Sweet Molasses Bread {Restaurant Knock-off}
This easy, delicious recipe for sweet molasses bread is just like the soft, tender loaves you get at your favorite steakhouse restaurant!
I should learn by now to never, ever, never-ever tell anyone that it’s been forever since I’ve been sick because the minute those words come out of my mouth, I swear to you, I have instantly the worst cold in a decade.
Healthy pride goeth before the fall, I suppose. That’s my reality this week.
After seriously not being sick in forever (I can say it out loud now since I’m already miserable), I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus. And for some strange reason, my HR department isn’t answering my phone calls about my allotted sick days. Weird.
Today, in the midst of feeling like my pounding head was stuffed inside too-small pantyhose, I remembered that I had a loaf of this sweet molasses bread hidden in the depths of my freezer and the realization almost made everything better.
A quick defrost in the microwave, several slices, and a healthy dose of butter later, I decided that sometimes self-medicating with bread is the best way to go (that and going to bed at 8:23 p.m. for several nights in a row).
We are in love with this bread and have made it too many times to count over the last few months.
Most of the remakes were in an attempt to get the perfect variation of ingredients – a slight hint of sweetness with the molasses and honey while keeping the beautiful dark color.
I’m not entirely sure why my kids go crazy for this bread but they do. The last two kids to celebrate birthdays have requested this bread as part of their birthday dinner and it’s their favorite thing to see in their lunch box.
If you’ve ever dined out at a popular steakhouse chain (like Outback and others), the sweet molasses bread they serve is always the best part of the meal, in my opinion, and the homemade version is even more delicious.
I’ve included some helpful tips and information in the notes below the recipe title but rest assured that this dough is a dream to work with. I hope you love it as much as we do. Just don’t forget to slather on that butter. It’s kind of a must.
While you contemplate why, how, when and where you’ll make this amazing sweet molasses bread, I’m off to arm wrestle my kindergartener for the last piece of our loaf and try to convince him he should try his 6-year old hand at making sweet molasses bread for his sick, old mother because it’s the right thing to do (actually, now that I’m typing that out loud, I’m not sure the mess would be worth it; maybe we’ll just dig in the freezer and hope for the good luck to find another misplaced loaf).
One Year Ago: My Favorite Lightened Up Egg Salad Sandwich
Two Years Ago: Candy Apple Pie
Three Years Ago: Spring Penne Pasta with Light Butter Sauce
Molasses Bread {Outback Knock-off}
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups warm water, about 110 degrees
- 1 ½ tablespoons instant yeast
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened, natural cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons oil (see note)
- ⅓ cup (113 g) honey
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 tablespoons vital wheat gluten, optional – see note
- 3 cups (426 g) white whole wheat flour
- 3 to 4 cups (426 to 568 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 to 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- Old-fashioned oats for sprinkling
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or in a large bowl with a wooden spoon if powering through this by hand), combine the water, yeast, molasses, cocoa powder, oil, honey, salt, gluten (if using), and 2 cups of the whole wheat flour. Mix until combined.
- With the mixer running, slowly add the rest of the whole wheat flour. Start adding the white flour gradually until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead for 5-7 minutes (about 10-15 if kneading by hand). The dough should be soft and slightly tacky but shouldn’t leave a lot of residue on your fingers if you grab a piece.
- Turn the dough into a large, lightly greased bowl, cover with greased plastic wrap or a light towel, and let rise until doubled, 1-2 hours.
- Lightly punch down the dough and divide into three equal pieces. Form into tight oval loaves and place on parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheets (I fit two loaves on one large, rimmed 11X17-inch baking sheet and the third loaf on another baking sheet). Lightly cover with greased plastic wrap or a light towel and let rise until puffy and doubled in size. Optional: right before baking, using a very sharp razor, knife or bread-slashing lame (I use this one from King Arthur Flour), cut three deep slashes in the top of each loaf.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the loaves for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and lightly brush with about a tablespoon of butter. Sprinkle with the oats and bake for another 5-7 minutes.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: inspired by this copycat recipe (sent to me by a longtime reader, Lien) and this recipe on Frieda’s site
253 Comments on “Sweet Molasses Bread {Restaurant Knock-off}”
Made these for our Valentine’s dinner, and my husband said (and I quote), “These are BOMB!” Next time I’ll just skip the oats on top, but truly they were perfection. I made them into rolls and they were beautiful, and tasty, and everything I could have hoped for. Thanks, Mel! 🙂
I dived into this recipe today, and was very pleased with how it came out. I just whipped it up in the stand mixer, I didn’t have vital gluten so I did the all bread flour instead of all purpose. It came out smelling so good, and it’s so soft. Will definitely make again!
I made this recipe today I found it a bit salty but my husband said it is not, we will eat this bread for breakfast as it is a bit sweet. I used my bread machine dough cycle and it was perfect, made a large loaf and 10 buns. I omitted the vital wheat gluten and used regular whole white flour instead of white, the dough was superb and so easy to handle. Thank you
This is sooooo good! My only problem was that my loaves burned on the bottom. Any idea how to prevent that? I put them on a light colored cookie sheet.
Hi Alex, try baking them one position up in the oven and/or decreasing the oven temp by 15-25 degrees.
Trying this as one loaf in the Dutch oven today, has anyone else had success with this?
Thanks!
Hey Mel!
Kind of a weird question, but what does the cocoa powder do in the bread? Is it for color, or is this like a sweet dessert bread? Sorry if this is a kinda dumb, self explanatory question….
Not a dumb question! It’s for color and to also deepen the color (but it doesn’t make this “chocolate” bread or an overly sweet bread).
Ahhhh, OK, that makes sense! Thanks Mel!
Delicious Recipe. Wasn’t too difficult to make. The first time I made it, I felt it was too salty, so I cut the salt in half the second time.. That seemed to taste better. I also added a quarter cup of sugar to increase the sweetness. Finally, I soaked some Cranberries in wine and sugar and added them before proofing.
While no longer a completely true replica of Outback’s bread, I like the flavor better. just my personal opinion.
In fact, I’m giving small loaves with my Christmas cookies gift boxes,
What a delcious reciepe. I am no way shape or form a baker. I have never before made anything that required yeast. But the directions were clear and easy to follow, that I was able to make three loaves of the best bread I’ve ever made.(The only bread I’ve ever made.) I’m going to repeat the experiance for Christmas presents.
Way to go, Mike!
I have made this twice now. It’s a big hit in our house! I made some into rolls for a brunch last week, and 5 people demanded the recipe! For the sticky dough comments: add all the flour to the recipe, and mix well. Then cover the dough and let it rest for about 20 minutes to hydrate the flour. Whole grain flour takes longer to absorb moisture, hence the temptation to add more flour.
Also, I do all my measurements by weight when possible, because this is a much more accurate way to measure dry ingredients, especially flour.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Wowweee wow wow wow! This bread is excellent. I used to be able to get molasses bread at Paradise Bakery some years back. They no longer are around so I was wanting a copycat type recipe and this one fits the bill Mel. I usually make smaller 12 oz. Loaves…..works better for my size family now. Bread freezes well so it stays fresh really well this way. I got five of the smaller loaves…. Great texture and crumb. Excellent flavor! Thanks so much!
Just made this bread and followed your recipe exactly and it’s amazing. I added maybe 1/2 cup more bread flour and it was sticky but I could still handle it and shape it. I was afraid with the amount of molasses I wouldn’t like it, but it taste wonderful and it’s so soft ans tender.
I am excited to try this recipe! I have perhaps an odd question. Have you ever used sourdough starter instead of the yeast?
Not with this recipe – sorry!
I’ve made this recipe three times. The first time I didn’t use the vital gluten and it was a big fail. The last time it came out perfect and just now it is a beautifully risen dough waiting to be baked. I wish I could add a picture of the risen dough. And it’s correct, the oatmeal is just decoration. But it’s cute. This is a total keeper recipe!
I haven’t made yet but definitely will. I always heard that rainy wet weather was not good for making yeast bread. Is this true. Been making bread for a long time just not in rainy weather. I love your recipes and your website. First place I go when looking for something new. Thank you!
Hi Valerie – rainy weather (particularly humid rainy weather) can wreak havoc on bread rising and baking, but it shouldn’t be significant. I live in a dry climate but make bread on rainy days as well as sunny days.
I’ve made this recipe three times. The first time I didn’t use the vital gluten and it was a big fail. The last time it came out perfect and just now it is a beautifully risen dough waiting to be baked. I wish I could add a picture of the risen dough. And it’s correct, the oatmeal is just decoration. But it’s cute. This is a total keeper recipe!
I am in the process of making the Sweet Molasses Bread. It is in the first rise but I must say this is the stickiest dough. I added at least 4 cups of bread flour and it sticks like crazy. it is also almost over flowing the bowl. Is this normal? Hopefully when it comes time to shape it it will hold its shape.
It’s ok to add additional flour, if needed. The exact flour amount depends on so many different factors (elevation, humidity, how we each measure flour, etc) so adding extra flour is ok until a soft, workable dough is achieved.
So I used seven cups of flour and it was still just a big tacky mess that stuck to everything. Thoughts?
Hi April, it’s ok to keep adding flour until the texture of the dough is right – even upwards of a cup. So many factors affect the exact amount of flour – like elevation, humidity, mixer type, how we each measure flour, etc.
This was a huge hit in my house! My family thinks I’m an amazing cook, but it’s really just your recipes. Thank you so much!
This recipe sounds amazing. Have you ever made this in a bread machine? If so, did you 1/2 the ingredients or ? ? thanks.
I don’t own a bread machine, so I haven’t used it for this dough. Sorry!
This is the first recipe from the website rejected by every family member! I bake a ton, and the bread turned out great. It has a very strong molasses flavor that no one could get past. Mel, we love your recipes and this website! We will try another soon to make up for this one.
Can you tell me the cook time if I want to make dinner rolls instead of the 3 loaves?
I usually bake my dinner rolls for 17-20 minutes.
Another amazing bread recipe. I made this today to the delight of everyone who tried it. I followed the recipe exactly and it was absolute perfection.
I made this as a No Knead bread..no gluten added. I used All Purpose Flour. Used a wooden spoon to mix.
Let it sit overnite covered with plastic wrap.
Next day..preheat oven to 450 F I put the dough in Two greased loaf pans while oven is heating up. Both pans I covered with loaf pans as tops.
Baked for 30 minutes. Covers off…bake for another 10 to 15 minutes.
Turned out perfect.
And I find less complicated than the original.
Made this bread, so delicious. Soft,tender,lovely flavour. Only used A/P flour and the vital wheat gluten and didn’t have to add the last cup of flour. Definitely a keeper recipe. Next time will make into 2 loaves instead of three. Can use loaf pans for this if you dont want to to freeform them on a sheet pan.
This recipe makes delicious, soft, and chewy bread – great as sandwich or dinner bread. Made 2 large loaves and 8 good size rolls today, using milled oats in place for the wheat flour. Sprayed the loaves after shaping for the oats to stick and it worked perfectly. Just reserved the butter for after baking.
This is a keeper.
Great recipe! Turned out amazing! Thank you!
Love, love, love this bread. I am going to make it again with added walnuts and chopped dates. Wonder how it will turn out
A short story and recipe is better than so many unnecessary words…
There’s a handy “jump to recipe” button at the top of the page if the unnecessary words bother you! 🙂
your comments are not NECESSARY
Made this today for the first time and it is DELICIOUS! Definitely going into my “Tried & True” recipe binder!
I ended up using 4 cups of bread flour instead of the all-purpose flour. Used an instant-read thermometer to test the bread to make sure it was done inside. A search on the Internet said that the bread should be between 190°-200° and King Arthur Flour said to bake it until it was between 205°-210°, so I decided to take it out when it was around 200° just to be on the safe side. It was perfect.
I saw a YouTube video on how to make your own lame for slashing the top of the bread. You buy some double-edged razor blades (I got 100 of them from Amazon for less than $7.00) and you slip the end of a small paintbrush (like a decorative painting one) through one of the razor blades (be careful!) and voila — an inexpensive lame. Worked wonderfully!
Hi Mel, just wanted to ask a question and leave a rave review for your soft pretzel rolls. It was my second time baking anything but because of your wonderful instructions with photos on how the dough should look, they turned out beautifully!! I took them to Christmas in 2018 and everyone loved them, so thank you!! I’ve used your site ever since. 🙂
I haven’t baked much bread since then, so I’m getting back into it, and I didn’t know you could actually buy wheat gluten to make sure you get a nice good rise and a fluffy bread loaf. Do you have any guidelines as to how much people should use in their bread recipes? Thanks!! 🙂
Adding gluten basically makes it like you are using bread flour – so if you want to use it in a bread recipe that calls for all-purpose or whole wheat flour, you can add about 1 tablespoon wheat gluten for every cup of flour.
Great, thanks so much!!! That’s very helpful. Take care. ❤
Can I use traditional active dry yeast instead of instant? How will that change the instructions? Thanks!!
This post has some helpful info about subbing active dry yeast for instant yeast: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/guide-to-baking-with-yeast/
I’m not sure what happened but when I made this bread the measurement for the flour seemed way under estimated. It was very wet and didn’t hold together after 4 cups I had to add quite a bit more maybe even 2 cups. I didn’t measure after 4 as I thought I would just keep adding a little until it was the right consistency. Any thoughts
Adding extra flour isn’t necessarily a bad thing – so many factors effect the exact amount of flour needed (elevation, humidity, how we each measure flour)…so it should be ok! Did the bread turn out?
Has anyone scaled this down to 2 loaves? I love this bread but three large loaves is just too much for my two person family.
This is a belated reply but I halve this recipe to accommodate my 1.5 lb bread machine’s “dough” program and it is perfect. I divide the dough into 3 (sometimes 4 depending on the batch) equal portions and place in greased small loaf pans to rise then bake as instructed just for a shorter time. We ignore the oats. It’s our new family favorite!
Wonderful!
