Description
Copycat Cheesecake Factory Honey Wheat Bread brings rustic comfort straight from restaurant kitchens to home tables. Warmly spiced and perfectly dense, this homemade bread delivers restaurant-quality flavor with simple ingredients you can master in your own kitchen.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) warm water (110°F / 43°C)
- 2 ¼ tsps active dry yeast (1 packet)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) honey
- 2 tbsps molasses
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups (190 g) bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 1 ½ cups (190 g) whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup (30 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ cup rolled oats (for sprinkling)
- Melted butter (optional, for brushing)
Instructions
- Yeast Activation: Merge warm water, yeast, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Allow the mixture to become frothy and bubbly within 5-10 minutes.
- Liquid Integration: Incorporate honey, molasses, and softened butter into the activated yeast mixture, ensuring thorough blending.
- Flour Preparation: Combine bread flour, whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a separate container, creating a uniform dry ingredient blend.
- Dough Formation: Gradually fold dry ingredients into liquid mixture, kneading until a smooth, elastic consistency develops. Use stand mixer with dough hook or hand-knead to achieve optimal texture.
- Primary Fermentation: Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm environment until volume doubles, approximately 1-2 hours.
- Shaping Process: Deflate the dough and portion into 2-3 equal segments. Mold into baguette-style loaves or rolls with gentle, even shaping.
- Secondary Proofing: Arrange shaped dough on parchment-lined baking sheet. Allow additional rising period of 30-45 minutes until puffy and expanded.
- Baking Preparation: Heat oven to 350F (175C). Brush loaf surfaces with melted butter and optionally sprinkle with oats for enhanced texture.
- Final Baking Stage: Bake loaves for 25-30 minutes, or rolls for 15-20 minutes. Confirm doneness by tapping – bread should sound hollow.
- Serving Recommendation: Allow bread to cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm with butter or utilize for sandwich preparation.
Notes
- Ensure water is lukewarm (105-110°F) to activate yeast correctly without killing it.
- Develop gluten properly by kneading until dough becomes smooth and elastic, creating better bread texture.
- Cover dough with damp cloth during rising to prevent surface from drying out and cracking.
- Substitute whole wheat flour with gluten-free flour blend for celiac-friendly version, adding xanthan gum for structure.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg