steakhouse-style bread
Things That Have Been On My Mind Lately:
— Why I’m a) actually watching “Battlestar Galactica” when I am so not a sci-fi person and b) actually enjoying watching “Battlestar Galactica” when I am so not a sci-fi person.
— The possibility that I may, in fact, be turning into a sci-fi person.
— How long I can wait before I buy this to keep me warm from these unseemly winter temperatures.
— Also how long I can wait before a) I make this and b) I devour this.
— How to perfect the “I totally just worked out” look that really means “I totally didn’t just work out, I just didn’t shower and was too lazy to put on makeup or do my hair or get out of my yoga pants” look when I go to the grocery store.
— How to re-create that buttery soft, warm, dark bread they serve you at steakhouses to try to fill you up before you order said steak, even though you and I both know you’re going to finish the whole steak anyway. Because it’s there and it’s delicious.
— OK but seriously… when are they going to find out they’ve got a Cylon on their ship? And does Commander Adama really not believe Earth exists? AND THEN WHAT.
Not that I really care that much. Ahem.
So about this bread… I almost didn’t share this bread with you. I dunno, it’s a sandwich bread. It looks kind of boring. Sometimes I get bored with baking sandwich breads and then I think you’re probably bored with looking at sandwich breads and then I say to myself, “What the heck, I’ll just give it a taste and see what’s up,” and then OHMGOODNESS IT’S DELICIOUS and I just have to share the sandwich bread recipe with you. That happened with this bread.
Actually, this particular bread is so much more than a sandwich bread. It’s a bread for your butter — nay, THE bread for your butter. It really does taste just like that stuff you get at steakhouses before the steak that’s always warm and soft and tantalizing and just begging to be eaten. It makes a pretty mean grilled cheese sandwich; even cream cheese and jam is its friend in the morning with a cup of coffee. And who knew all of that came from a boring old sandwich bread?
Other fun facts about steakhouse-style bread: It’s made with cocoa powder and coffee and rye flour, which give it that earthy, rich taste and darker complexion. The dough itself is pretty stiff and dense but the end result is soft and smooth. And did I mention that OHMYGOODNESS IT’S DELICIOUS? Because it is.
Now please excuse me while I eat a slice or five on the couch while watching “Battlestar Galactica” and wearing my electric snuggie.
Steakhouse-Style Bread
Adapted from Roxana’s Home Baking
Yields: 1 sandwich loaf
Ingredients:
2 cups bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110-115 degrees F)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup dark rye flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup strong black coffee, cooled
Directions:
In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1/2 cup bread flour, yeast and water; stir. Let sit until slightly foamy, about 10 minutes.
In a separate large bowl, sift or whisk together remaining bread flour, whole wheat flour, rye flour and cocoa powder.
Add flour mixture to yeast mixture; add oil, sugar and salt. Gradually stir in black coffee until a dough forms.
Knead dough on a lightly floured surface by hand for 10 minutes until dough is firm, yet smooth and elastic OR, knead dough in stand mixer using a dough hook for 5 minutes until dough is firm, yet smooth and elastic. (You may need to add a little more water or flour as you knead to achieve the proper consistency.)
Shape dough into a ball and place in a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Transfer to a warm place and let dough rise until doubled, about 1-2 hours.
Punch down dough; shape into a sandwich loaf and place in a lightly greased 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Cover with a tea towel and let rise until doubled, about 1-2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. When dough is risen, place in oven and bake until deep golden brown and baked through, about 35-40 minutes (to test for doneness, remove bread from loaf pan and gently thwack the bottom; it will make a hollow sound when it’s done).
Remove bread from oven and let cool 10 minutes in loaf pan. Remove from pan and let cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing.
This bread looks amazing, Stephanie! Love the idea of adding cocoa and coffee (:
Caroline — It’s surprisingly delicious (OK maybe not so surprising… it is cocoa and coffee, after all :))! Thanks for the comment!
I am a bread lover! Major kudos to you for making your own and making it look so damn fine! Dark bread with some salty butter is awesome!!
Gerry — Hey, fellow bread lover! Thanks so much — I’m a big fan of dark bread and salty butter myself 🙂
Stephanie, I’m new to this blog and absolutely love it!! This bread looks fabulous!
