Restaurant-Style Brown Bread (Cheesecake Factory Inspired)

Name: Restaurant-Style Brown Bread (Cheesecake Factory Inspired)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 16 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 whole Active Dry Yeast; 2.5 cups Bread Flour; 0.25 cup Cornmeal; 0.25 cup Honey; 2 tbsp Molasses; 0.25 cup Rolled Oats; 1.25 tsp Salt; 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter; 2 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder; 1.5 cups Water; 1.67 cups Whole Wheat Flour

Breakfast 🍳Side Dish 🥗Dinner 🍽️Lunch 🥪Snack 🍿 American Low-Sodium Heart-Healthy ❤️Vegetarian 🥦Halal 🕌Kosher ✡️Pescatarian 🐟

This Restaurant-Style Brown Bread (Cheesecake Factory Inspired) is tender and softly chewy with a gentle whole-wheat nuttiness, mellow cocoa notes, and a hint of molasses sweetness. A dusting of cornmeal adds subtle crunch while oats on top lend bakery charm. Serve warm with butter alongside soups, salads, or as a cozy dinner bread basket centerpiece.

Prep25 mins
Cook25 mins
Serves16
DifficultyMedium

1

Assemble all the ingredients.
2

In a bowl, whisk the warm water with 1 tablespoon honey until blended. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and let it sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
3

In a large bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups bread flour, the whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
4

Add the yeast mixture, butter, 1/4 cup honey, and molasses. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
5

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 5 to 8 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky, adding 2 tablespoons of bread flour at a time as needed to work the dough.
6

Shape the dough into a large ball and place it in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
7

Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
8

Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and shape each into a small loaf, about 6 inches long and 2 inches wide.
9

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread cornmeal on a plate and dip the bottoms of the loaves into the cornmeal to lightly coat.
10

Place the loaves on the prepared baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between them. Lightly moisten the tops with a little water, then sprinkle the tops with oats.
11

Loosely cover the loaves with greased plastic wrap and let them rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.
12

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove the plastic wrap from the loaves and bake until the loaves are golden brown and a thermometer inserted in the center registers 190 degrees F (88 degrees C), 25 to 35 minutes.
13

Move the loaves to a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.