This was soo GOOD! Thanks for sharing the recipe, it turned out fantastic!
This is the 4th “Steakhouse bread” recipe I have tried and it is, by FAR, the BEST! The only changes I made were adding 1 Tbs caramel coloring (to get that dark, rich “black” color and baking in 3 loaf pans instead of freeform. I will be making this MANY times in the future!!! Thanks for sharing!
Oh my word! This bread is incredible!!!
What about the butter?
Actually, a very nice bread. I just figured the butter must not be part of the recipe and used it at the end.
Can’t run to the store, so I used rye flour instead of wheat. Next time I’m upping the molasses a bit and adding raisins. The gluten really helps. I had to order from Amazon..no small size available, tough times, so now I’m overstocked with a five pound bag. That’s ok. I’ll try making bagels!
The butter goes on top of the bread after baking.
I’m avoiding the grocery store due to the pandemic so I used two squares of unsweetened chocolate (melted) and mulitgrain flour instead of whole wheat. It was sooooo good we have to have our steak tomorrow! When bread wins over the BBQ that says alot
This is sooo yummy. Thanks. I made half the recipe in my bread machine using bread flour only and no gluten at your suggestion. We love it! Tastes just like steak house bread that is served.
I love this bread! Made it in my bread machine because I’m lazy and it’s absolutely divine. Hoping to make little rolls for a church potluck this Sunday. My fiancé suggested putting a schmear of cream cheese on it and oml I could die!
Do you happen to have a recipe for Cream Cheese Factory little dark loaves of bread. We love it and would like to make it at home. I certainly am going to try this one as it looks delicious. Do you think I could make mini loaves out of it, it almost looks the color and texture of the CC Factory ones.
Yes, you could definitely make mini loaves.
***Bread Machine***
Did half the recipe ( as close as possible ) Added: 1/2 tsp. ground ginger ( helps with rising ), and 3 Tbsp. Brown sugar.
Mixed all the ingredients together except flours and put in Cuisinart Bread Machine ( 1.5 lb. Setting on dark crust and Sweet Bread program 3hrs 20 mins.
Put flours in and pressed start. Machine did all the work and I ended up with one beautiful sized loaf. I skipped the egg wash and oatmeal step.
Thank you Laurie! I was just wondering if I could use my bread maker! You’re the best!!
The flavor is good. But not as good as the steakhouse bread. But the main problem is the bake time. The bread was way under baked. I’ve baked enough bread that I should have known that 30 minutes at 325 would not be near enough time
Maybe because the recipe calls for a 375-degree oven, not 325? That 50 degree difference would make a huge impact on the results. 🙂 I made it for the first time today and it made 3 delicious loaves.
I have been wanting to make this recipe for ever! So, finally got around to it yesterday. The dough was perfect, slightly sticky as stated in the recipe. I usually use that last cup of flour for kneading out loaves so I don’t get too much flour in the dough but I did need to add more flour while kneading. The loaves rose nicely and baked up beautifully and had a wonderful texture. Though, at the 25 minute mark, they were already done and getting a little dark, but that could be my oven, it has been running a bit high as of late. As for the flavor, however, I was disappointed. They were very molassesy tasting. I found a recipe elsewhere, that is this exact recipe except it has 1 tble less molasses. Not sure why this recipe would add that extra tble, as it surely does not need it. But, with that said, I don’t know if one tble would make that much of a difference making it overly molassesy tasting. Probably would try again but less molasses, little more honey, like someone else suggested and 1/2 the recipe so I don’t have white so much.
Is there an idea of how long the second proof should be?
On average I guess!
Depends on the warmth of your kitchen, but I’d say about an hour or a little longer.
I agree it has too strong a molasses flavor. My husband and toddler liked the bread, but I couldn’t get past it. Will probably use 1/2 cup of molasses.
This bread is amazing! Perfect texture, perfect balance of flavors, wonderful all around. I’ve made big loaves and small, even bread stick shaped (trying to emulate cheesecake factory). All have turned out great!
That was my question above. I love that bread at Cheesecake Factory and this looks so much like it only larger. Think I’ll try what you did and make some smaller. Thanks.
I failed at this one. I’m not sure what I did wrong. Maybe it was the dry active yeast? Maybe it was the whole grain wheat flour or the bread flour? I’m not sure. It was bitter, and while it was sweet, it wasn’t that tasty. I’m sure it was an error somewhere on my end, but it totally wrecked my confidence. I’ll try again when my ego recovers lol.
My family devours this bread! Even my picky eater, haha.
Mel,
Michelle Doran is my niece. My other niece Melanie who goes by Mel, has thrilled us many times with your recipes. My friend bakes the molasses bread once a month for our sacrament bread. I have been dying for the recipe. Bread is one of my forte’s in baking. When she told me it was your recipe, I just laughed and thought “Of course it is” . You are amazing . Such a fun wonderful thing to follow and use your recipes for love and goodness. Thanks for the beautiful job you do for ALL OF US!!!
Fondly, Karen Spjute
Such a fun comment! Thanks for checking in, Karen! I love all the connections…and I have NO doubt you’ll make this bread even more amazing since you are already a bread rock star!
I was very excited to make this one! The bread and put looking and smelling great … sliced a quick piece to taste … I’m hoping it’ll be a bit sweeter in taste after the flavored meld over night. Otherwise I could increase the honey. I find I have to do this with some bread recipes. Next time I also would cut the recipe in half just to make one loaf. I didn’t use the extra gluten bit used King Arthur organic bread flour. I also brushed and egg white mixed with water to have the oatmeal stick on … dairy free over here. Mel, you might want to change the 3-4 cups of flour because it does look kinda like 3/4 cups of AP flour … I even got confused at first and I’m a professional baker. I read the reviews to see if other people’s dough was sticky and sure enough another woman wrote she did the same thing. I let my loaves rise 1 hr on the baking sheet but others might be looking for a more specific time frame for the second rise, I was. Thanks so this recipe. I’m going to try some of your others breads. Do you have a rosemary olive oil one? Btw your best yellow cake I’ve made probably over 500 hundred times (no exaggeration). Love it and I’ve used it to make so many other recipes that call for box cake as a basic start ie I just made apple cider donut cake with your yellow cake recipe subbing 1/2c apple cider for the milk … and cinnamon/shredded apples (bundt pan … sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar on top while still warm … so good! Oh yeah, and some people say they have issues with the sinking in the middle of the yellow cake … I did at first too. What worked for me was using regular sour cream not light or nonfat and then 1%milk. Perfect combo. I also added extra 1/2 tsp. Of baking soda like you mentioned. Thanks so much!!!!
Thanks for the comment, Nikki! That apple cider donut cake variation sounds AMAZING! I’ll take a look at this recipe to see if I can make the instructions more clear. Thank you!
I just made this although I am letting it rise first. Found the dough to be extremely sticky so next time I’m only using 1 1/2 c water. Let’s hope it turns out. Keep you updated
I made the bread as written, after the first rise. Bread was very stick & unable shape. The recipe did not state a time for the second rise. I think the recipe is missing some steps, revise the amount of water, and instructions bread machine.
If I want to make loaves of bread how do I divide the dough up and is cooking time and degree the same?
Hi Emily, I’m not exactly sure what you mean. The recipe makes 2-3 loaves of bread. Are you wanting to make fewer loaves than that?
Well i was going to use a loaf pan instead of a cookie sheet…. does that change the temperature r cooking time?
Ok, I see…I would keep the temperature the same and probably bake it 5-6 minutes longer.
Thank you
It came out amazing I’m never buying bread again #homemade ❤️
Perfection! Better than any restaurant bread!
Make this and complete your day. So theraputic! It’s 85 degrees out here in Utah but we are making this and your chicken wild rice soup tonight and pretending it’s proper September/fall weather! The house smells amazing!!
Sounds like the perfect meal (85 degrees or not!)
I am making this recipe right now but I was having issues with the amount of yeast. It seems like that is too much yeast. I am waiting for it to rise and hopefully it taste as good as the reviews that I read. I can smell the yeast while waiting for the dough to rise.
Will update you with the result and if it taste as close as Cheesecake Factory bread.
Thanks for the recipe.
Lo
Made this in the breadmaker and it is fabulous!!!! I cut the recipe in half, put the water and yeast together along with a 1/4 tsp sugar to sit for 5 minutes. Combined all wet ingredients. combined all dry ingredients. Placed yeast mix in maker first, followed by wet ingredients, then dry. Set the breadmaker to white loaf, large, light crust. So stinkin good!!!
Hi Kimberly, what kind of flour did you use when you made this in your bread machine? I have a bread machine, but every time I’ve used it, my bread hasn’t worked out! Would love to try this recipe in the bread machine!
Delicious! I just made this bread and didn’t think it was going to turn out because the dough was much stickier than other bread recipes I have made. I ended up making 2 standard size loads and 1 mini loaf, and followed the recipe except for 2 tbls of brown sugar as a few others have done.
It came out perfect! Thanks for the recipe, it’s a keeper!
Loafs! Darned auto correct!
Actually, ‘loaves’ 🙂
ugh
We love this bread!
Hi Mel, I’m SO grateful for all of the time and effort that you must put into this site!!! So much amazing information! I just recently inherited a Nutrimill grinder from my mother-in-law and am excited to start into the world of wheat grinding. That being said, I’m looking at this recipe and can’t wait to try it, but I was wondering: do you have a key somewhere on your site for what you do to achieve your different types of flour? Does “white whole wheat flour” = soft or hard white wheat that you have ground yourself, or store purchased? Do you purchase your all purpose flour from the store, or do you have a blend that you grind to use for that? Do the amounts listed in this recipe change if I’m using freshly ground vs store purchased flour? Sorry for all of the questions, but I just want to make sure I’m using the right amounts and interpreting your recipe correctly for optimal results! 😉 Thanks so much!
Hi Jennifer – I did a post a long time ago that might be helpful: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/wheat-and-wheat-grinding-101-the-wheat-types-where-to-buy-and-what-to-make/
But in a nutshell, I almost always use hard white wheat berries to grind my flour. I still purchase unbleached all-purpose flour from the store. All my recipes are written using freshly ground whole wheat flour or storebought unbleached all-purpose flour, so if you are using a different blend or flour than that, you may need to make adjustments. Hope that helps!
This is THE most wonderful bread of all time. And you are sooooooo right, it is MUCH better than the restaurant bread. I live in Crossville TN and the baking company here actually makes Outack’s bread. At least in Tennessee they do. I don’t know if there are others elsewhere. Anyway my husband is a self proclamed bread expert. Lol and this is his absolute favorite. Thanks so much for this recipe. I see it being made many many times over the years to come
Has anyone tried it in a dutch oven?
COULD THIS BE DONE WITH JUST UNBLEACHED ALL PURPOSE FLOUR INSTEAD OF THE COMBINATION OF THE TWO FOURS ?
Yes, although the loaves might be lighter in color.
I’ve made this into rolls, three loaves, one oversized loaf and every other combination. Absolutely perfect every time.
How long would you cook this bread if you used mini loaf pans?
Probably about 20 minutes.
Turned out beautifully! I did add 2 TB brown sugar, as we like sweet bread. Made it for our St Patricks day dinner! Yummo! Will definitely make again!
Just in case anyone is wondering whether they could half the recipe for a small family: yes, it halved easily and I ended up with 6 huge fluffy delicious rolls (“huge” as in sandwich-is-a -meal size!)…used bread flour (along with the whole wheat of course) and no gluten. Thank you, Mel!
The dough was runny. I made it to and both times it was runny. I’ve been making bread for over 20 years. Normally with this amount of flour you typically use one and a 1/2 cups of water. Two and 1/2 cups of water was the problem here. I had to add more flour and it lost its shape when I’m trying to raise it. I was afraid to put in too much flour creating a consistency that was way too dense. I’ll have to try another recipe this one didn’t work for me.
I had the same problem, until I realized the measurement for the all purpose flour is 3 to 4 cups, not 3/4 cup. Made the adjustment and the recipe came out great.
Hi Tom, I’ve had the same problem with the oats, but discovered that by brushing the top with egg white and a little water, sprinkle on the oats then brush again with egg white, voila !!!!
Mel! This bread is delicious! I have tried your Rosemary Bread, French bread and this Molasses bread. Thanks to your wonderful recipes and specific instructions, my family thinks I’m a rockstar! Can’t wait to try your other bread recipes…one at a time!
-Michelle
Thank you, Michelle!
Can this recipe be made and baked in a 3 lb bread machine?
I’m not sure, Kathryn – sorry!
I bought a lame to cut slashes in the tops of my bread loaves, but every time I slash my bread after they have risen, the loaves deflate! It makes me so frustrated! I’m sure the lame is sharp because the blade is brand new. I have tried using extra sharp knives before as well, but those also deflated my loaves. Do you have any ideas or tips for slashing the bread without causing it to deflate?
Hi Mary Ellen – some it may be technique. It took me a few tries to figure out how to angle the lame so it sliced the bread without deflating it. Having said that, others have recommended slashing before it rises. You might try that. The divots/slashes will be wider since they’ll expand while the bread rises, but then you don’t have to worry about slashing right before baking.
Is the dough supposed to be runny? I double checked my measurements and I followed it correctly
The dough should have the consistency of a pretty “normal” yeast bread dough.
Made the dough in the bread machine, made into rolls in the oven. Please note that this recipe makes A LOT OF ROLLS. My 2 lb bread machine was overflowing with dough. Next time I’ll probably halve the amounts. They came out amazing and delicious, though.
If you have time and would be so kind, could you copy and paste the recipe above, altered with what you did for making the dough in a bread machine? I don’t have a stand mixer (I’m a convert of the 5 min a day bread) but my mom has a bread machine. I would certainly appreciate it, and I’m sure I’m not the only one!
Terrific recipe! Is it possible to put the dough in bread pans to bake?
I think so!
This recipe is fantastic, with one exception and that is the oatmeal does fall off! I do wish thatI could put it into a couple of loaf pans to bake.
Hi Tom, I’ve had the same problem with the oats, but discovered that by brushing the top with egg white and a little water, sprinkle on the oats then brush again with egg white, voila !!!!
this is a great recipe…this is my first time making bread ever and followed the recipe exactly. the weather wasnt hot enough the first time so it didnt rise much..2nd time i made it in the day…85 degrees out and it rose beautifully! thank you!
question– any tips on enhancing the molasses flavor without adding more molasses? (dont want to unbalance the wet to dry ratio)
Not really sure about the molasses flavor question, to be honest. The only solutions I can think of would be adding more liquid (like molasses or maybe even barley malt syrup).
I have been baking bread for the last 20 years. I have tried hundreds of recipes. This is one of the very best I have ever tried!! I used white wheat and bread flour instead of gluten. It was soooo delicious, I had to share it with all my neighbors.
You never let me down, Mel! Thank you!
So happy to hear it, Cheryl!
LOVED IT!!! Will be making this again and again and again. I couldn’t find white whole wheat flour at my regular grocery store, so I used whole wheat and it turned out perfectly (I kneaded the dough for 7 mins). I also used active yeast (5 tsp) since I have a lot of it, so I proof the yeast with all of the water, honey and molasses and then added the rest of the ingredients as called for. It was an easy recipe and didn’t take much time to put together. Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Side Note: If you are having a hard time finding the Vital Wheat Gluten (like I did) check the health food isle with the gluten free flours (Bob’s Red Mill).
My post is a little late but I made this bread last Thanksgiving. Unfortunately in the middle of baking we lost power and didnt get it back for 2 hours. My loaves didnt rise but still tasted great. Im going to try again.
Hello. Im planning to make that bread but I need to bake it in the morning. Do you think I could make dough the day before and do first raise in a room temp and then shape loaves and proof in the fridge? Im thinking to pull them out of fridge in the morning and leave them in room temp for an hour or so then bake…would that work? thanks
Yes, I think that could work very well. Good luck!
When I made this a second time, I added 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. It added a little more depth to the flavor, and helped balance out the molasses a little more.
Love, love this bread! For a newbie bread maker, this recipe is perfect. The dough behaved the way the recipe said it would and baked wonderfully! The added gluten is worth using I think (ordered it off Amazon if you can’t find it in stores). The bread has a great texture and chewiness. This bread flavour is a memory from my childhood that I haven’t been able to replicate until now. Thank you!
I tried this recipe for the first time tonight, which was also my first attempt at a “brown” bread, and I confess, I was a little nervous. But the dough was very easy to work with (I used bread flour in place of the white because I didn’t have vital wheat gluten) and it rose beautifully. Even though it was a tad underdone when I sliced it (this happens to me with bread a lot despite using the hollow-thump test and checking with a thermometer), the family all pronounced it delicious and said they liked it as much as the dinner rolls I typically make. Thanks for another awesome bread recipe, Mel, I knew I could trust yours! Do you have any other tips for checking bread done-ness? I don’t usually have a problem with rolls but my loaves often are a little doughy on the bottom half.
Hey Danielle – this bread actually turns out underdone on me a lot, too. I don’t think you are alone. I’ve learned to cook it almost 5-10 minutes past when I think it is really done (which I wouldn’t normally do because most breads would be dry, but this bread needs it).
Hi. Just found this recipe and I’m excited to try it out. Would I be able to use all whole wheat flour instead of both whole wheat and all purpose? Thanks.
Could certainly try!
Thank you for the wonderful recipe. We entire family loved it. I made the dough in my bread machine, I did the final raise myself, and I baked it in the oven. Omg yummy. I wish I could post a picture.
Where do you find recipe
Why would you have all these comments and cant find recipe
https://www.melskitchencafe.com/sweet-molasses-bread/
Used rye flour instead of whole wheat…’twas delicious. This is our new favorite bread recipe.
Hi, can you freeze the dough and bake later?
Thank you in advance.
I haven’t tried that but I often freeze it after it has baked and cooled.
Ok, so I just made the dough and I don’t know what happened as I’ve made bread before. I used bread flour and it took me like 7 1/2 cups to get it to where I could manage it in my hands and not stick and looked like it’s supposed to! The only thing I could think is that maybe because it’s bread flour vs regular? The bread flour may have been a little old but I don’t think that would matter. Also, I kept it on medium/high in my kitchen aid and kept trying to knead it for awhile thinking it would come together but it didn’t so I just kept adding more flour. I finally got it right but it took 7 1/2 cups! I’m definitely scared to see how this turns out. :/
Hi Mel,
Just curious, what do you usually serve this with? I can imagine soup, but probably not pasta right?
Actually, I think we’ve served it with just about everything! It’s slightly on the heavy/hearty end for pasta but I made it with a lighter pasta dish (I think garlic noodles) and it was great.
My daughter is doing baking for 4H this year and her requirement is to use at least half whole grain flour. We have tried different recipes for rye, and whole wheat flours but nothing had come out right. I decided it was time to try bread flour as my white half. This was the first recipe we attempted with a bread flour/whole wheat mix. I mixed three cups of each into a bowl and whisked it together so no matter how much was used it would be a 50/50 blend. We didn’t have honey on hand so I substituted light corn syrup for that. Everything else was followed to the letter except the rises and I doubled the yeast. This caused it to nearly triple in size during the first rise. I then seperated in to two loaves and placed on a baking sheet. Which they became too large for upon second rise. Which caused me to have to reform them in to new loaves on individual sheets they then rose another time. Upon preparing for the oven by scoring the tops I noticed that the middle of one wasn’t uniform so I kneaded them once more making more uniform loaves and yet another rise. So after 4 rises I finally had them scored to my liking and ready to go in.
I pulled them out when hollow sounding on bottom checked internal temp and was 185 I figured this was close enough. Let it cool slightly then sliced a piece off for my daughter and I. Yummmmmmmmm! We then went back for seconds and used a bit of butter on the slices. The butter took it to a whole other level.
We may have found her recipe for judging!
The only thing I have a question about is I didn’t brush in butter and continue baking, would that have caused my loaves to be very light in color compared to the picture? Ours looked more like a whole wheat sandwhich loaf color. It’s good no doubt but wanted a darker color for presentation. I could try upping the cocoa or brushing with butter if that would darken it up more.
Either way thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Hi Ryan – thanks for all the details! You can get better browning on the top of your loaf by putting your oven rack a bit higher in the oven (at least, this helps sometimes for me) and yes, the butter should help with browning, too.
You could add some instant coffee to the recipe.
I totally impressed myself– this bread turned out beautiful! And absolutely delicious! Seriously delicious. I made 4 batches of this recipe to take to a colonial days activity with my 4th grader. The first batch I put the oats on top with the butter for the last 5 minutes of baking, as stated in the recipe. It was pretty, but those gorgeous oats fell right off when bagging the bread. The next batch, just before baking, I brushed on egg whites, sprinkled the oats, then dabbed some more egg white wash on to make sure those oats were glued down to the bread. During the last 5 minutes of baking I gave the whole loaf a good coat in melted better. Those oats stuck beautifully and was able to transport the loaves with without the oats falling off.