Whitney — Thank you so much! It’s nice to meet you! 🙂
What a gorgeous loaf. Makes me want to turn on the oven and get baking.
Barbara — Thank you so much!
I love making bread at home. Nothing beat the aroma of a fresh loaf right out of the oven. Your steakhouse style bread looks perfect. 🙂
Amy — It’s true; I’d make that smell into a candle if I could. 🙂
I loooooved Battlestar Galactica and I’m not at all a sci fi fan. I think the writing and acting are what really made that show standout. The bread looks fabulous.
Jen — I completely agree; it’s so easy to get hooked when the writing/acting are good! Thanks for the comment!
I’m totally not a sci-fi person or maybe I just haven’t found the right sci-fi movie to turn me into a sci-fi person. Hmmm.
The bread is my favorite part of going to a steakhouse! You know…especially given that I don’t eat meat and all. But even so…it’s kind of awesome. Pinned!
Joanne — You should watch this show. It’ll change everything 😉
Oh yummy! I’m new to bread making and am getting slightly addicted. This one is going on the list….
Is it a 1kg recipe?
Jess — Thanks! Can you clarify “1 kg recipe” for me? This recipe makes one loaf that fits in a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
The cocoa powder and coffee are very intriguing in this recipe. I have to try it!
-Allison
Allison — It really adds a unique depth of flavor that I LOVE. Hope you like it!
This is GORGEOUS bread! I have a whole-wheat recipe that’s my sandwich standby, but pretty sure this is going in the docket to be made when we finish up the last loaf of that.
Audrey — Thank you! This definitely works well as a standby sandwich bread (though we go through it WAY too fast over here :))
Hi Stephanie! I had a major bread fail trying to halve this recipe and put it in the breadmaker (because I’m lazy, I mean time constrained). The flavor was good but the texture was ridiculously bad, all dense and shaggy with a really really tough crust. Think playdough that’s been left out for too long. I still had some for breakfast because I’m cheap and didn’t want to waste it.
Just wondering if you had any tips for bread-machining this for the lazy among us. The halving was necessary for my machine which doesn’t support more than 3c flour very well.
LOVE your blog!! And whoever said you should watch Firefly is totally right.
Emily — Oh no! I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work out. I don’t use a bread machine so I am by no means an expert in that department… this (albeit lengthy) guide might help you convert the recipe: http://www.bhg.com/recipes/bread/converting-your-favorite-recipes/. I hope that helps! 🙁
Where do you get your flour? I buy most of mine from King Arthur Flour’s website. I live in outstate Minnesota and our grocerers mainly sell all pourpose white flour, and I have difficulty finding bread flour let alone the dark rye.
Shawn — I get my bread and dark rye flours from the regular grocery store’s baking section… but I do know that many specialty food stores (e.g., Whole Foods) carry a wide range of Bob’s Red Mill Flours, which is the brand of dark rye I get.
Thanks so much for linking to that guide! I’ll keep you updated if I find a recipe that works. Like I said, the flavor was fantastic so I’m willing to put in the work to get the texture right!
I do like to be hardcore and hands on with my baking when I have time, but otherwise I do have some love for my free bread machine.
Emily — Yes, please do keep me updated! I hope that link helps — I have nothing against the convenience of a bread machine, I just don’t have one myself! 🙂
i have found that the secret to making good bread in a bread machine is to add gluten…i know, i know, but i am not gluten intolerant and it makes a HUGE difference in the texture! it makes it so light and fluffy! you should add one teaspoon gluten for every cup of flour..and i have also found that with the gluten, bread flour is not necessary..just plain old all purpose will do! i have been baking our bread in a bread machine for years and we RARELY buy premade bread…i hope you will give gluten a try.
Hi Stephanie,
So happy you gave my recipe a try.
I love making my own steak bread, even tho we don’t eat steak, but the bread, of it’s so good! Now I want a grilled cheese sandwich with this bread! You had to mention it, didn’t you?
Roxana — YES! I loved this recipe so much, so thanks for the inspiration. And now I’m craving a grilled cheese sandwich, too. 🙂
Wow. I love this. I am very bread-phobic. Found you through G+. Also: I watched BSG this summer and became OBSESSED. Be careful, you may find yourself at 4 am thinking about watching another episode…
Dara — Oh, the 4 am urges to watch are already happening. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!