Honey Wheat Bread Loaves – Chewy honey wheat bread, shaped into three loaves perfect for serving with any dinner
I don’t visit chain restaurants super often since we try to support our local businesses first. However, there has been a restaurant that I just counld’t stay away from recently – Cheesecake Factory.
One of the things I look forward to eating at the Cheesecake Factory (aside from the cheesecake) is their wheat bread. They serve it with every meal, along with a mini loaf of white bread. But the wheat bread is definitely the better loaf.
Their wheat bread is chewy and flavorful and beautifully decorated with rolled oats sprinkled over the top. It’s got a very similar flavor to the bread loaves you get at Outback and Longhorn Steakhouse at the beginning of your meal. Have you tried those before?
If you haven’t had a chance to try that wheat bread at either of those restaurants, don’t worry – I have the recipe here for you to try! If you have tried their bread, well, get ready to be amazed by this copycat recipe. Once you get a taste of this bread, you’ll be making it every week!
Making these loaves
Making this bread is just like making any other yeast dough recipe. There is no complicated process or unusual ingredients. You’re basically following these basic yeast dough steps:
- Make dough
- Knead dough
- Let dough rise
- Form bread loaves
- Rise again
- Bake
The unique part of this recipe, however, can be found in the ingredients. Molasses, honey, and cocoa powder are used to give the bread its dark color and slightly sweet flavor.
Tips & Tricks
- To ensure all the loaves are the same size, I weighed the dough as I was forming the loaves. It was hard for me to get them all the same size just by looking at them so I turned to the kitchen scale for some help.
- It is super important to give the bread time to rise so do not rush this process. The dough is done rising when it has doubled in size.
- This dough makes three medium-sized loaves. If you don’t plan to eat these all quickly, you can freeze them for up to 3 months.
Honey Wheat Bread Loves
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 packet instant yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1 ¼ cup water warm
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted, melted
- ¼ cup molasses
- ¼ cup honey
- rolled oats (for topping)
Instructions
- Attach bowl to stand mixer and fit mixer with dough hook (you can mix by hand, if you don't have a mixer). Add flours, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and yeast and mix on low to combine. In a separate bowl, add water, butter, molasses, and honey and whisk together. Add to the flour mixture and mix on low with the dough hook attachment until dough pulls away from the bowl. You may need to add more flour if it's too sticky.
- Turn up speed to medium and knead dough for 5 minutes. I like to do this part by hand, instead. If that's what you want to do too, add a little flour to a clean counter and knead dough with the edge of your palms for about 6 minutes. The dough is ready when it's soft and slightly elastic. Place dough ball in a greased bowl and cover with a towel. Let it rise for 1 hour and 30 minutes. It should be double in size.
- Punch down risen dough and remove from bowl. Place on clean counter with a little sprinkled flour. Cut dough into 3 even slices. Roll each slice into a log about 9 inches long. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, with each log about 4 inches apart. Sprinkle each log with rolled oats. Cover and let them rise again for 30 more minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove towel from logs and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until browned on top. Remove from oven and serve warm.
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Sweet Yeast Rolls with Whipped Pumpkin Butter
Irish Soda Bread
No-Knead Harvest Wheat Bread
Hey, what a wonderful bread with honey :).
What a gorgeous whole bread loaf! Feeling like grabbing that slice from the screen right away. And I love the addition of cocoa powder here, I have to try this one for sure. Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe! 🙂
Wow this honey wheat bread looks amazing. I love how easy it is to make, and you instructions are so clear. Can’t wait to try this one.
I love Honey Wheat Bread. This a great dinner bread option.
This looks insanely, incredibly good. Sooo yummy! My son will definitely love this.
Oooooooh … the Cheesecake Factory wheat bread (*SIGH*). It really is a treat – and that’s saying a lot since it competes with … you know … CHEESECAKE lol! How wonderful to find a recipe I can replicate at home – and I was surprised by the ingredients that give it such a unique and wonderful flavor! Mmmmmm … thank you!! 🙂
Double yum!! This turned out SO good, plus it was actually really easy to make! We polished off the whole batch in two days and my husband is already asking for more!
This bread was delicious! And I love the sweetness that comes through from the honey, molasses, and cocoa powder (so unexpected!). Will be making again for sure.
We’ve been baking our own bread all year, and were looking for a new recipe… this one was perfect! Came out great and was easy to follow. Will be making this one again!
These loaves look fantastic! I love all your ingredients, the addition of cocoa powder is so original. Can’t wait to make this bread. Thanks so much!
OHH such an easy to make recipe! I’ve always wanted to make my own bread.
I love the addition of cocoa powder – I bet that just does fabulous things for this bread and I can’t wait to try it!
I have never gotten to the point of trying to make bread at home, but it seems it is my chance. I feel confident enough with your recipe to give it a try 🙂
So easy and yummmmm! I love your simple instructions…guaranteed to win this one 🙂 Thanks!
Homemade bread is the best! This looks perfect. 🙂
I am in love with these loaves. Honey and wheat work together so well and I love that you added a bit of cocoa powder. It gives a beautiful color and a subtle flavor to the loaves.
They seem delicious and the presentation is amazing!
I’ve never made my own bread, I need to give this a go!
I just love fresh bread. I cannot wait to try this one out. It sounds and looks amazing!
I really like the dash of cocoa powder in this. I can only imagine how yummy it is