Our Daily Bread - Cheesecake Factory Style Brown Bread
Fluffy, chewy, flavorful bread with a touch of sweetness and oaty crunch/texture on top.
Cheesecake Factory Style Brown Bread
Makes 3 loaves
Like most millennials raised in the suburbs we’ve all had a moment where we were at the mall and instead of going to the food court, having a meal at Cheesecake Factory was the best option because of the portion sizes, price and we could take a piece of cheesecake home for later. While the food is perfect for a fast casual restaurant, the one thing we look forward to most is the basket of bread that comes to you warm and cut just enough for you to tear a piece off a loaf for yourself and slather with butter. And pretty much no matter who you are with, everyone prefers the brown bread so you need to ask for more.
I haven’t been to a Cheesecake Factory in years so I have no idea if the warm bread is even a part of the experience anymore but, I was craving it at home and worked to make it happen. I started with copycat recipes online but they were underwhelming to say the least. Ultimately, I created my own recipe which while it isn’t exactly like what you can get at the restaurant, it is very similar though more flavorful and I made sure to cut it for easy sharing and added a healthy amount of oats so it looks similar.
“Recipe Tips:
*1. ”
Ingredients
Preferment
130g (1 c) whole wheat flour
130ml (0.50 c + 2 T) water
Small pinch of yeast
Dough
85ml (1/3 c + 2 t) water
50g (3 T + 1 t) dark brown sugar
44g (2 T) brown rice syrup
35g (2.5 T) butter
8g (2 t) kosher salt
260g (2 c) all purpose flour
8g (4 t) unsweetened cocoa powder
8g (2 t) instant yeast
Finishing
Semolina or fine corn meal as needed
1 egg, beaten well
8-12g (1 – 1.5 T) old fashioned rolled oats or as needed
Method
Day 1
1. In a medium bowl with a lid combine the preferment ingredients mixing until there is no dry flour remaining.
Cover with the lid.
Allow to sit at room temperature overnight, 12 – 18 hours.
Day 2
2. In a small pot add the water, sugar, syrup, butter and salt from the dough section.
Place on medium heat and warm until the butter is melted and the sugar, salt and syrup are dissolved.
Cool to room temperature.
3. In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour and cocoa powder.
Make a well in the flour and add the preferment.
Stir the yeast into the cooled sugar mixture and add to the bowl.
Mix the preferment and yeast mixture into the flour to make a dough.
Knead for 8 minutes.
Cover and ferment for 30 minutes.
Fold.
To fold: wet your dominant hand and loosen the dough from the bowl flipping the ball of dough over. Press out the dough to even out its thickness. Grab a grip of dough across from you, lift and stretch the dough out a few inches (or until you feel tension, you do not want the dough to tear) then fold it over the center. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat this process, wetting your hand as necessary to prevent sticking, until you reach the point where you began. The dough should have formed a ball at this point. Flip the ball again, placing the “seams” of the dough on the bottom and tuck the dough together to make a ball.
Do not add flour during the folding.
Ferment for 30 minutes.
Fold.
Ferment for 30 minutes.
4. Place a piece of parchment on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with semolina.
On a lightly floured work surface divide the dough into 3 equal portions.
Working one portion at a time flatten into a 23x18cm (9x7 in) rectangle with the short side facing and opposite you.
Bring the bottom 1/3 up over the middle 1/3.
Repeat bringing the top 1/3 over the center.
Rotate so the short sides are once again facing and opposite you.
Gently roll to 20x6.5cm (8x2.75 in).
Place onto the prepared baking sheet.
Repeat with the remaining portions of dough spacing each at least 7.5cm (3 in) apart on the baking sheet.
Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap and proof until doubled in bulk 1 – 2 hours.
Because of the enrichment in the dough this can take quite a while but do not rush it be sure the dough has doubled.
5. Preheat oven to 200 C / 400 F.
Carefully brush each loaf with the beaten egg then sprinkle with oats.
Gently press the oats into the surface of the dough.
Bake for 15 – 17 minutes.
Fully cooked bread will register 94 C / 200 F on an instant read thermometer when tested in the center of the loaf.
Remove to a cooling rack and cool completely.
If desired, cut each loaf into 8 sections but not all the way through for tear-ability.
To serve warm, spritz the loaves and place in a toaster oven or 200 C / 400 F oven for 2 – 4 minutes or until heated through.
6. Serve with softened butter.
