Copycat Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm whole milk (approximately 100 F)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 (.25-ounce) packet dry active yeast or 2 1/4 teaspoons
• 2 1/2 cups white bread flour
• 1 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 1/2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons salted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1/4 cup rolled oats

Instructions

1. 1

   Drizzle the warm milk with honey and stir until it's dissolved.

2. 2

   Sprinkle the sweetened milk with the yeast and set it aside to rest for 5 minutes or until foamy.

3. 3

   Meanwhile, place the bread flour, wheat flour, cocoa powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

4. 4

   Whisk to combine the dry ingredients.

5. 5

   Add the yeasty milk, softened butter, honey, and molasses to the bowl.

6. 6

   Swap out the whisk attachment for the dough hook and stir until a sticky dough forms.

7. 7

   Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead until the dough is smooth, springy, and mildly tacky (about 5 minutes).

8. 8

   Grease a large bowl with cooking spray.

9. 9

   Place the dough into the bowl, cover with plastic, and set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in size (about 2 hours).

10. 10

    Once doubled, remove the dough from the bowl.

11. 11

    Divide the dough into 4 even portions. (If you would like longer loaves, cut them into 2 portions.)

12. 12

    Form those portions into short squatty loaves.

13. 13

    Transfer the loaves to a large, parchment-lined baking sheet.

14. 14

    Place the cornmeal into a shallow bowl.

15. 15

    Coat the bottom of the loaves in the cornmeal and return them to the baking sheet.

16. 16

    Brush the top of the loaves with milk and sprinkle with oats.

17. 17

    Spritz a couple of sheets of plastic wrap with cooking spray.

18. 18

    Loosely drape the greased plastic wrap over the loaves and set aside to rest for 1 hour.

19. 19

    Preheat the oven to 350 F.

20. 20

    Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the loaves are cooked through (internal temperature of the loaves should be about 200 F).

21. 21

    Remove the loaves from the oven and set them aside to cool on wire racks until they're warm enough to handle. Serve warm.