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!
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 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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
More bread recipes!
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!
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Copycat Outback Steakhouse Bread Recipe
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
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.
Video
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
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.
Laurel Harrison
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.
Kate
That sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing your honey butter recipe!
Dianna
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.)
Kate
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.
Dianna
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!
Brooke
Followed the recipe to a t and it was delicious. I'm not much of a baker but it came out really good.
Kate
Thank you!
Danielle
I was wondering, isn’t 2 tablespoons of yeast a lot for this amount of flour?
Kate
Hi - The amount of yeast allows for a shorter rising time.
jack loganbill
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!
Kate
Thank you so much! I haven't had that issue, but absolutely feel free to adjust the amount of yeast as needed.
Audrey
Can these be shaped by hand, Like artisan bread, or does the dough need to be rolled out rolled to shape?
Kate
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!
Mark
What “exactly” did you use for the Caramel color
since you used honey also
Kate
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.
Kathie
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.
Kate
Thanks! I've seen that in the stores but hadn't ever taken a close look at it.
Tricia
Love this bread and so did my family. Easy to make too. Worth a try!
Kate
Thank you! So glad that you liked it. =)
Karin
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!
Kate
Thank you, and thank you for sharing your notes!
Gypsy
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
Kate
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.
Rubydasch
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!
Kate
Thank you so much! I'm glad that you enjoyed the bread! =)
Mindy
Can the dough be made in a bread machine and then baked in the oven?
Abby
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.
Kate
Thank you! I'm so glad that you liked it!
p Topasna
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
Kate
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.
Viola
How do u keep the oats stay on the bread
Kate
I just sprinkle them on. It's really just for looks. =)
Michelle
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!
Kate
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! =)
Randy
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.
Kate
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.
Steve Willis
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.
Kate
Thank you! I appreciate the info! =)
Debra
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.
Kate
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! =)
Heather B
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.
Kate
I'm glad that you found the caramel color and liked the bread! Adjusting the sweetness should be an easy fix. =)
Kat
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!
Kate
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
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
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.
Megan
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!
Kate
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! =)
David
I have tried it in a breadmaker. I baked it in loaf pans instead of machine baking it. It was great!
Kate
Fantastic! Glad to hear that! =)