Soft, tender, and rich, this sweet Sourdough Molasses Brown Bread is made with simple ingredients and tastes even better than the one you can get at Outback.
Why Bake It
I love baking with sourdough, and I love Outback Brown Bread. It took me a while to create a copycat sourdough version, but it’s finally here!
This bread roll combines white and whole wheat flour, with a hint of sweetness and a rich flavor. It's perfect as a barbecue side and makes a delicious soft bread for sandwiches that won’t fall apart.
Ingredients
Active Sourdough Starter: Your starter needs to be active for this recipe to work.
Whole Wheat Flour and All-Purpose Flour: Use both flours. No need for high-protein bread flour. I’ve tried with both all-purpose and bread flour, and the first makes a softer bread.
Molasses: Adds depth of flavor. I use fancy molasses, but blackstrap can be used for a less sweet bread. For a molasses substitute, use an equal amount of honey. This will make the bread sweeter, with a lighter color and less caramel flavor.
Oil: Use vegetable oil, avocado oil, canola oil, or any unflavored oil. You can also substitute with melted butter (unsalted or salted).
Honey: Choose your favorite honey. For a vegan version, substitute with maple syrup or my vegan honey, which tastes very similar to the real thing.
Cornmeal (Optional): Cornmeal is optional, but I like the texture it adds to these rolls. If you don’t want to use it, it’s fine: just dust the baking sheet with flour, and top the rolls with your favorite topping (I use oats when baking my cheesecake factory brown rolls!), or omit it completely.
How To Make It
Start by preparing your sourdough starter. It needs to be active, so feed it 6 to 8 hours before planning to do this recipe.
Step 01. In a bowl, mix water, sourdough starter, honey, molasses, and oil. I use a dough mixer to mix everything together, but a spoon will also do the job.
Step 02. Add whole wheat and all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Mix until a dough is formed.
Step 03. Knead for about 8 minutes if using a stand mixer, or 15 to 20 minutes if doing so by hand.
Step 04. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover so the top doesn’t dry out, and let it rise for 6 to 8 hours, or until the dough has risen to about 75% of its original size.
Tip 01: This dough is a bit annoying to knead by hand, as it can stick a lot at the beginning. If you’re having problems kneading, try to wet or flour your hands.
Tip 02: If you want, oil the bowl so the dough doesn’t stick to it. I usually don’t; mine sticks a bit to the sides, but I can easily remove it, as you can see in the video.
Step 05. After bulk fermentation, you can opt to let it cold ferment for up to 48 hours, or shape and bake. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Let them rest for 10 minutes before shaping.
Step 06. On a clean surface, using your hands, open each piece of dough into a rectangle. Again, if you’re having problems working with this dough, you can wet or flour your hands, and/or flour the surface you’ll be working on.
Step 07. Roll the dough into a log and pinch the ends together to close the roll.
Step 08. Place each shaped roll on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and dusted with cornmeal. The cornmeal will prevent the dough from sticking to the parchment paper. Dust cornmeal on the top of each roll, and let them rise covered for 1 hour to 1.5 hours.
When ready, they will look and feel puffy. Don’t worry if your rolls don’t rise too much; mine never do, but they develop pretty well in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Uncover and bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes. Let them cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Expert Tips
Want to keep the crust softer for longer? You can copy what I always do when baking my Subway Bread and brush the top with butter when out of the oven!
Don’t add more than the specified amount of whole wheat flour, or the rolls might not turn out as soft.
I add both cups and grams when sharing my bread recipes, but I recommend getting a kitchen scale and sticking to grams if possible. It will give you a better result, especially if you’re a beginner baker and new to baking bread and sourdough.
Questions You Might Have
Can I bake sandwich bread with this recipe? Yes, you can make sourdough sandwich brown bread with this recipe. If doing so, when shaping, follow the instructions for my sourdough sandwich bread.
Can I use the proof function in my oven during bulk fermentation (first rise)? Yes, you can. I’ve done it for this recipe, especially during winter when it’s harder for my dough to rise, and it gave me good results. It usually takes for 5 to 6 hours for the dough to rise when proofing in the oven.
Can I make the dough in the evening and let it rise at room temperature overnight? Yes, you can let it rise overnight on the counter. Because of the honey and molasses in this recipe, the dough might take a bit longer to rise, so it’s okay to let it rise overnight.
Can I make dinner rolls with this recipe? Yes, you can make dinner rolls with this recipe. If doing so, follow the shaping instructions for these sourdough dinner rolls.
