If you’ve ever eaten there, you know; the Cheesecake Factory brown bread is everyone’s favourite. Delivered to the tables warm with little packets of butter, the five of us always fight over who gets the last slice while we wait for more to come. For years I just knew that I liked it, and didn’t even bother thinking about why. It wasn’t until I started trying to make it at home that I realized I liked it because of all the layers of flavour. And it just tastes damn amazing!
Molasses, honey, cocoa, espresso, whole wheat. The ingredient list made me scratch my head a few times while working on this one, but in the end, once I got it right, everything somehow made perfect sense. You’re going to have to trust me.
Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread, aka Chocolate Bread.
Or how to get kids to try it the first time.
I’ve been making this Cheesecake Factory brown bread almost monthly for 2 years now. You can see my first post about it here. The kids call it chocolate bread, but I just call it my favourite. I could eat all 6 loafs by myself. I don’t let myself, but I totally could.
I’ve learned a few things making this so many times. Like, even though all that research in the beginning told me they added a caramel colouring to their dough, that’s a step we don’t need to take. It looks great without it. You also don’t NEED to add the cornmeal to the bottom, or the oats to the top. Those just make it look so much nicer though, so I keep doing it. I’ll leave that step up to you.
I’m sure you could also make two big loaves, instead of the six smaller ones, but I like the little ones. I like to pretend that eating 10 little slices is WAY better for you then 3 or four big ones. I also like to pretend I’m Pink in the shower. We do what we have to to get by.
I’m not going to lie to you. My Cheesecake Factory brown bread isn’t the quickest, or the easiest bread to make. If you’re nervous about making bread (I only say this because I was), I’ve got a three step process for you to build up your confidence. Before I started making my own bread regularly I was terrified about screwing it up. I promise it’s not nearly as difficult as you may worry it is.
Step 1 – Crusty, Rustic, No Knead Bread
Start off with this one, my crusty, rustic, no-knead bread. It’s a super easy no-knead bread that you mix together with a wooden spoon in a big bowl. No mixer and no fancy shaping either. It’s what everyone calls “Artisan” bread.
Step 2 – Sweet Dinner Rolls
After that, give my dinner rolls a shot. This gets you using the mixer, and learning how to shape rolls. This dough is super easy to work with, and once you make these, you’ll feel like a bread making god. At least I did.
Step 3 – Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread
Time to make my Cheesecake Factory brown bread. Don’t think that you can’t make this if you’ve never made any other bread. You totally can! Just don’t treat the dough too preciously. It’s just dough. It’s just bread. You’ve got this.
Trust your gut when you’re making it, even if you haven’t made bread before. If you think that the dough is too sticky to handle, add a little more flour to the mixer. If you think it’s way too dry, just add a little bit of water (like a teaspoon at a time). You’ll find lots of extra information at the bottom of my recipe to help you out here.
And most importantly – don’t forget the butter for it when it’s warm out of the oven! We usually have a couple of extra loaves left over. When they’re completely cool, wrap them up in plastic wrap, or put them in a zip-lock bag, and enjoy them the next night!
Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread
Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread just like at the restaurant. This is my favourite bread recipe, and it's been the most popular recipe on Kitchen Trials since 2015!
Ingredients
- 1½ cups warm water (105ºF)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2¼ tsp instant dry yeast (1 package)
- 2 cups bread flour
- 1¾ cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tsp espresso powder (or coffee)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp butter, softened
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tbsp molasses
- ¼ cup cornmeal, for dusting the bottom of the shaped (not baked) loafs (optional)
- oats, for dusting the top of the shaped (not baked) loafs (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes to proof (it will become foamy on top).
- Using the paddle attachment in your stand mixer, whisk together the bread flour, whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt. Add the yeast mixture, butter, honey, and molasses. Mix on medium-low speed until combined. The dough will be fairly thick and a little tacky.
- Swap out to the dough hook, and knead on medium speed for 8 to 10 minutes. This dough is thicker than your standard white bread, so it will be a little tacky, but will not pull or stick to the bottom of the bowl while kneading. If it feels too sticky, like it would stick to your fingers when trying to shape, add a bit more flour (see notes for more info).
- Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise is a warm spot for two hours, until doubled in size.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal sized pieces, and shape into mini-baguette style logs, roughly 6" long and 2" wide. See below notes for directions on this.
- Place the cornmeal on a plate (if using), and set the loafs in it to lightly coat the bottom. Place the loafs on a lined baking sheet, with lots of space between them. Lightly wet the top of the loafs with your hand and some water, then sprinkle on a light dusting of oats. Spray the tops of the loafs with Pam (to keep the wrap from sticking), then cover VERY loosely with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place and let rise for another 60 to 90 minutes, until nearly doubled in size again.
- Bake in a 350ºF oven for 25 to 35 minutes. The crust will be soft and squishy to the tough. Bread is cooked when the internal temperature is 190ºF, so feel free to use an instant read thermometer to check if you're not sure.
- Let cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing. If baking ahead of time, store tightly wrapped in plastic wrap once completely cooled, for up to 2 days, though it's best eaten the day baked. Gently warm in the oven before serving.
Notes
With the flour - Some days I find that I need to use more flour (probably depending on the weather, or how packed my cups are). the key is to have the dough feel tacky, but NOT sticky - none of it should stick to your fingers when you give it a squeeze.
For shaping mini-baguettes:
Use your fingertips to pat the dough into a rectangle, about 4" across. Fold the top 1/3 down, like a letter, and press the seam into the dough with your fingertips. You'll see that you're creating some friction at the top, this is good!
Fold the bottom up over the top, tightly, and press to seal again.
Here's a great video that shows this. Skip to the 1:15 mark for the shaping to start. Note that she's making true mini baguettes, that are more than double the size of these, so she needs to do a lot more folds. These loafs are just fine with only two.
Without a stand mixer:
Whisk together the bread flour, whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt. Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture, butter, honey, and molasses. Knead for about 10 minutes until combined. The dough will be fairly thick and a little tacky, but pieces shouldn't stick to your hands.
Continue with the recipe at step 4.
Daniel
Too bad we don’t have a cheesecake factory in the Netherlands 🙁 Probably a good business plan to open one here it looks delicious!
Love your Blog! I will visit more often…
Daniel
Too bad we don’t have a cheesecake factory in the Netherlands 🙁 Probably a good business plan to open one here it looks delicious!
g! I will visit more often…
sandra k frantz
Is it possible to use a breadmaker with this recipie?
Katrina
Hey Sandra, sorry it took me a couple days to get back to you, I was waiting to talk this over with my Mom (she uses a bread maker, but I don’t have one).
She says to do it just like you would your normal white bread in the bread machine – meaning the order that you put the ingredients into the bread machine. For hers, it’s always the liquids in the bottom, then the flours, sugars, yeast, etc.
She recommends only doing the dough cycle and then shaping and baking the loafs in the oven. If you’re baking it in the bread machine too, she would half the recipe, because it makes a lot.
I hope that helps!
Alexa
I can’t wait to try this for Thanksgiving! Could you swap all-purpose flour for the whole wheat, keeping the bread flour intact? I just don’t usually keep whole wheat on hand.
Katrina
Hey Alexa, you won’t get exactly the same flour, or robustness to the dough with white flour, but I totally get not wanting to buy a bag for just one recipe. My thought is always “any fresh bread is better than no fresh bread”, lol, so if I were you I’d give it a shot. If you do make it with the white flour, would you mind letting me know how it went? That way other people will know too!
Katrina
Hey Alexa, you won’t get exactly the same flour, or robustness to the dough with white flour, but I totally get not wanting to buy a bag for just one recipe. My thought is always “any fresh bread is better than no fresh bread”, lol, so if I were you I’d give it a shot. If you do make it with the white flour, would you mind letting me know how it went? That way other people will know too!
Also, keep in mind that you’ll need more white flour than brown flour (try 10% more flour, roughly, and just a little more at a time if the dough is still too sticky).
Sam
If the bread flour whole wheat or white
Katrina
Hey Sam, it’s white bread flour.
Katherine
Can I substitute molasses for something else? I only have light brown sugar right now
Katrina
Hey Katherine, I’m sorry I missed your comment yesterday! Do you have any corn syrup? I would try substituting an equal amount of a dark or golden corn syrup, before I would use the brown sugar (just because you need the liquid for the dough). Fingers crossed for you! The flavour won’t be exactly the same, it’ll end up sweater than with molasses, but I’m sure still yummy 🙂
Kristina
I loved these the first time that I made them. I’m wanting to make them again for Christmas this year but I’d like to just do larger loaves. If I were to do that, is the baking time or any of the methods different?
Katrina
Hey Kristina, I’m so glad you loved it! absolutely no difference in the prep, and there’s shouldn’t be much with the baking time, maybe a couple extra minutes, but that would be it. If you want to be extra sure, stick an instant read thermometer into the loaves. Anywhere between 190°F and 200°F means they’re done 🙂 Hope you have an awesome Christmas!
Nikki Padilla
Hi there! So my first question is what kind of espresso powder do you use and second if I don’t want to use that would I use more cocoa powder instead?
Katrina
Hey Nikki. I just use whatever I have on hand (I use it in all my chocolate cakes, it just enhances the chocolate flavour). You could also use fine ground coffee, or just skip it entirely, the difference would be barely noticable.
Kristina
You are so wonderful, thank you for the response!
Netta
is this freezable
Katrina
Hi Netta, I’m sorry to say that I don’t know. I’ve never tried freezing bread (it never lasts long enough in our house – my husband and kids are bread addicts).
Patricia Tarallo
It freezer beautifully. I froze a lot of my first batch, and just take out a loaf at a time.
Laurie Bowman
Hi Katrina, first let me say I’m a bread lover. We occasionally eat at the Cheesecake Factory and I’m always impressed by this bread. I thought what the heck, if it doesn’t taste good the birds will love it. I’m HOOKED, it was delicious, not exactly the same but very close. Thanks for taking time to post and share with all of us.