Great idea!
This was the most delicious bread I’ve ever made! Yum. I served it with your Autumn Minestrone Soup. If you know the scene from What About Bob, when Bob is mming and aahing about every bite, that was how I felt about the meal. Scrumptious. Thank you!
Question for you: Can you use Graham Flour instead? If so do we still need the vital gluten stuff as well and would we do same measurements for the wheat/all purpose flour as shown only using graham flour in place of white/whole wheat?
I’ve never used graham flour so I’m not sure Heidi -you’ll have to experiment. Good luck!
Hi Mel-
This looks delicious! I am looking forward to making it this week. Thank you for the recipe.
Quick question, I do not have instant yeast, but I do have active yeast. Would I need to change the way I make this bread? Thanks in advance.
Usually you can proof the same amount of active dry yeast (maybe just a pinch more) in 1/4 cup of warm water and a pinch of sugar. Once it’s foaming and bubbly, you can add it to the recipe. Does that help?
I made this bread today and it was wonderful. I gave one to the gentleman across the highway , he just called me to tell me that it was fantastic .. My husband has eaten 4 slices , and is headed to the kitchen for another slice .. I will be making this for the Thankgiving dinner at church. This is one “knock off “recipe that frankly is better then the original. Great Recipe
All I can say is YUM! This made 3 huge loaves so I might cut it in half next time since there are only two of us. I used all bread flour / no gluten since I didn’t have any white whole wheat and it was fine.
Tried this tonight and it was a hit. The youngest was delighted that there was chocolate in it, the oldest was mad that he couldn’t particularly taste the chocolate, but everyone was pleased with the bread! I really loved that it doesn’t even touch your counter–no last kneading and shaping step that requires spreading flour everywhere. So easy!
Yum. We had this with some potato corn chowder and it was the perfect rainy day meal. I’m thrilled that there are 2 more loaves!! Thanks!
Delicious recipe, I love the flavor! I used my KitchenAid mixer for the dough, though…the bread was more dense and not as fluffy as I would have hoped. The flavor is right on though…thank you!
Delicious, the wife and kids loved it thank you for the great recipes. Would add a pic but don’t know how to load it here.
is there any way to move your blog sigh “see what we’re sharing? It covers up half your page and your recipes., and is very annoying. I thought it would go away after i followed you but it doesn’t.
made this a few times this week and it’s amazing! served it at an etiquette dinner for the youth in our ward and it was a hit. everyone loved it. thank you!
This bread is amazing! I just baked bread for the first time using you French Bread Roll recipe and decided to be adventurous and try this one. It turned out great! My 2 1/2 year old came down the stairs after his nap and happily called down the stairs “I smell something yummy cooking!” So, thanks for making this bread baking amateur a hit with her toddler!
We all sat down and took our first bites. As my brain was being flooded with dopamine and I was left speechless, my preschooler exclaimed, “Mom, this bread is gooder than 1000 thumbs up!” Seriously, this is the best. bread. ever. I have never eaten at any of those restaurants, so I had no idea what to expect. Warm out of the oven topped with butter…there is nothing better. Thanks Mel!!!
So happy you loved this one, Melanie! It’s one of our favorite breads. Your preschooler’s comment is so cute!
This recipe sounds wonderful, and I can’t wait to try it. I was wondering if you could add raisins to the dough?
Thank you.
I haven’t tried it but you could certainly experiment!
Hi Mel,
If making these into rolls, do I cut the baking time down to 15 minutes? Thank you.
Probably – 14-15 minutes should do the trick.
Definitely need to try this–looks great! And so glad to find your website. Just bought a grain mill last month and have the 3 types of wheat (White (soft and hard) and Hard Red, Plus Einkhorn, and ahve been experimenting with % of each (with a lot resulting in flat bread!). Takes time to figure out what works. Love how you actually specify type of wheat in your recipes. I am wondering if you have made with less sugar–I typically add about 1 tablespoon and that’s enough for me. Will probably try this now with less and see! thank you, will subscribe!
Hello,
I had a question about bread flour v. ap flour in bread recipes. Why does this (any many other bread recipes) not use bread flour? If I used bread flour instead of AP flour what would happen? Thanks!
I usually use all-purpose because I don’t often keep bread flour on hand but yes, you can generally sub in bread flour for a chewier loaf if you’d like.
Making this bread today! I plan to freeze two loaves. How do you unfreeze it? (Very preferably in a way that does not use a microwave please!)
I usually just let it sit on the counter for a couple hours until it’s defrosted.
I made this delicious bread today. It takes a bit longer to rise compared to other yeast breads, but it is well worth the wait! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Hi Mel!
Just wanted you to know I made this over the weekend. It is the first bread I’ve made in 5 years and the first with wheat flour and gluten. I was nervous and incredibly shocked (because of my time out of the bread baking game) when it turned out fabulous! I may have eaten one loaf myself but luckily for my waistline the other two were popped into the freezer. Thanks a ton!
Way to go, Carrie!
I tried this bread recipe and i cannot stop making it since. Its become my favourite …best with ricotta and honey ! Thank you so much mel . Can you please share a multi grain bread recipe with seeds and all.i want to stop buying it from the market and i know if there will be something to replace that its gonna be one of ur recipes. Thanks a million 🙂
I LOVE THIS BREAD!!!!! Thank you so much! It’s gonna be my go-to, can’t wait to make rolls from it too 🙂
I got the email notification for this recipe and made it straight away. I have two dear friends going through rough patches so I took them each a loaf. We are all huge fans. It’s been a week, I’m thinking its time to make more bread!!
Holy moly this bread is delicious! I stayed up late last night to make this and it is AMAZING. I could probably eat the whole loaf in one sitting. Your yeasted bread recipes are always a hit in my house. Keep ’em coming. 🙂
Mel, what is a vital gluten and where do I buy it? I only have the unbleached wheat flour, can I use it for this bread plus the unbleached all purpose flour? Thanks.
Hi Ela – vital wheat gluten is part of the wheat that’s extracted and processed so it can be added back into bread recipes – it helps develop the natural gluten and helps homemade breads have a chewy, soft texture (for instance, storebought bread flour is higher in gluten which is why it usually produces a really chewy bread). I’ve never heard of unbleached wheat flour, is it just regular wheat flour? Do you know if it’s white or red wheat? Either way, I think you can probably use it with the unbleached all-purpose flour. I usually buy my wheat gluten online (the HOneyville or Bob’s Red Mill brand on Amazon) or it can usually be found near the flour at a grocery store.
Umm I meant DELISH. Spell check…
I used my bread machine to mix the dough both times I made this and I had good success. But my bread machine is a bigger capacity one, I think its close to a 2# capacity one. So if you have a smaller one, I wouldn’t advise it. This amount of flour gives it a good workout. Maybe try a half recipe? I baked it in my connected French bread pan with holes and it turned out so crusty and relish! Thanks for the great recipe, Mel.