Storing and Freezing
If these sourdough rolls are stored correctly, they keep for up to one week. After cooling, store in a bread keeper or bag, away from sunlight. You can store in an airtight container (make sure it’s clean, as during high temperatures, storing this way can lead to mold development).
To freeze, wait for the rolls to cool. Then, place each in a freezer-safe bag, seal it, and store in the freezer. They keep for up to 3 months.
More Sourdough Bread Recipes
Have you tried my Sourdough Brown Bread Rolls? Please leave a 🌟 star rating in the recipe card below, I'd love to know how it went!
📖 Recipe
Sourdough Molasses Brown Bread
Equipment
- 1 Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 236 g water
- 60 g honey
- 2 tablespoon molasses
- 280 g all-purpose flour
- 180 g whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 125 g sourdough starter
- 2 tablespoon oil
- cornmeal for dusting and topping
Instructions
- Prepare Your Starter: Ensure your sourdough starter is active by feeding it 6 to 8 hours before starting the recipe.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a bowl, combine water, sourdough starter, honey, molasses, and oil.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Mix until a dough forms.
- Knead: Knead for about 8 minutes with a stand mixer or 15-20 minutes by hand. The dough is sticky at first, so wet or flour your hands if needed. After kneading, the dough should pass the windowpane test (stretch without tearing).
- Bulk Fermentation: Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover, and let rise for 6-8 hours, or until it has risen by at least 75%.
- Cold Ferment (Optional): After bulk fermentation, you can cold ferment the dough for up to 48 hours or proceed to shaping and baking.
- Shape the Dough: Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Let them rest for 10 minutes before shaping. Flatten each piece into a rectangle, then roll into a log, pinching the ends to seal.
- Second Rise: Place rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. Dust the tops with cornmeal, cover, and let rise for 1-1.5 hours until puffy.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes. Let them cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- Can I bake sandwich bread with this recipe? Yes, you can make sourdough sandwich bread. Follow the shaping instructions for sourdough sandwich bread.
- Can I use my oven’s proof function during bulk fermentation? Yes, especially useful in winter. It usually takes 5-6 hours in the oven's proof function.
- Can I make dinner rolls with this recipe? Yes, follow the shaping instructions for sourdough dinner rolls.
- Want to keep the crust softer for longer? You can copy what I always do when baking my Subway bread and brush the top with butter when out of the oven!
- Don’t add more than the specified amount of whole wheat flour, or the rolls might not turn out as soft.
Eva K
I made this recipe only using 30 grams of honey and baked it in a 9” x 5” loaf pan and it is delicious.
I baked it at 350° F for 30 min
My husband said it’s one of the best even for sandwich bread .. wish I could post a picture ❤️
Tatiana Kamakura
That sounds amazing, Eva! I’m so glad you loved it, wish I could see your beautiful loaf too!
Lauren
Can you freeze these loaves? I can’t imagine we will eat them all at once but who knows 😂
Tatiana Kamakura
Hi Lauren, you can freeze these loaves! Wait for them to cool completely before freezing, use a freezer-safe bag and seal it well. It keeps up to 2 months!
Lauren
Awesome! Thank you 😊
Nadine
What would cause the dough for the molasses bread to be very sticky?
Tatiana Kamakura
Hi Nadine!
If your molasses bread dough is very sticky at the beginning, you might need to add a bit more flour. Different flour brands have varying protein levels, and a lower-protein flour can make the dough feel stickier (I use Rogers). The dough is also naturally sticky before bulk fermentation is complete. However, if it’s still sticky and not holding its shape after bulk fermentation, it may have overproofed. With sourdough, it’s always best to check the dough rather than rely on time, as fermentation is directly affected by temperature. Hope that helps!
Jessica
It’s PERFECT!!
Jen
Soft and delicious! Very easy recipe too. I used sesame seeds on the bottom instead of cornmeal. How long can these be kept outside? Wrapped in plastic wrap?
Tatiana Kamakura
Hi Jen, so glad you liked it! I store mine in an airtight container and they last for about 5 to 6 days. Cheers!
Darci Brueske
Can you make one regular sourdough loaf out of it or does it need to be divided into four? Thank you.
Tatiana Kamakura
Hi Darci,
You can make a regular sourdough loaf. Baking time will be different though: I would do 35 to 45 minutes at 375F.
Let me know if you try! Happy baking!