Laurie
Jessica
Wanted to know whats the difference between recipes. You posted an updated version but they are Identical. what did you change to improve the original recipe
Alex
I love this bread! How do you think it would turn out with exclusively whole wheat flour (no bread flour)?
Joanne
Followed the recipe exact. My bread did not come out sweet as Cheesecake Factory. What can I do to make it come out tasting sweet like Cheesecake Factory?
Katrina
Hey Joanne, I haven’t tinkered with the sweetness at all myself, so this is just guesswork on my part right now. The next time I make it I’ll fiddle with it a bit too, and see if I can’t get a better answer for you.
To start, I would just try upping the sugar a bit more. Adding more honey will mean that you have to add more flour too, and I worry that’s messing with things a bit too much. Actually, thinking about it more… If you wanted to change the honey to 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons, then omit the molasses. To get the molasses flavour, use brown sugar instead of the white, and for a bit more added sweetness, up that from 1 tbsp to 3 tbsp. That’s what I’ll try the next time I make it too 🙂
Anonymous
I asked a question up above . The date that it posted is wrong that I asked question.
The correct date is 3/10/ 2020
Joanne
Lauren
First time making bread, incredibly pleased I listened to your prompts and just did it, “it’s just bread?!”. I needed extra flour to get the dough tacky as opposed to sticky. Taste is very reminiscent of the bread at the Cheesecake Factory. Baked bread freezes beautifully. This recipe rocks, great descriptive steps. Thank you kindly!
Katrina
Thank you so much for this Lauren! This is probably the recipe I’m most proud of on this little blog of mine, and hearing that other people love it as much as we do makes me so happy!
Lauren
Thank you for the confidence boost! I’ve made bread for the first time!? That’s awesome! Thanks to your motivation and very accessible step-by-step recipe. Highly recommended 🙂
Sher
Hi,
Can I omit the the Molasses? And can I just use wheat flour?
Katrina
Hey Sher, you can omit the molasses. You can also replace it with more honey or some corn syrup. If you omit it entirely, and the dough seems too dry (it shouldn’t), just add a tiny bit of water.
Using all whole wheat flour should be fine (again, add it slowly because you may need a bit less of it to get to the right texture). The taste will be a bit different, but if you’re a whole wheat flour lover, I’m sure you won’t mind 🙂
Anonymous
This bread was awesome and very easy to make following instructions and suggestions outlined in this blog. This is a GREAT recipe but makes a ton of bread. Next time I would cut everything in half & make 2 large loaves. The texture is wonderfully light (just like Cheesecake Factory). They said it made 6 mini baguettes (which I think of the size of a sandwich, right?). It was like six small LOAVES. I will have to give some away, but they are so good. I definitely recommend you try if you’re looking for something different! The flavor is not exactly like the bread at Cheesecake Factory, but pretty darn close! I might cut the espresso to 1 tsp next time and one extra tbsp sugar. VERY VERY delicious…thx for sharing the recipe Katrina…love your blog!!!!
Anonymous
I agree. A bit less espresso and more sugar 🙂
Emily
I only have 00 flour and AP flour. Is it possible to still make this bread?
Katrina
The flavour won’t be the same without the whole wheat flour, but I don’t think it would be bad either. I’m sorry that I can’t say 100%, just because I haven’t made it will only AP before 🙁
EMarie
Hi. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us! I am planning on making this delicious bread soon. I had it a few months ago at my local Cheesecake Factory. As soon as I tasted it, I knew I had to find a recipe. And I found yours!!! Yay! The reason I’m writing prior to making it, I am wondering if you could do a short demonstration video. I’m such a visual learner. Those quick one minute videos really help when someone has never made a recipe before or if it seems a little daunting. Thanks kindly.
Katrina
I totally get what you mean about it helping to see things in a video. I’m still pretty nee at making videos (this is one-woman, self taught show happening here, lol). The next time I make the bread I’ll give it a shot for you though 🙂
Anonymous
Thank you! I will be looking for it. I haven’t made it yet. I can’t seem to find whole wheat flour. There’s a shortage everywhere.
Erin K
New to bread making! Ive read some other baguette recipes and saw they let rise on a towel with towel separating each loaf, is this not necessary? Also are these are baked on a flat cookie sheet? Thanks so much. Hoping to make today!
Katrina
Hey Erin! No need for towels, and they just bake on a cookie sheet (line the sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat so they don’t stick). I hope you love them!
Baguettes need the stability to help with the shape, and the crust is a lot denser. These are super soft, inside and out 🙂
Erinanne
I agree. A bit less espresso and more sugar 🙂
Anonymous
Hi there! If I use active dry yeast instead of instant, do you know if I need to let the dough rise for a longer period of time? Or do anything else differently? Thanks!
Katrina
Hey! Active dry yeast is totally fine. It will probably take a bit longer to rise. Just have it sitting in a nice warm spot and it shouldn’t be too much different 🙂
Sonia Lozano
Does it matter what type of expresso powder we use?
