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    Home » Copycat Outback Steakhouse Bread Recipe

    Copycat Outback Steakhouse Bread Recipe

    Published: Jan 5, 2022 · Modified: Jan 7, 2022 by Kate · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Make the popular bread at home! This Copycat Outback Steakhouse Bread recipe is an easy way to enjoy the famous bread - no restaurant or steak dinner required!

    Loaf of outback bread with two slices buttered and cut.

    We don't go to sit-down restaurants very often, but when we do, it's all about which restaurant has the best bread.

    This recipe is nearly an exact copycat of one of my favorite breads - the honey wheat Bushman bread at Outback Steakhouse. The bread is soft with a light sweetness from the honey and the molasses.

    This recipe is made with simple ingredients, and it tastes delicious. Serve it on a cutting board with a generous amount of butter for the total restaurant experience!

    Ingredients to make outback steakhouse bread in bowls.

    Ingredients and substitutions

    • Warm water
    • Vegetable oil
    • Honey
    • Molasses - I like to use robust molasses, but regular or light molasses will also work. I don't recommend blackstrap molasses as it can be bitter.
    • Whole wheat flour
    • Cocoa powder - Dutch processed cocoa powder will also work and will give you a slightly darker loaf.
    • Yeast
    • Salt
    • Bread Flour
    • Oats

    How to make copycat Outback Steakhouse bread

    Wet and dry ingredients for outback bread in a white mixing bowl.

    In the bowl of a stand mixer fitter with a dough hook, stir together water, oil, honey, and molasses until mixed well.

    TOP TIP>> You can also mix this recipe up by hand in a large bowl. I don't recommend using a hand mixer, though, for this one.

    Add wheat flour to wet ingredients.

    Wet and dry ingredients for outback bread stirred together in a white mixing bowl.

    Add cocoa, yeast, and salt, and stir until blended. Allow mixture sit for 10 minutes.

    Stir in bread flour, one cup at a time, until dough clings to hook and almost clears the sides of mixer, about 3-4 minutes.

    Outback bread dough rising in a white mixing bowl.

    Cover bowl with greased plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise in the bowl until doubled, about 30-60 minutes.

    Divide into 2 pieces. Cover each piece with greased plastic wrap, and let dough rest for 5 minutes.

    Two bread pans filled with outback bread dough.

    Shape pieces into loaves, and sprinkle with oats. Place each loaf in a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan.

    Let dough rise until doubled, about 30-60 minutes. Toward the end of the rising time, preheat oven to 350 F.

    Bake at for 30-40 minutes.

    Outback Steakhouse Copycat Honey Wheat Bread in a pan next to butter.

    Bread baking tips

    • Water temperature matters! It's important to use water that's the correct temperature. Water that's too hot will kill the yeast, and water that's too cool will give you a slower yeast activation.

      The best way to measure the temperature of the water is with a kitchen thermometer. If you don't have a kitchen thermometer, the water should feel like warm bath water. If it's too hot for you, it's too hot for the yeast.
    • Have a cool kitchen? If your kitchen is cool, it can slow the rising time.

      An easy way to create a perfect spot for your bread to rise it to turn your oven to preheat 350F for exactly 60 seconds. Then, turn the oven off. This will give your oven just a bit of warmth, and it helps to encourage the bread dough to rise.
    A loaf of outback bread with two slices cut.

    Storage

    Outback bread should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. It will keep for up to 4 days.

    Can I freeze this bread?

    You can! This kind of bread freezes well.

    Simply bake the bread as-directed. Then, let the bread cool to room temperature on a wire cooling rack.

    Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and place the wrapped loaf in a resealable freezer bag.

    Partially buttered slice of outback bread.

    More bread recipes!

    • Multigrain Bread
    • Cinnamon Twist Bread
    • No Knead Bread
    • Skillet Bread

    If you’ve tried this copycat Outback Steakhouse honey wheat bread recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who've made my recipes!

    You can SUBSCRIBE to receive my latest recipe newsletters or FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for even more delicious food.

    Loaf of outback bread with two slices buttered and cut.

