Outback Molasses Bread Recipe: Sweet Country Loaf

Make the best Outback Bread copycat and enjoy that signature loaf at home. Tender and full of flavor, this sweet molasses bread uses simple pantry ingredients and requires no special equipment.

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The bread at Outback is often the highlight of the meal. Fortunately, this version is easy to make at home: no fancy tools are required and the ingredients are straightforward. A stand mixer speeds up the process, but you can knead the dough by hand just as well.

Despite the name, this sweet molasses bread is not overly sugary. It pairs beautifully with savory dishes and makes excellent sandwich rolls when filled with savory fillings.

What kind of bread do they serve at Outback?

The rolls served at Outback are essentially honey-and-molasses wheat rolls. The dough is usually a blend of white and whole wheat flours, sweetened with honey and molasses. Some recipes use a touch of cocoa powder and brown food coloring to deepen the color, but cocoa and molasses alone provide plenty of richness.

This version keeps a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flour, includes molasses and cocoa powder, and uses a vegan honey alternative or maple syrup as a swap for regular honey. Butter is replaced with a small amount of oil, and no artificial food coloring is necessary—the cocoa and molasses give the rolls their brown hue. While the restaurant version is not vegan, this recipe can be made vegan.

If you prefer a version with honey and butter, try other brown bread recipes or a naturally fermented sourdough molasses brown bread for a different texture and flavor.

Ingredients and substitutions

Vegan honey or syrup. A homemade vegan honey alternative works well and closely mimics the flavor of honey. If you don’t want to make an alternative, maple syrup is an excellent substitute and still produces tasty rolls.

Cocoa powder. Use unsweetened cocoa powder, not hot chocolate mix. Hot chocolate powder adds extra sugar and reduces cocoa flavor and color. For a darker roll, use Dutch-process cocoa. The cocoa gives color and depth without making the bread taste like chocolate.

Molasses. Molasses contributes to the brown color and a deep, slightly tangy sweetness. Dark molasses or blackstrap produces a stronger, darker flavor; light molasses yields a milder, sweeter loaf.

How to make this bread

No special equipment is necessary. These rolls bake on a sheet pan, and you can make the dough by hand if you don’t have a stand mixer.

Knead the dough

1. Combine the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, salt, cocoa powder and instant yeast.
2. Add the wet ingredients: lukewarm water, oil, vegan honey or maple syrup, and molasses. Stir until the dough comes together.
3. Knead the dough about 8–10 minutes in a stand mixer or 12–15 minutes by hand. The dough should become tacky and smooth. If using a mixer, it may cling slightly to the bowl but should not stick to your fingers.

First rise

4. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1½ hours.

Divide and shape

5. Deflate the dough and lightly flour your work surface. Divide the dough into four equal pieces.
6. Flatten each piece into a rectangle with your hands or a rolling pin, then roll into a cylinder and pinch to seal.

Second rise

7. Place the shaped rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, optionally dusting the sheet with a little cornmeal. Leave room between rolls; they will expand.
8. Cover loosely and let rise another 35–45 minutes, until puffy and nearly doubled.
9. Just before baking, dust the tops lightly with cornmeal for texture. Brushing with a little melted vegan butter helps the cornmeal stick.

Baking

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the rolls uncovered for 30–35 minutes, until cooked through and nicely colored.

Cooling

Cool the loaves on a rack for about 20 minutes before slicing.

Shaping variations

This dough is versatile. Use it to make dinner rolls, mini loaves, or a single larger loaf.

Sweet molasses dinner rolls: After the first rise, divide the dough into 8 (large), 12 (medium) or 18 (small) pieces. Shape each into a ball by stretching the dough over itself and pinching the seam, then place them in a lined baking dish.

Sweet molasses loaf: For a loaf pan, divide into four equal pieces, shape each into a tight ball and arrange in a lined loaf pan. Or on a baking sheet, roll the dough into a cylinder and seal the seam.

Tips for success

• Bring ingredients to room temperature. If your syrup or vegan honey is refrigerated, allow it to warm for at least 30 minutes so it mixes easily.
• Use lukewarm water. Water should feel warm but not hot—about the temperature you’d use for a baby bottle. This is especially important in colder months.
• Give the dough a warm place to rise. Cold drafts slow yeast activity. A consistently warm environment helps the dough rise reliably.

Storing and freezing

Once cooled, keep the bread in a bread box, airtight container, or sealed bag. Properly stored, it will stay soft for 4–5 days.

To freeze: cool completely, then wrap tightly in freezer-safe bags. The bread will keep up to three months. Reheat in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5–10 minutes until warmed through.

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More bread ideas

Try other roll and loaf recipes for variety: sandwich rolls, honey-oat rolls, dairy-free sandwich bread, or a classic French baguette for different textures and uses.

Recipe