Katrina
Not at all! I just use whatever we have, and if you don’t have anything, it’s totally fine to just leave it out 🙂
Marilisa Peguero
Hello, would it be okay if I only use AP flour? I can’t find any at my local markets.
Ann
Hi! I didn’t get as much of a ride when proving when I did this recipe. The only difference I did was substitute molasses for brown sugar and the espresso for instant coffee. I wonder if anyone else had a problem. Thanks’
Meg B.
We just made this and it was perfect! Tastes just like the Cheesecake Factory version. Thank you!
Kathy
I followed this advice and cut in half for my breadmaker. Had to add a bit of flour while it was mixing. It is delicious! Thank you and your mom!
Anonymous
A
Francesca
Tried this for the first time today and it was awesome! My family loved it and tasted exactly like Cheesecake Factory bread! Thanks for the recipe, will surely be making them again!!? One question though, is there anything else I can use as alternative to cornmeal? I know it’s optional but I woulf like to achieve the same crunch on the bread that is achieved by the cornmeal. Thank you! ?
Maria
Can I shape this into dinner rolls? If I want it a tad sweeter, should I add molasses or sugar? Thanks!
Katrina
Hey Maria, I think you could totally do dinner rolls! I would either add some extra sugar, or honey or sweeten it up a bit more 🙂
Pam Sminner
Delicious! I made this exactly as written, and absolutely loved it. I shaped mine into 2 large round loaves rather than six small baguettes. I’ve been craving more ever since the last slice was gone! I’m mixing up my second batch today, it’s in its 2nd rise stage right now, and I can hardly wait to smell it baking and later have a slice with butter!
Julie B
If I can’t find bread flour, can I just use all purpose flour?
Katrina
Sorry I missed this question yesterday Julie! 🙁 my blogging has moved down a few rungs since March when we went on lock down here and the kids started home schooling. Just not enough hours in the day. You can 100% substitute all purpose flour for the bread flour! It will just be a little less chewy, but you’ll barely notice it 🙂 I hope you love it as much as we do!!
Bob
If you are in Canada the All Purpose flour is about the same as US bread flour.
Patty
Anyone tried to do this recipe with AP flour. I think there is a shortage of bread flour. Please let me know. Dying to try this.
Thank you Katrina for this recipe.
Katrina
Sorry, I missed this same question yesterday as well 🙁 my blogging has moved down a few rungs since March when we went on lock down here and the kids started home schooling. Just not enough hours in the day. You can 100% substitute all purpose flour for the bread flour! It will just be a little less chewy, but you’ll barely notice it 🙂
Kristina
Perfect first time! I did not have quite enough honey on hand so I supplemented with brown sugar. Definitely will make again and again.
Whitney
I currently only have dark cocoa powder. Can I use dark cocoa powder instead of the regular? If so, should I add less espresso powder b/c I’m afraid the bread will taste too bitter.
Katrina
I would add the cocoa powder, and just leave the espresso powder out to be safe 🙂
Linda Almeida
Can I use pomegranate molasses?
TIA
Anonymous
I actually froze the dough before the 2nd rising. When I want to bake it, I unthaw it for about two hours and then bake it as the directions describe. No one in my family complained, so I would say that it was fine to do.
Rhonda Goodman
I made the recipe exactly and it is delicious. I chose to make two loaves (standard loaf pan size) instead of the bagettes.I upped the cook time to 35-40 minutes. When I put the loaves into the oven after the second rising, they were perfectly shaped with a beautiful convex top over the pans. However, when baking, the middle kind of sunk down a little. So while they were delicious, they were not as pretty when baked. What caused that, do you think?
Daniella N
I made this recipe, and it was delicious. I added about a 1/2 tsp of maple extract and the smell in the oven was divine. This was very tasty, but I suspect that Cheesecake Factory does not use espresso powder in their bread. The taste lingers (not in a bad way, but it has a noticeable aftertaste on the palate), and I’ve never noticed that in CF bread. Either way, this is damn good bread and I will keep making it. I also made my own butter to go with it, and my mouth is watering thinking about slathering the butter on the bread fresh out of the oven. Yum! I also recommend heating sweet cream butter on a skillet and lightly toasting a slice of the bread in it, so decadent. Thanks for the winner!
Zara
Hello,
I tried the recipe today.. It was amazing. Thank you so much
Holly A. Thompson
I think it is listing the date with the European method (day, month, year)
phoebe
Can I let the bread rise overnight rather than 2 hours? Would there be any difference?
Katrina
Hi Phoebe, I really hope that you saw the amazing comment that Daniella left you. I’m sorry I didn’t see this sooner, I lost my weekend sanding our back deck and hadn’t checked comments in a few days.
Daniella was 100% right though – don’t leave it out overnight, but you can absolutly let it rise in the fridge overnight.
