Cheesecake Factory brown bread is the soft, dark, slightly sweet little loaf that arrives warm in the bread basket, topped with oats and gone before the appetizers. This copycat makes four small loaves at home from bread flour, whole wheat flour, honey, molasses and a little cocoa powder for color. The crumb is soft, the crust is tender, and it is best served warm with plenty of butter.
How to make copycat Cheesecake Factory brown bread: Proof yeast in warm water with sugar. Mix it into bread flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder and salt with canola oil, honey and molasses, and knead for 5 minutes. Let the dough rise until doubled. Shape four small loaves, score them, brush with water, top with oats and let rise again. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- A restaurant favorite at home. Dark, soft and a little sweet.
- Four small loaves. One for dinner, the others to share or freeze.
- Pantry ingredients. The color comes from molasses and cocoa powder.
- A mixer does the kneading. Five minutes with a dough hook.
- A soft crust. A tray of ice in the oven makes steam as the loaves bake.
Ingredient Notes
Warm water, instant dry yeast and sugar. One and a quarter cups of water, 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar wake up the yeast.
Bread flour and whole wheat flour. One and three-quarter cups of each. Keep up to 1/4 cup more bread flour nearby in case the dough is sticky.
Brown sugar, honey and molasses. One tablespoon of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of honey and 3 tablespoons of molasses give the bread its gentle sweetness.
Cocoa powder. One and a half tablespoons. It deepens the color. The bread does not taste like chocolate.
Salt and canola oil. One teaspoon of salt and 3 tablespoons of oil.
White cornmeal. Half a tablespoon, sprinkled on the pan.
Oats. For the tops.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups warm water
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 3/4 cups bread flour, plus up to 1/4 cup more if needed
- 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 tablespoons molasses
- 1/2 tablespoon white cornmeal, for the pan
- Oats, for topping
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 4 to 5 ice cubes, for the oven
How to Make Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread
1. Start the yeast. Mix the warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Let sit for 3 to 5 minutes, until frothy.
2. Mix the dough. Whisk the bread flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast mixture, canola oil, honey and molasses.
3. Knead. Mix with a dough hook on medium-low speed for 5 minutes, or knead by hand for 10 to 12 minutes. If the dough is too sticky or is not coming together, add up to 1/4 cup more bread flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. When done, the dough should not stick to your hands.
4. Let it rise. Form the dough lightly into a ball and spray around and under it with nonstick cooking spray. Let it rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled.
5. Shape the loaves. Line a baking sheet or French bread pan with parchment and sprinkle it with the cornmeal. Punch down the dough and divide it into four equal pieces. Roll each into a rectangle, roll it tightly into a log, then gently press, pinch and tuck the ends closed. The logs should be about 8 to 9 inches long.
6. Top and rise again. Set the loaves at least a couple of inches apart on the prepared pan. Score each loaf 3 to 4 times with a sharp knife. Brush with warm water, sprinkle with oats, cover loosely and let rise for another 30 to 40 minutes, until almost doubled.
7. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F with racks in the middle and bottom positions. Put a spare baking sheet on the bottom rack.
8. Bake. Uncover the loaves and place their pan on the middle rack. Put 4 to 5 ice cubes on the spare baking sheet and close the oven door immediately. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
9. Serve. Serve with butter.
Does Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread Have Rye?
People ask this because the bread looks like a dark rye or pumpernickel. The truthful answer has two parts.
This copycat has no rye flour in it. It is made with bread flour and whole wheat flour. Whether the restaurant’s own bread contains rye is not something a home recipe can tell you, because the restaurant’s formula is not public.
What a copycat can show is where the look and flavor come from without rye.
| What you notice | Where it comes from here |
|---|---|
| Dark brown color | Molasses and cocoa powder |
| Gentle sweetness | Honey, molasses and a little brown sugar |
| Hearty, wheaty flavor | Whole wheat flour |
| Soft, chewy crumb | Bread flour and a full knead |
| The topping | Oats, pressed onto a damp crust |
The cocoa surprises people. It is only a tablespoon and a half in a whole batch, enough to turn the dough deep brown and not enough to taste.
Tips for Success
How warm should the water be?
Warm to the touch, like a baby’s bath. Water that is too hot kills the yeast. After 3 to 5 minutes the mixture should look frothy.
How do I know the dough is kneaded enough?
It is smooth and no longer sticks to your hands. If it is still sticky after kneading, work in more bread flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
Why brush the loaves with water?
The damp surface is what makes the oats stick.
What are the ice cubes for?
They melt on the hot spare pan and make steam, which keeps the crust soft as the loaves rise in the oven. Close the door quickly so the steam stays in.
How do I know the rise is done?
Go by size, not the clock. The first rise is done when the dough has doubled. The second is done when the loaves have almost doubled.
How Long Does It Take?
About 170 minutes in all: 20 minutes of hands-on work, about 2 hours of rising and 25 to 30 minutes of baking. Most of that time the dough is working, not you.
Storage
Let the loaves cool, then keep them wrapped so they do not dry out. Extra loaves can be wrapped well and frozen. Thaw them in the refrigerator and warm them in the oven before serving.
What to Serve With It
Butter, and nothing more, is the classic way. The bread is also good next to a dinner like slow cooker apple brown sugar pork chops or slow cooker brown sugar chicken. If you enjoy baking bread, try the German bread. And for sweet loaves, there are blueberry zucchini bread, chocolate banana bread and salted caramel banana bread.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cheesecake Factory brown bread have rye?
This copycat does not. It uses bread flour and whole wheat flour. The restaurant’s own formula is not public.
What makes the bread brown?
In this copycat, molasses and cocoa powder.
How many loaves does it make?
Four small loaves, about 8 to 9 inches long.
Does it taste like chocolate?
No. The cocoa powder is there for color.
Final Notes
I put the ice cubes in a cup next to the oven before the loaves go in, so I can tip them onto the pan and shut the door in one move. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Copycat Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread
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Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups water warm
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 3/4 cups bread flour plus up to 1/4 cup more if the dough is too sticky
- 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 tablespoons molasses
- 1/2 tablespoon white cornmeal for the pan
- oats for topping
- nonstick cooking spray for the dough and bowl
- 4 to 5 ice ice cubes, for the spare baking sheet during baking
Instructions
- Mix the warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Let sit for 3 to 5 minutes, until frothy.
- Whisk the bread flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast mixture, canola oil, honey and molasses.
- Mix with a dough hook on medium-low speed for 5 minutes, or knead by hand for 10 to 12 minutes. If the dough is too sticky or is not coming together, add up to 1/4 cup more bread flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. When done, the dough should not stick to your hands.
- Form the dough lightly into a ball and spray around and under it with nonstick cooking spray. Let it rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled.
- Line a baking sheet or French bread pan with parchment and sprinkle it with the cornmeal. Punch down the dough and divide it into four equal pieces. Roll each into a rectangle, roll it tightly into a log, then gently press, pinch and tuck the ends closed. The logs should be about 8 to 9 inches long.
- Set the loaves at least a couple of inches apart on the prepared pan. Score each loaf 3 to 4 times with a sharp knife. Brush with warm water, sprinkle with oats, cover loosely and let rise for another 30 to 40 minutes, until almost doubled.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F with racks in the middle and bottom positions. Put a spare baking sheet on the bottom rack.
- Uncover the loaves and place their pan on the middle rack. Put 4 to 5 ice cubes on the spare baking sheet and close the oven door immediately. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Serve with butter.
Notes
Nutrition
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