    Copycat Outback Steakhouse Bread Recipe

    Copycat recipe for Outback Steakhouse honey wheat bread 
    5 from 16 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: bread
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Rising time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
    Servings: 24 servings
    Calories: 125kcal
    Author: Kate @ I Heart Eating

    Equipment

    • 9x5 loaf pan

    Ingredients

    • 2 ½ cups warm water 100°-110°F
    • ¼ cup vegetable oil
    • ½ cup honey
    • 2 tablespoons molasses
    • 3 ½ cups whole-wheat flour
    • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 2-3 cups bread flour
    • rolled oats for dusting loaves
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitter with a dough hook, stir together water, oil, honey, and molasses until mixed well.
    • Add wheat flour to water mixture.
    • Add cocoa, yeast, and salt, and stir until blended.
    • Allow mixture sit for 10 minutes.
    • Stir in bread flour, one cup at a time, until dough clings to hook and almost clears the sides of mixer, about 3-4 minutes. You may not need to use all of the bread flour.
    • Cover bowl with greased plastic wrap.
    • Allow dough to rise in the bowl until doubled, about 30-60 minutes.
    • Divide into 2 pieces.
    • Cover each piece with greased plastic wrap, and let dough rest for 5 minutes.
    • Shape pieces into loaves, and sprinkle with oats.
    • Place each loaf in a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan.
    • Let dough rise until doubled, about 30-60 minutes.
    • Toward the end of the rising time, preheat oven to 350 F.
    • Bake at for 30-40 minutes.

    Notes

    • Molasses - I like to use robust molasses, but regular or light molasses will also work. I don't recommend blackstrap molasses as it can be bitter.
    • Cocoa powder - Dutch processed cocoa powder will also work and will give you a slightly darker loaf.
    • Nutrition values are estimates.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 125kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 100mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe? Rate it below. Mention @i_heart_eating on Instagram & tag #ihearteating!

    adapted from Frieda Loves Bread

    Originally published March 6, 2013. Updated on February 11, 2019. Updated again on 1/5/22 with new photos, tips, and information. The recipe was also updated to omit the caramel coloring.

    « Dutch Oven Beef Stew
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    About Kate

    Kate got her first cookbook when she was five years old, and she hasn't stopped cooking since then! Her delicious recipes have been featured on Food Network, MSN, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, and more. When she's not cooking or baking, she can be found on her mini farm with her husband and her five kids.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Laurel Harrison

      April 10, 2022 at 1:59 pm

      5 stars
      I am truly thrilled with the results! I followed the directions with only 2 exceptions. I used fresh brewed, dark roast coffee to replace the water and added 1/2 tsp of kitchen bouquet for the darker color. I did a whipped honey butter to serve with it. I mean, go all in, right? 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream whipped to stiff peaks, 2 sticks of room temp butter and 1/2 cup honey whipped then folded into the whipped cream. Yummmmmmm.

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 12, 2022 at 12:32 pm

        That sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing your honey butter recipe!

        Reply
    2. Dianna

      March 06, 2022 at 3:59 pm

      When you divide the dough into two pieces, do you dump it onto a floured surface to cover and let rest? Also, do you roll the dough when making the loaves? (Sorry, I'm not much of a bread maker other than biscuits.)

      Reply
      • Kate

        March 07, 2022 at 10:01 am

        Hi! It's ok! We learn by asking questions. =) Yes, you can place it on a lightly floured surface or on a piece or parchment paper. To form a loaf of bread, you form the dough into a rectangle slightly larger than the pan - so 10x6. Then you roll the dough up and pinch the seam. Tuck the ends up and place in the loaf pan. Please let me know if you have any other questions.

        Reply
        • Dianna

          March 07, 2022 at 2:19 pm

          I ended up patting the dough into loaves. It turned out great, but next time I will roll it out. Thank you for answering my questions!

          Reply
    3. Brooke

      February 08, 2022 at 10:45 am

      5 stars
      Followed the recipe to a t and it was delicious. I'm not much of a baker but it came out really good.

      Reply
      • Kate

        February 08, 2022 at 9:23 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    4. Danielle

      February 01, 2022 at 11:16 am

      I was wondering, isn’t 2 tablespoons of yeast a lot for this amount of flour?

      Reply
      • Kate

        February 03, 2022 at 9:51 pm

        Hi - The amount of yeast allows for a shorter rising time.