Ok Mel, I have a quick freezing question … I usually slice my bread before freezing .. Is this bread better if frozen as the whole loaf .. Or sliced ? I can experiment .. But if you already have .. I’ll totally take your word for it 🙂
I sometimes feel like my bread dries out a little if it’s sliced before freezing so I usually freeze the loaf whole.
I am excited to try this… It will go great with dinner …but with three little ones is this recipe ok to put in my bread machine to make the dough and take it out to bake!!?? I need quick and simple around here! 😉
Certainly worth a try although I don’t use a bread machine myself so I’m not sure how the dough amounts would fit into your particular model – just make sure it doesn’t overflow!
Made it today as part of Sunday dinner in place of our usual rolls or biscuits
This was delicious! My husband’s comment was, “This is really good. This is like restaurant bread.” Clearly the “knock-off” part is doing it’s job! Paired it with the chicken pot pie baked potatoes, making the whole dinner a hit. Love all your recipes–even though I’ve never commented before 🙂
Thanks, Brianne – loved the first-time comment!
I made this last week and we’ve (ok, mostly I’ve) almost finished off the second loaf already. I love the darkness of the bread and the flavor. My husband had a bite of my slice this morning and I asked him to guess the secret ingredient that makes it so dark. He rolled his eyes and smiled at me when I said unsweetened cocoa powder – I had to say UNsweetened because he apparently thinks I put chocolate into way too many things and they magically become a dessert 🙂 I actually used Dutch processed cocoa and it turned out phenomenal! I’ll definitely be making this again.
So sorry to hear you are sick. Hope you feel better soon..
Now, about the bread!! The only reason to go to Outback was their bread…until they changed the recipe. It is awful now.. when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it..
Oh MY ! 3 loaves in the oven and 3 wrapped tightly, unbaked, in freezer..I made them small like outback loaves. I make a lot of bread..ALOT..and this is by far the prettiest, tastiest best ever bread dough! It tastes (raw, of course, I had to.. 😉 ) just like Outback’s old recipe…I am so excited. And the dough was such a pleasure to work with – I am tempted to take out my mixer and make another batch..that way I can eat a loaf (or two) before anyone gets home 🙂
So happy you loved this especially since you loved the original Outback bread, Chris!
Mmmm….. This bread looks so good……
I made it today, and it was super delicous, but mine doesn’t look nearly as dark as yours. I doubled checked the recipe, and I’m pretty sure I followed it almost exactly. I’m wondering if I didn’t use quite the right type of cocoa – I used Hershey’s natural unsweetened. I even cooked them an extra 5 minutes, because they still seemed a bit light. They are dark, but yours looks so dark. Do they darken quite a bit after adding the butter? Maybe I didn’t put it in long enough after the butter… Or maybe I didn’t use enough butter – now that would be a shame! But I guess none of this matters, because the bread is so delicious! My 6th grader is about to walk in the door, and I think he’ll be pretty pleased with his afternoon snack today!
Hi Mollie – that’s the type of cocoa I used. What type of flour did you use? Part whole wheat and part white? Mine may look a bit darker because I use unbleached all-purpose flour (not bleached) but that shouldn’t make a huge difference. Is it the crust that didn’t look dark enough or the crumb?
Hi Mel, Your name is a noun, verb, adjective, adverb and pronoun at our house. We had another Mel meal tonight–steak kebabs and this yummy molasses bread. Your recipes are my main inspiration, so thank you for the effort you put in to testing and perfecting each one. Anyway, I wanted to tell you that these froze beautifully as pre-baked loaves. I took them out and left them in a warmed-then-turned-off oven for the better part of the afternoon, straight from the freezer. They were perfectly risen just as I was ready to slide them in to bake then pulled out the warm loaves in time for dinner. Perfection!!!
Thanks for your sweet comment, Carmin! And I love that you checked in to let us all know about the pre-baked loaves. Love that so much and you better believe I’ll be using that same technique myself!
thanks for the advice!!!
LOL- I agree with the noun, verb, adjective, etc —- whenever I have a new recipe on the table, the husband always asks “is this from Mel?” 😛 Like we’re best pals who share recipes.
I made this. I followed the recipe exactly. I ended up needing quite a bit more flour, but the loaves turned out perfectly–they look just like yours in the picture.
Thanks for a good “treat bread” recipe.
I made this last night for dinner and Heaven help me, I may have stumbled onto a new obsession. This bread is phenomenal, heavenly, delicious, superb, oh my. I love it. Thank you so much for posting it. (Incidentally I also made the PB cookies you posted the day you posted them. They were really good too. Please never stop your wonderfulness that comes out of your kitchen. I’ve become such a better (and healthier!) cook for my family thanks to you.)
Thank you, Cameron!
What’s the difference between regular molasses and unsulphured molasses?
I’m not sure what you mean by regular molasses – just the every day molasses in the grocery store? Unsulphured is a very common type of molasses (like the Grandma’s brand with the yellow label).
Oh, ok, that makes sense. I guess I just had never heard it referred to that way so I thought it must be a special kind of molasses. Thank you!
Made it yesterday, and it was amazing. The only problem is that I think it might of done some permanent damage to my KitchenAid mixer. There was so much dough that it stalled out the mixer’s motor. Now there’s a clicking noise when I turn it on. Even though my life line (a.k.a. my mixer) is limping all I can do is wonder how I’m going to make this bread again without the aid of said mixer.
Oh no! I hope the mixer recovers…
I think I can help!!! I did the same thing to my KitchenAid (yes, it was ALSO Me’s fault after I started making all of her wonderful bread recipes, LOL)
It’s a VERY common thing, b/c stupid KitchenAid uses a PLASTIC gear in their housing. (it’s actually meant to break in order to avoid overheating and killing the motor— so you shred the cheap, (somewhat) easily replaceable gear — versus the much more complicated and $$$$ repair of the motor)
I am NOT super handy, but I managed to do the repair myself— I read a LOT of how-to’s on the internet, watched MANY youtube videos of how to do it— and was scared SHITLESS while doing so, fearing that I would ruin it.
There is a LOT of grease inside that baby, believe it or not. That was the worst part of it for me.
But a year later, my kitchenaid is working GOOD as new!!!!! So you CAN fix it without having to buy a $200+ replacement mixer!!! If you’re not handy, find someone you know who is and forward them the links on how to fix it! 🙂
It is called a WORM GEAR – less than $7 on amazon. (there might be different versions for different mixers, just be sure to doublecheck)
http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-mixer-4162897-worm-gear/dp/B000TR6JEU
I used this youtube video for most of my help— (my mixer was assembled SLIGHLY different but I figured it out)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeCiivPt7hk
This also breaks it down step by step
http://www.ereplacementparts.com/article/5297/How_to_Fix_a_KitchenAid_Mixer_That_Isnt_Spinning.html
I have a half gallon of blackstrap molasses I bought a few months ago, and I think this is going to be the perfect use for (some of) it. Can’t wait to try it!
Can you use dutch processed unsweetened cocoa?
I haven’t tried using Dutch-process, but it should work fine, I think.