Daniella
Phoebe, you’d want to let it rise in the refrigerator overnight if you do so. I like to make sure the bowl the dough is rising in is lightly oiled and I flip the dough in the bowl a couple of times to make sure the dough is also lightly oiled (to prevent it from forming a skin). Once you’re ready to work with the dough the next day, bring it back to room temp before forming the loaves, then follow the steps as stated. I wouldn’t let it rise at room temperature overnight. That could be a mess and affect taste/texture.
Katrina
Thank you so much for telling Phoebe this Daniella, I really appreciate you taking the time to do that! I lost my week to sanding the deck and hadn’t checked the comments in a few days. ❤
Mary
That’s because dates are written in Day/Month/Year outside of the US! Here in the US we say 6/20/2020 but everywhere else would say 20/6/2020 🙂
Rick Peters
Just a stupid question…. You don’t like even numbers??? Or am I missing something……
Katrina
Absolutely – there was a very traumatic moment in my childhood involving my bike, a homemade ramp, and my belief that I was going to be the next Evel Knievel at the age of 7. Turns out I’m more Super Dave Osborn. Scraped both knees and an elbow in front of an even-numbered house and I never quite recovered from the trauma.
Actually, it was a stupid update that messed up all my recipe cards, and turned every blank line into an empty bullet point. I’ve fixed this one, and should have the rest of them on the site fixed by the end of the week.
Anonymous
Hi Katrina, with regards to the note to add more flour if it is still sticky, my question is how much is too much flour?
Katrina
I’ll sprinkle in a little bit of flour at a time. Usually I’ll fill up a 1/2 cup measuring cup, and sprinkle in roughly a couple tablespoons worth at a time, then let it mix with the dough hook for another 30 seconds or so, until all the flour is absorbed.
You’re at the right consistency when the dough isn’t sticking to the sides of the bowl, but it is slightly sticking at the very bottom. It should feel a little bit tacky on your hand, but shouldn’t stick to your hands. If the dough is still sticking to your hands and leaving little pieces of dough on them, you need a bit more flour. Playdough (that little bit tacky feeling without sticking to your hands) is probably a pretty good guide to what you want.
If the dough is so dry that it doesn’t feel at all tacky, and it would just fall out of your bowl if you tilled it (not slowly roll out, blur just plop out instantly), then there is probably a bit too much flour, and you should add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it becomes a little tacky.
Anonymous
Hi Katrina, is the measurement of the water correct? 1 1/2 cup? because i see in another website your recipe and it says there 1/2 cup. Please advise.
Katrina
The 1 1/2 cups water is correct for this recipe.
*** Side note / explanation about adding additional flour, as there are lots of questions *** You will probably need to add a few more tablespoons of flour, but that all depends on how you measure your flour. It’s why I have the directions this way. If people don’t scoop flour into measuring cups with a spoon (and being honest, I often don’t take the time to). It means that your recipe is actually ending up with more flour than called for, because it compacts when you just scoop it out with a measuring cup. It’s also why die-hard bakers always weigh their ingredients. It’s much easier to adjust by adding a bit of extra flour at the end, then by having to add more water.
Anonymous
Thank you for the prompt response and for sharing your recipe. I added 7 tbsp of additional flour which is almost 1/2 cup and it turned out amazing, crisp on the outside and soft inside. I already ate a half loaf!!!
Katrina
I’m so glad that you liked it!!! It disappears pretty quick in our house after I make it too 🙂
lucy
How do you recommend reheating this bread for serving? Thanks!
Katrina
Hey Lucy! Wrap a loaf up in fool, then put it in a low oven for 10 minutes (say 325°F)
Kim⁷ 석진 Panda ?⟬⟭ₐᵣₘᵧ ?➐ (@BoredKimPanda)
Hi! There are 2 kinds of Whole Wheat Flour being sold: Fine and Coarse. Which one should I buy?
Alheniel
Hi. I usually freeze my breads . Slice it and put it in a zip-lock bag.
Justine
Do you have weight measurements for the ingredients instead of volume?
Bob
INGREDIENTS
• 340 gr or1½ cups warm water (105ºF)
• 25 gr or1 tbsp sugar
• 7 gr or 2¼ tsp instant dry yeast (1 package)
• 240 gr or 2 cups bread flour (in Canada all purpose flour is fine)
• 198 gr or 1¾ cups whole wheat flour
• 5 gr or 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 14 gr or 2 tsp espresso powder (or coffee)
• 6 gr or 1 tsp salt
• 28 gr or 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 85 gr or ¼ cup honey
• 10 gr or 2 tbsp molasses
• ¼ cup cornmeal, for dusting the bottom of the shaped (not baked) loafs (optional)
• oats, for dusting the top of the shaped (not baked) loafs (optional)
Anonymous
Scoured the entire comments section for this. Thanks!
Soe
Hi Rhonda, I’m not the author but I *am* a total bread nerd, so maybe I can help. It sounds like your bread was overproved. This happens when the dough is left to rise for too long. How long is too long depends all kinds of factors – on the ambient temperature where the dough is located, the temperature of the dough itself, the salt content, the brand of yeast, and whether your dough was kneaded too much or not enough. If it’s warm in your kitchen, let the dough rest for less time. If you make this recipe again, you might try to not let it crest so high over the pan before baking.
