Is The Iconic Bread At LongHorn Steakhouse Actually Made Fresh?

Who doesn't love the bread at LongHorn Steakhouse? Honey-wheat flavored, thick, and crusted, everyone who goes there sings the bread's praises. If it's so good, then it's got to be made fresh. Right? Well ... not quite. LongHorn Steakhouse's bread is made by a bakery chain called Epi Breads, which ships bread out to restaurants from its Georgia and Michigan locations. While we don't know for certain if it comes in fresh or frozen, online consensus seems to be in favor of the latter; at least, people who claim to have been LongHorn Steakhouse employees say so, and there's no evidence to the contrary.

However, that doesn't mean this well-reviewed steak restaurant chain has no say in the matter. Epi Breads allows its clients to customize their bread, sending out samples based on specific requests and finalizing the recipe after feedback. While we don't know for sure if LongHorn Steakhouse went down this route, it seems like a practical business decision.

Just because LongHorn Steakhouse doesn't make their bread fresh doesn't mean that you can't. While there are some hard steps to baking bread, you can manage it with patience. LongHorn Steakhouse's specific recipe isn't widely available, but we can infer the ingredients from the various copycat recipes out there. Whichever recipe you follow, though, try not to over-knead the dough — that's a common mistake people make when baking bread.

One recipe from the blog Jen Around the World uses quick-ground oats and ground flaxseed to mimic the texture. Others, like Brendan Cunningham's, skip out on those ingredients, using mixed grains instead. Regardless, many recipes use ⅓ cup of honey for flavor, along with a dash of sugar and some buttermilk. They also use a mixture of whole wheat and all-purpose flour. If you want to get a little adventurous, you could try adding unsweetened cocoa powder, molasses, and instant coffee, like Lana Stuart. These ingredients can add some depth to the bread's otherwise sweet flavor.