I’m so sorry to hear you’ve been sick, Mel! I came down with a horrible cold/virus about four weeks ago, and I am still not completely over it. I hope you feel better soon! I love the brown bread at Outback, and have always wanted to try to duplicate it at home. I can’t wait to try this!
In step 4 where it rises again after being formed into loaves, how long did it take your loaves to rise and double in size? I am not a bread-making person but I am going to give this a try and just trying to figure out how much time to allow. 🙂 Thank you for a yummy recipe! Feel better
It’s differed each time I’ve made it depending on how warm my kitchen is but right around an hour, give or take.
Oooh, can’t wait to try this! I love dark, sweet breads! I tried another knockoff steakhouse bread recipe a while ago and was really disappointed with it, so I can’t wait to try this one. I’m sure it’ll be amazing and I’ll be happy! 🙂
The last time I tried to make a molasses/pumpernickel bread it was a total failure. It had cocoa powder in it as well, I made it in a round cake pan, and it didn’t keep a nice shape but collapsed and spread into the whole pan. I wish I’d had a camera handy when my son-in-law dropped over, picked up a slice off the bread board, and popped it in
his mouth–thinking it was chocolate cake. 🙂 I will try again Mel, with your recipe, which looks fantastic.
I was so happy to see you had tackled this recipe. I’ve had a copy cat one for years and have made it a couple of times, but not totally happy with it. Now I’m excited to try yours.
Thanks for sharing.
Can’t wait to try this recipe this week. Have you ever baked it in a loaf pan before? If so, does it come out the same? Also, of all the oils you’ve tried which was your fave? Thanks for sharing your recipes and responding
I haven’t baked it in a loaf pan but I think it would work just fine (you’ll want to split it up into a couple loaf pans, depending on the size of the pans). I’ve been getting away from using canola and vegetable oils so my favorite for this type of bread is the light olive oil or avocado oil. Those are the ones I use almost exclusively now in breads.
I was so happy to see this post! I love the bread at Outback (and Cheesecake Factory) and have always wanted to make it. This is it! It’s soft, a little bit sweet, and just made to be slathered with butter. Yum! I just made it with dinner and it didn’t disappoint. I can’t wait to try making rolls out it. Very easy, very good bread!
I made it tonight and it’s delicious!
I’m so excited about this! I saw a copycat recipe for Outback bread a couple of years ago and it had a ton of food coloring in it to make it brown and I thought – surely, surely that’s not really how they make it! Cocoa powder makes waaay more sense. :o) Totally trying this asap!
Ah, so sorry you aren’t feeling well but so glad you had this wonderful bread to cheer you up. Sick and yet so capable. This post is so well written. I rushed to my food cupboard to see if the molasses I purchase for your Roasted Maple-Glazed Pork tenderloin (we love!) was unsulphured. And it is! I have the vital wheat gluten I purchase to make your best whole wheat bread. And once greatly fearful to cut the top of raised rolls has now disappeared from the multiple times of making your delicious pretzel rolls. You have taught me so much and it is exulting to have these once strange and unknown food items readily available in my food pantry. Thanks so much!
I learned something new today. I thought for sure “lame” was a typo in your post….little did I know it’s a real live kitchen tool.
Thanks for all your posts! 🙂
Haha! I thought the same thing years ago when I first heard of one, Danielle.
mouth watering! i always look for your diffrent variation of breads…they are always a hit ! thanks for a new recipe!
Hope you get to feeling better soon! 😉 I have a chocolate allergy too and had seen comments on omitting cocoa. Will leaving it out really affect the flavor that much? Also, if I added espresso in its place, how do you think that would taste?
The cocoa helps balance the sweetness of the molasses and honey and also contributes to the dark color but you could try leaving it out and see how it works out. I haven’t tried it but I don’t think it will mess up the bread as much as contribute to a lighter color, possibly, and flavor.
I’ve never been to Outback Steakhouse before. Is this like the brown bread that is served at The Cheesecake Factory?
I haven’t had the bread at the Cheesecake Factory, Jenn, so I’m not sure!
Having made other of your bread recipes with amazing success, I can’t wait to try this one! My whole family is a fan of this bread and loves it hot with melted butter. I just need to pick up some white whole wheat flour and some vital wheat gluten and I’m good to go. Hope you feel better!
So sorry you are sick. Fire that HR department, they are slacking on their job…..just don’t look in those cute faces when you do it…..you will probably end up making them cupcakes.
I guess I should get back to making bread one of these days. When I do it will be this one. Looks so yummy.
I was just at Black Angus, and they serve the same bread. Love it!!! Now I will make it at home. MMMmmm…
Looks delicious!! There is nothing like homemade bread. . . especially when you’re sick! Get better soon!
This looks delicious and is added to today’s menu! 🙂 Looking at the top photo, did you cut slits into the top of the bread before the second rise or before baking?
Oh, yes! Thank you, I forgot to put that in the recipe. I’ll update now. I cut slits in the bread right before it bakes.
So sorry you are sick! It is the worst when moms are sick because it’s not really possible to take a day off. I hope you feel better soon. I would bring you some of this bread if it would help but mine probably wouldn’t look nearly as good as yours.
Haha! You are sweet, Jackie. I’m feeling a lot better today; sometimes it just feels good to vent. 🙂
I tried making a similar version of this bread once and really enjoyed it. Each time I spot the recipe in my untamed recipe folder I tell myself I should make it again. I will try your version now (really!) instead! I hope you begin to feel better, even without sweet molasses bread, soon.
Do you think the recipe would still work without the cocoa? My husband gets migraines when he eats chocolate so I would like to avoid this ingredient so I’m not forced to eat all three loaves with my 2 year old. 🙂
Hi Jessica – the cocoa really adds to the flavor but also the dark color but you could probably leave it out and maybe increase the molasses by 1 tablespoon – the flavor will change a bit and it might not be as dark but you’ll be able to share. 🙂
I’ll throw my 2 cents in here also as I have experimented with a number of dark and pumpernickel/rye type breads… some with cocoa and espresso and molasses. My favorite is a no-knead adaptation and it has molasses but no cocoa or espresso. It is plenty dark with the proportion of molasses to flours (mine has rye, www and white) being 1/2 cup molasses to approx. 3 cups flour.
If I was making this recipe without cocoa I think I’d up the molasses 2 T and back off the honey 2-3T so it wouldn’t be super sweet.
Mel, I know you saw my dark bread recipe and since you looked at it I’ve made it with the addition of vital wheat gluten, having learned that from your 100% whole what roll recipe. It does wonders, even in the high moisture/no knead recipes!
I do love your bread recipes. This one looks like another winner! So handy when they can be frozen too!
Yum yum yum! If I use all white flour do I use wheat gluten?
Hi Bryn – I would still encourage it if it’s all-purpose flour instead of bread flour.
Hi Mel, do I need both the gluten and bread flour for the light and chewy texture? I have the bread flour , but if I need both I will run get some gluten as well. Thanks!
Hi Shoby – I wouldn’t add extra gluten if you are using bread flour – bread flour already has more gluten, just be sure to knead the bread fully to develop the gluten and give you a deliciously chewy loaf.