey– Both for flavor and to activate the yeast more.
- Sugar– Brown
- Cocoa Powder and Espresso Powder– For the signature color, and no it won’t make it taste like chocolate or coffee.
- Cornmeal– To dip the bottom of the loaves in.
- Rolled Oats– Optional for topping.
How to Make
Copycat Cheesecake Factory brown bread is easy enough to make even if you don’t have much experience baking with yeast.
Start by whisking together the warm milk and active dry yeast in the bowl of the stand mixer.
Let it sit for 5-10 minutes or until the yeast rises to the top and gets a little frothy.
Add the bread flour, whole wheat flour, butter, molasses, honey, brown sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder to the bowl.
Attach the dough hook to the stand mixer and turn it on.
Let the mixer mix until the dough forms and then keep going for another 3-5 minutes to knead the dough.
Once the dough is smooth and elastic, turn the mixer off and cover the dough.
Let the dough rise until it’s doubled in size or about 1 hour.
Punch down the dough and divide it into 4 equal portions.
Roll each portion into a log shape, dip the bottom in cornmeal, and put it onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with rolled oats
Cover the bread loosely with a clean towel and let it rise again for about 30 minutes while the oven preheats to 375° F.
Bake the bread in the preheated oven 23-26 minutes or until puffed and cooked through.
Let the bread cool.
Then slice and serve it with butter.
Enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Store leftover loaves tightly wrapped in foil and then placed in a ziplocking airtight bag.
Keep it on the counter for about 2 days and warm it in the oven before serving again to freshen it up.
Tips and Tricks
- You want the milk to be around 105° degrees. Below 85° and the yeast won’t activate. Above 125° to 130° the yeast will die. It should feel warm but not hot on the inside of your wrist, sort of like a baby’s bath would feel.
- If the yeast doesn’t bubble or rise to the top after 10 minutes, start again. If the yeast isn’t active or has died the bread won’t rise.
- You’ll know the dough is ready when it is stretchy and pulls away from the sides of the mixer.
- You can overproof the dough. If you need to slow the proofing down, you can put it in the refrigerator during the first rise and let it sit, covered, for up to a day. When you are ready to make it, pull the dough out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about an hour before you shape it and let it rise again.
Other Copycat Cheesecake Factory Recipes
Copycat Cheesecake Factory brown bread is a delicious dupe of the restaurant classic.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other Copycat Cheesecake Factory recipes?
Try these:
If you’ve tried this COPYCAT CHEESECAKE FACTORY BROWN BREAD, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Cheesecake Factory’s Brown Bread (Copycat Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups warm milk
- 1 .25 oz packet active dry yeast
- 2 ½ cups bread flour
- 1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder
- 2 tablespoons cornmeal
- Rolled oats to top (optional)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the warm milk and active dry yeast, allow to sit for 5-10 minutes or until the yeast rises to the top.1 ½ cups warm milk, 1 .25 oz packet active dry yeast
- Add the bread flour, whole wheat flour, butter, molasses, honey, brown sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder to the bowl.2 ½ cups bread flour, 1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons molasses, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon espresso powder
- Use the dough hook to mix until the dough forms. Knead for 3-5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Cover and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch down the dough and divide into 4 equal portions. Roll each into a log shape, dip the bottom in cornmeal, and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with rolled oats2 tablespoons cornmeal, Rolled oats
- Cover the bread and allow to rise while the oven preheats to 375 F (or for about 30 minutes)
- Bake in the preheated oven 23-26 minutes or until puffed and cooked through
- Allow to cool before slicing and serving with butter.
Notes
- You want the milk to be around 105° degrees. Below 85° and the yeast won't activate. Above 125° to 130° the yeast will die. It should feel warm but not hot on the inside of your wrist, sort of like a baby's bath would feel.
- If the yeast doesn't bubble or rise to the top after 10 minutes, start again. If the yeast isn't active or has died the bread won't rise.
- You'll know the dough is ready when it is stretchy and pulls away from the sides of the mixer.
- You can overproof the dough. If you need to slow the proofing down, you can put it in the refrigerator during the first rise and let it sit, covered, for up to a day. When you are ready to make it, pull the dough out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about an hour before you shape it and let it rise again.
Nutrition
