Steakhouse Brown Bread

Hello friends.  This week I'm struggling to eat healthy, having insane food dreams, watching 30 Rock, and snuggling with Cricket.

I may have mentioned this before, but in an attempt to be healthier and shed a few pounds, I'm trying to limit my dairy consumption.  This includes, but is not limited to the unofficial King of Foods...cheese.  This experiment has taught me several things.  I can go without meat and milk pretty easily.  I miss butter and eggs for baking, but that's really it.  The cheese is what gets me...and it's getting ugly.

I've been dreaming about pizza for about 2 weeks straight now.  I've always liked pizza, like any other carb and cheese loving human...but it's gotten out of hand.  I'm talking every night for about two weeks.  Pizza dreams.  I'm trying to hold out.  How I know I've gone off the deep end: the other night I dreamed of stuffing my face full of just a handful of shredded Cheddar cheese.  Not even the good kind.  Just like...prepackaged shredded cheese.  Gross.

However.  You know what doesn't even need cheese it's so good?  This bread.



I can't stop making and eating this bread.  It took two tries for it to stick around long enough for me to get a picture!

It all started when I incepted the crazy idea into my own head that for some reason I needed to make a copycat version of the Outback Steakhouse black bread.  After numerous attempts...well, let's just say mine is certainly not black.  I don't know how they get their's so black...but I've ruled out all natural means, so I'm left to assume it's the devil's handiwork...the only logical conclusion, obviously.  Truthfully I don't even know anymore if this tastes super close to the Outback version or not.  All I know is it's good.  Crazy good.

Steakhouse Brown Bread
(adapted from allrecipes, makes 2 medium loaves)

1 1/3 cups strong brewed coffee, room temperature*
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
2 Tbsp brown sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp molasses
3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp ground flax
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rye flour
2 cups bread flour

*I dissolve 2 single serving packets of instant coffee granules in 1 1/3 cups warm water


Place yeast, coffee, and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Stir well and allow to sit for 10 minutes to activate yeast, or until mixture begins to foam.

Add oil, molasses, syrup, and salt.  Stir well.  Add cocoa powder and stir again.  

Add 1 cup wheat flour and flax.  Mix with dough hook on low until combined.  Add 1 cup rye flour, mix on low until incorporated.  Add 1 cup bread flour, mixing on low again.  At this stage, if your dough is beginning to clean the sides of the bowl, you can turn it onto a floured surface.  You may need to add more of the remaining 1 cup of bread flour to get it to this point.  

On a well floured surface, using the final cup of bread flour, knead in some of the flour a little at a time until the dough is elastic and no longer sticking to your fingers.  You will probably not need the entire cup.

Place dough in a greased bowl and allow to rise, covered in a warm place for 1 hour. 

Grease 2 9x5'' loaf pans.

After an hour has passed, deflate the dough and turn it out onto a floured surface again.  Divide into two equal pieces.  Fold the dough into thirds, and tuck the ends in to form loaves, pinching at the seams to seal.  Place loaves seam-side down in the prepared pans.  

Allow to rise, covered with a clean dish towel, in the pans for 30 minutes.  

Preheat the oven to 375.

Bake loaves 22-25 minutes or until they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.  Turn out upside down onto a wire rack.  Allow to cool, upside down on the rack for about 15 minutes before flipping and allowing to cool the rest of the way.  Enjoy!