You don’t mention whether you adjusted the temperature you baked at in addition to increasing the time. For a 9×5 loaf of this recipe I’d knock the temperature down by 15°F and increase the bake time to a full hour. It’s basically cake, after all =) yo might tent with foil for the last 20 min to stop it from getting over-browned.
Hope that helps! Happy baking.
Soe
Will you provide the measurements in grams? Less ambiguous that way.
Katrina
Sorry Soe, I’ve never measured when I made this bread, but I’ll make a note and do that the next time I make it, then update the recipe 🙂
Bob
INGREDIENTS
• 340 gr or1½ cups warm water (105ºF)
• 25 gr or1 tbsp sugar
• 7 gr or 2¼ tsp instant dry yeast (1 package)
• 240 gr or 2 cups bread flour (in Canada all purpose flour is fine)
• 198 gr or 1¾ cups whole wheat flour
• 5 gr or 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 14 gr or 2 tsp espresso powder (or coffee)
• 6 gr or 1 tsp salt
• 28 gr or 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 85 gr or ¼ cup honey
• 10 gr or 2 tbsp molasses
• ¼ cup cornmeal, for dusting the bottom of the shaped (not baked) loafs (optional)
• oats, for dusting the top of the shaped (not baked) loafs (optional)
Sandy Lerner
Hi Katrina, the plural of loaf is LOAVES. Thanks for posting this recipe.
Try this with stone-ground flour. It is a LOT different because the stones
do not get hot and so do not express the germ (oil) out of the grain. The
grain has much, much more and nicer flavor. I used stone-ground white
whole wheat and this was ab fab.
Mylene
Hello. Which flour can I add if the dough is sticky? The bread flour or the wheat flour? Thanks!
Katrina
I use the bread flour, but you can use either one. With the breadflour, sometimes its almost another full cup that I end up adding, but go slowly, adding a bit at a time, until it’s tacky feeling but won’t stick to your hands.
Dionne
Just made this as I’m in U.K. and miss this bread. I made one large loaf in the bread machine and it’s lovely, smelt like it when baking and it’s very similar in taste so well done. I’ve sliced it and will freeze and toast when I want some. Thanks for the recipe.
Bob Moore
Converted to grams . .
• 340 g. or 1½ cups warm water (105ºF)
• 25 gr. or 1 tbsp sugar
• 7 gr. or 2¼ tsp instant dry yeast (1 package)
• 240 gr. or 2 cups bread flour
• 198 gr. or 1¾ cups whole wheat flour
• 5 gr. or 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 14 gr. or 2 tsp espresso powder (or coffee)
• 6 gr. or 1 tsp salt
• 28 gr. or 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 85 gr. or ¼ cup honey
• 10 gr. or 2 tbsp molasses
• ¼ cup cornmeal, for dusting the bottom of the shaped (not baked) loafs (optional)
• oats, for dusting the top of the shaped (not baked) loafs (optional)
Kaitlin Regan
Yum!! Thank you for sharing this recipe! I woke up with a craving for this bread this morning & just had to make it. I accidentally forgot to add the 1tbsp of sugar at the beginning with the yeast and water, but the loaves turned out perfectly anyway. So good!
Anonymous
Can you give the measurements by weight?
Bob
INGREDIENTS
• 340 gr or1½ cups warm water (105ºF)
• 25 gr or1 tbsp sugar
• 7 gr or 2¼ tsp instant dry yeast (1 package)
• 240 gr or 2 cups bread flour (in Canada all purpose flour is fine)
• 198 gr or 1¾ cups whole wheat flour
• 5 gr or 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 14 gr or 2 tsp espresso powder (or coffee)
• 6 gr or 1 tsp salt
• 28 gr or 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 85 gr or ¼ cup honey
• 10 gr or 2 tbsp molasses
• ¼ cup cornmeal, for dusting the bottom of the shaped (not baked) loafs (optional)
• oats, for dusting the top of the shaped (not baked) loafs (optional)
Bob
Perfect the first time. Could easily become a family favourite! Used the bread machine to mix the dough, then slip into two loaves and baked in the oven . . . awesome!
Jon
I have successfully frozen loafs and reheated them, totally yummy. Wrap each loaf individually in plastic wrap then put them inside a freezer bag. Reheat in the microwave for 45 sec-1 min. Good as fresh from the oven!
Anonymous
Hi! We’ve tried freezing it and it worked just fine for us! We wrapped it in tinfoil first.
Ralph
The bread is amazing but if you want to kick in up a notch add homemade ranch for dipping.
Homemade Ranch Dressing
You will never buy store bought ranch dressing again. My wife and I recently stumbled on this recipe and it taste like the ranch from The Cheesecake Factory.