        Reply
    5. jack loganbill

      January 29, 2022 at 6:17 pm

      5 stars
      10 stars! Fantastic recipe!!! I ended up with 3 super tall standard-size loaves. Will make again, and again, and again. I do have one suggestion: 2 tablespoons of yeast is a bit too much for this amount of flour. My dough raised super quick and then exploded with massive oven spring. The texture was perfect, everything perfect, just too much rise! Thanks again for sharing this recipe!

      Reply
      • Kate

        February 03, 2022 at 9:53 pm

        Thank you so much! I haven't had that issue, but absolutely feel free to adjust the amount of yeast as needed.

        Reply
    6. Audrey

      March 15, 2021 at 11:48 pm

      Can these be shaped by hand, Like artisan bread, or does the dough need to be rolled out rolled to shape?

      Reply
      • Kate

        March 16, 2021 at 3:07 pm

        Hi! I haven't tried to do free form loaves with this bread. If you try it, I'd love to hear how it turns out!

        Reply
    7. Mark

      December 07, 2020 at 10:56 pm

      What “exactly” did you use for the Caramel color
      since you used honey also

      Reply
      • Kate

        December 09, 2020 at 9:34 am

        I used caramel color. It's a food coloring used in foods like brown sodas. If you don't want to use caramel color, I have a section in the post that gives other options.

        Reply
    8. Kathie

      February 04, 2020 at 5:05 pm

      Caramel color can be easily found in most supermarkets by looking for a product called "Kitchen Bouquet" or "Gravy Master" in the area where they have gravy making stuff, mixes, etc.

      Reply
      • Kate

        February 06, 2020 at 7:05 pm

        Thanks! I've seen that in the stores but hadn't ever taken a close look at it.

        Reply
    9. Tricia

      December 01, 2019 at 4:50 pm

      Love this bread and so did my family. Easy to make too. Worth a try!

      Reply
      • Kate

        December 02, 2019 at 12:48 pm

        Thank you! So glad that you liked it. =)

        Reply
      • Karin

        March 05, 2022 at 2:20 pm

        5 stars
        This was delicious! I substituted 1/2 a cup of the whole wheat flour for rye and added a 1/3 cup of sunflower seeds. My family loved it!

        Reply
        • Kate

          March 05, 2022 at 7:19 pm

          Thank you, and thank you for sharing your notes!

          Reply
    10. Gypsy

      May 14, 2019 at 7:20 pm

      I liked it with butter but it was just too bitter and didn't really taste like outback bread to me maybe adding 2 tablespoons of sugar next time would help

      Reply
      • Kate

        June 01, 2019 at 1:20 pm

        I think Outback has changed their bread to make it sweeter (or at least it seemed sweeter to me the last time I had it). Yes! If you would like a sweeter loaf, feel free to add a bit of sugar.

        Reply
    11. Rubydasch

      February 02, 2019 at 2:41 pm

      This bread was very good! I used home-milled hard white whole wheat and all-purpose flour. Then I replaced the caramel color with molasses and added vital wheat gluten and dough enhancer. Shaped it into loaves on a cookie sheet instead of loaf pans. It make two HUGE loaves. Next time I think I will divide into 4 smaller loaves, but the bread was very soft and wonderful sliced with butter. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Kate

        February 02, 2019 at 8:24 pm

        Thank you so much! I'm glad that you enjoyed the bread! =)

        Reply
      • Mindy

        January 17, 2022 at 1:08 pm

        Can the dough be made in a bread machine and then baked in the oven?

        Reply
      • Abby

        January 17, 2022 at 7:08 pm

        5 stars
        This bread was a hit! I’m not a fan of Outback’s bread and this bread tasted much better to me. The kids ate it up.

        Reply
        • Kate

          January 18, 2022 at 9:58 am

          Thank you! I'm so glad that you liked it!

          Reply
    12. p Topasna

      September 17, 2018 at 12:19 pm

      Hi, can't wait to make this later today. I am going to be making it in small and large pans, is the coming time the same for both sizes? Thank you

      Reply
      • Kate

        September 18, 2018 at 9:37 am

        Hi! I'm not sure without more information. Usually, larger and smaller pans will have different bake times, but it would help to know the sizes so that I could give you a better answer.

        Reply
    13. Viola

      September 05, 2018 at 11:53 pm

      How do u keep the oats stay on the bread

      Reply
      • Kate

        September 13, 2018 at 5:37 pm

        I just sprinkle them on. It's really just for looks. =)

        Reply
    14. Michelle

      August 25, 2018 at 9:56 pm

      Is this supposed be a sticky dough? I've made it and tastes great but still sticky and hard to shape after it has risen the first time . Just wondering if I should be adding more flour than recipe calls for. Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipe!

      Reply
      • Kate

        August 27, 2018 at 7:40 pm

        It shouldn't be that sticky. If you find that the dough is hard to work with, please feel free to add more flour as needed. I find that the amount of flour that I need when I bake can vary from one time to the next depending on a number of factors, including the weather. Hope that helps, and please let me know if you have any other questions! =)

        Reply
    15. Randy

      April 26, 2017 at 2:13 pm

      Would you make any adjustments if you were to "half" this recipe other than the obvious half of the ingredients? We tend to not finish two loaves before they go bad.

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 27, 2017 at 8:42 am

        My family easily eats both loaves, so I haven't tried to halve this recipe. So, unfortunately, I don't have any tips specific to adjusting this recipe.

        Reply
        • Steve Willis

          December 24, 2018 at 8:10 pm

          This bread should freeze well so I would just make the recipe for both and freeze one in a zipper bag.
          I would guess it to last two months in the freezer.

          Reply
          • Kate

            December 26, 2018 at 1:55 pm

            Thank you! I appreciate the info! =)

    16. Debra

      October 31, 2016 at 3:08 pm

      5 stars
      I make our bread every week, I have been using my grandmother's recipe but the bread always seemed very crumbly. So, I thought I would try something different. My husband really liked this bread, it has good texture and is not as crumbly.

      I made a few adjustments, I used left over morning coffee for the water and 1/4c honey and 1/4c molasses. I also added 1/4 cup ground flax seed for added nutrition. It is not as dark as your picture shows or sweet but it holds together when sliced.

      Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Kate

        November 01, 2016 at 11:45 am

        I'm glad you liked it! Also, it's always great to be able to change up a recipe to suit your tastes. Glad it worked out! =)

        Reply
    17. Heather B

      June 21, 2016 at 10:24 pm

      I just made this recipe. I looked all over for the Caramel Color - Amazon was sold out! Found it at Smart and Final. Our only issue was that it wasn't quite as sweet. Otherwise...it was perfect.

      Reply
      • Kate

        June 22, 2016 at 12:18 am

        I'm glad that you found the caramel color and liked the bread! Adjusting the sweetness should be an easy fix. =)

        Reply
        • Kat

          July 31, 2016 at 9:09 pm

          I agree. Bread is not as sweet. What do you mean exactly by an easy fix? What can be done differently? I used the molasses instead of caramel color. Thanks!

          Reply
          • Kate

            August 01, 2016 at 2:45 am

            Since honey is so sweet, using honey in place of the molasses would be an easy way to add a little extra sweetness to the bread. You would lose the hint of molasses and the color it gives the bread, but it would make the bread sweeter.

          • Brianna Wallace

            October 12, 2016 at 12:45 pm

            Hello! I was thrown off by the caramel color. Ive never made my own bread, but I have heard its hard to find this ingredient, and would prefer to do without. Also, I would like to do without the molasses, as I want the sweetness. I want tot use honey instead of both of these. Would I use the same amount? 2 Tablespoons of honey?

          • Kate

            October 12, 2016 at 3:10 pm

            Caramel color can be difficult to find. I haven't tried honey in place of the caramel color, but I would guess that it would be ok. It would just add that much more sweetness to the bread.

    18. Megan

      January 11, 2016 at 7:10 am

      Do you think I could make this recipe by adding all the ingredients into a bread maker to mix the dough? My machine has a "dough" setting, to kneed the dough and let it rise several times, about 1.5 hr process. Then put it in pans to bake?? I'm new to bread making! I've only made white bread so far. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Kate

        January 11, 2016 at 8:58 pm

        I am not sure! I haven't tried this recipe that way, so I would hate to steer you wrong. If you decide to try it as written, I'm happy to answer any questions you might have! =)

        Reply
        • David

          January 16, 2016 at 1:29 pm

          I have tried it in a breadmaker. I baked it in loaf pans instead of machine baking it. It was great!

          Reply
          • Kate

            May 30, 2016 at 8:50 pm

            Fantastic! Glad to hear that! =)

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