Ingredients:
½ cup Mayo
½ cup of sour cream
½ cup of milk
Juice of ½ a lemon
½ teaspoon dill
½ teaspoon parsley flakes
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Mix it all up and let sit for at least 30 mins. Then dip everything in it. If you love ranch dressing, you’ll never buy it from the store again. (I add a little bit more garlic because that’s the type of guy I am?)
Norma
I want to get this right, since it’s my first time making bread.. I found 2 yeast but I’m a bit confused.. I have instant dry yeast but it says there is no need to proof this yeast, do I have the correct yeast and should I just follow your instructions..? The active dry yeast says it does need to be proofed…
Katrina
Hi Norma, use the instant yeast. It’s what I usually have on hand amd use ?
Norma
Thank you..?
Nichole
There was something kind of… bitter? Perhaps the coffee? I dislike coffee (a lot!) and only use a very basic expresso powder for baking things with chocolate. Or maybe my whole wheat flour was damaged in some way? I dunno, I do think there needs to be a touch more sweetness. Overall it was a lovely outter crust and the inside was nice and fluffy.
Anonymous
It may have been the whole wheat flour. I use King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour when I need whole wheat flour. It doesn’t have the whole wheat bite.
Don Dewar
I tried your recipe today following your instructions and ingredients exactly. It is a nice light brown bread and bakes up beautifully but after all the hype it was quite disappointing. I have eaten at the.Cheesecake Factory on numerous occasions and overindulged every time as the brown bread is so delicious and addictive. We always ask our server to bring two loafs of the brown instead of the sourdough. Unfortunately your recipe needs to go back to the drawing board as it is no where close to theirs. Sorry to say but the flavour is particularly bland.
Nadia
Hello, just loved every word of your first paragraphs explaining your first experiments about the feelings of doing your first breads. The rustic crust, the rolls and finally the Cheesecake Factory bread. Sharing your feelings made me less novice than I thought as I knew that others passed by this stage. Thank you, will surely make the three recipes, and hopefully share.
Once again thank you.
Anonymous
Hi there! Did you try making this bread with only whole wheat flour? If so how did it turn out?
Janet
The flour conversions seem WAY off. I’ve plugged in the flour conversion into several conversion sites online and your bread flour and whole wheat flour weight is quite low. I made the dough according to your conversions and the dough is SO wet. More like a batter than a dough. Also, your molasses conversion is off as well. 2 tbsp of molasses is 40 g, not 10. I had to add A LOT of extra flour using your conversion.
The flour conversions seem to vary according to which site I plug them in.
But I have 272g of BF and 253g of WWF.
Personally, I prefer to use weight instead of volume when I make my breads, and I search for recipes that have either weight or show both volume and weight. My dough is currently in its 1st rise. I’m really hoping that the extra flour I had to use will still be ok. I’m going to retry the recipe again with my own conversions bc these written here are not correct.
Nancy Mcleary
Yes, it is freezable
I make a double recipe and freeze some. Thaw overnight in your fridge.
Jessica Oliveira
Next time you can still make the entire recipe and just wrap the extra loaves in plastic wrap and foil. You can also wrap in plastic wrap and a ziploc and just freeze. Baked bread freezes very well and will last for weeks. I have had bread last a few months in the freezer. Just let sit on counter in an open ziploc to defrost.
Jessica
That was very rude
Jessica
Just made this today and it’s the best cheesecake favorite brown bread copycat that I have tasted yet. It made 2 of the softest loaves of bread that I’ve had in a while. I’m an actual baker and for those having trouble with the recipe. There is nothing wrong with the recipe amounts. They are perfect. You do need to know how to read your dough. The dough will tell you if it’s too humid and whether you need more flour. For those that want to use all wheat flour. If using all wheat it will change the density of the bread. Bread flour has a higher gluten value. I used a dark espresso. This came out so soft and perfect for family lunch sandwiches.
Katrina
I just wanted to say thank you Jessica, and that I’m so glad that you liked it!
Devon
This recipe was great and you provided easy to follow directions! Thank you so much. I tried to make this before and it was a hot mess. You’re awesome and thanks for sharing your recipe!!
Katrina
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment Devon, I’m so glad you liked it!
Ser
Made this a loaves today as I wanted a brown bread for egg salad sammies; I found this recipe easy to follow, and the result was fabulous!! Thank you for posting this!
Luli Nguyen
Hi Katrina!
I made your bread as I love the Cheesecake Factory one a lot! It tasted very good however, my dough didn’t rise as double or close to in both proofing periods? I let it be around 3 hours the first time and 2 hours the second time. Would you know why and advice? Thank you very much!
Marisa
To check if the bread is done do I take it out of the oven? Or put the thermometer inside the bread while it is in the oven? I never understood that
Katrina
Hi Marisa, When I reach the time it should be done baking, and when it looks like it’s done to me, I slide the tray out enough that I don’t burn myself, and stick an instant read thermometer into the center of one of the loaves to check if I’m not 100% sure. Hope that helps!
JENNIFER KLIMA
What settings did you bake your loaf at in your bread machine?
Anonymous
Is there calorie info for this? Thanks!h
Teresa Duncan
Hi, I made this recipe twice today. The first time the bread came out so bitter, I threw the batch out! For the second batch, I made two changes: (1) I used sweetened cocoa powder instead of unsweetened, and (2) I used instant coffee powder instead of espresso powder. The second batch is pretty darn close to Cheesecake Factory’s brown bread! Thanks!
Teresa Duncan
Bread is usually done when you insert an instant-read thermometer into the loaf and it reads 190+ degrees Fahrenheit.
Vanessa
I’ve tried several recipes for The Cheesecake Factory’s Brown Bread and yours wins hands down for thr closest to the real deal.
As we don’t have TCF here in Australia, I have no choice but to make it at home.
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Karyl Griffin
Hi – if you’re still looking for an answer to this question, let me assure you I make this recipe fairly often and it freezes well. I simply wrap the cooled extra loaves in plastic wrap and then put them into a gallon size freezer bag. When we want a loaf with dinner I just pull one out and let it thaw on the counter, warming it in gently just before we eat.
Katrina
You rock Karyl, thank you!
M
What type of molasses? Date molasses?
Katrina
I just use a baking molasses, not a fancy molasses (that’s how they’re sold here in Canada). What country are you in? I may be able to be more helpful if I can see how they’re referred to where you live.
Anonymous
Can you provide a version for a 1lb loaf?
Anonymous
Hi, Katrina! Thanks for this delicious recipe.I’m an amateur baker but this is pretty easy although there’s one issue.. I’ve made this twice and followed the recipe/measurements to the T but the dough turned out to be sticky, as in sticking on my fingers. I tried adding about 1-2 tbsp of flour but no change. I wonder what went wrong?
Jessica H
Loved this recipe! So easy and such great bread. I think about a 1/4 less coffee powder next time.
It’s my new absolute favourite.
Nancy Mcleary
I also bake a lot and always weigh my ingredients. If you want proof, measure without weighing ( loosen up the flour with a spoon and then fill your measuring cup with flour, level off with a knife) then weigh your ingredients. There will be noticeable differences in the amounts. I used to measure without weighing and I kept running into problems. When I switched my results were much better and more consistent. I agree with Jessica, the measurements are spot-on! This bread is very yummmmmy!
AJR
There is a Cheesecake Factory near me. I rarely eat there. The grocery store sells this bread, so why would I make it? It is the closest to the bread I bought from the Rochester NY, Public Market. I have been looking for a recipe. I have searched and baked many breads, trying to match it. If not for that bread, I never would have baked. I am hoping to make this my signature holiday bake (or buy it at my local Smart and Final grocery store. LOL). Thank your for the recipe.
AJR
Where does it originate?
Blanca
This recipe sounds delicious!
AKP
Sorry, you must have failed somewhere during your breadmaking process, because this recipe is spot on. I make it for family & friends regularly and people always comment on how close it is to the actual CF brown bread. It’s incredibly soft and sweet.
Donna
This is awesome! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Granma M
11/15/23
My daughter and I loved this recipe of Brown Bread copy from Cheese cake Factory. I followed the recipe mostly but added a pinch more cocoa ( since mine was past expiry date, shame!) The loaves were soft with crunch at the bottom and had nice slightly yeasty nutty taste. I like my bread on the sweet side so next time Ill add more sugar. Definitely will add to my favorites And thanksgiving sides ! Thanks !
Granma M
Granma M
P.S.
Had to add 4 tbsps of breadflour to make it less sticky. Baked 25 mins at 350* . It came out more brown and registered 220° internally. So next batch baked x 20 mins. Was perfect!
Katrina
Thank you so much for taking the time to come back hear and leave these comments ❤️ So glad you liked the recipe!
MaryElease Ferguson
Good morning! I tried the recipe last night and baked the bread this morning. I find it to have a very strong coffee taste that I didn’t notice with the Cheesecake Factory bread. Going to reattempt the recipe without the espresso powder.
Katie
Delicious recipe! I omitted the espresso powder, since I didn’t want the caffeine. I also added an extra 1TB of cocoa powder to be sure it was dark enough. And I used all-purpose flour instead of bread flour (added the 3/4c measurement with this flour, instead of whole wheat as well ~ only used 1c whole wheat, just preference).
Anonymous
This recipe for Cheesecake Factory’s brown bread is amazing! I was looking for some unique recipes to include in my bachelorarbeit on culinary arts, and this one fits perfectly. Thanks for sharing such a detailed guide!
Anonymous
https://www.kitchentrials.com/2017/12/18/cheesecake-factory-brown-bread/ hi, interesting
Anonymous
So, to be honest, I did not love this. I was wary when I saw that it called for molasses, but I followed the recipe anyhow. Now that I’ve had it, I would completely eliminate the molasses. It was just too strong of a taste and one that I never detected in the restaurants bread. So if I make again, no molasses, probably extra honey in it’s place as consistency was good, and I would also add more cocoa.
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