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
Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitter with a dough hook, stir together water, oil, honey, and molasses until mixed well.
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.
Step 2: Add wheat flour to wet ingredients.
Step 3: Add cocoa, yeast, and salt, and stir until blended. Allow mixture sit for 10 minutes.
Step 4: 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.
Step 5: Cover bowl with greased plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise in the bowl until doubled, about 30-60 minutes.
Step 6: Divide into 2 pieces. Cover each piece with greased plastic wrap, and let dough rest for 5 minutes.
Step 7: Shape pieces into loaves, and sprinkle with oats. Place each loaf in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan.
Step 8: Let dough rise until doubled, about 30-60 minutes. Toward the end of the rising time, preheat oven to 350 F.
Step 9: 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.
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.
Storage
Outback bread should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. It will keep for up to 4 days.
More bread recipes!
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Copycat Outback Steakhouse Bread Recipe
Equipment
- 9×5 loaf pan
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups warm water 100°-110°F
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 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 9×5-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
Did You Make This Recipe?
Share it with me on Instagram @i_heart_eating and follow on Youtube @katedean and Pinterest @katedean for more!
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.
Reader Interactions
Love this recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
Anna says
Do you have to bake them in bread pans or can you shape them and bake on a cookie sheet?
Kate says
I’ve never tried to bake this recipe on a cookie sheet. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out! =)
Chris says
so in this recipe you don’t add the yeast to warm water and let it sit? I have never made bread where you add the yeast with the flour.
Kate says
Yes, that’s correct. It is unusual, but it works! If you prefer, you can start off with the yeast, water, and a couple tablespoons of honey, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it is foamy. Then, make the recipe as written otherwise.
up-syndrome says
Hello, im a baker/pastry cook with 10+ years experience, adding dried yeast to the flour is actually better than “activating the yeast” in my opinion…reason being when you mix the yeast with the flour its evenly dispersed, and it’ll activate itself through the natural sugars in the flour and through mixing.
Chris says
I tried this recipe and skipped the caramel color because I could not find any in the store – i looked 3 different places. Although I didn’t care that the coloring was off, the end result was just not quite sweet enough. Is that because of the missing caramel color? Is that color supposed to be a liquid or a powder? Can I make it myself (i’ve found some places online that tell you just to use sugar and water to make it).
Thanks,
Chris
Kate says
Hi Chris – You could try substituting molasses for the caramel color. It’s not a very common ingredient, and it’s a liquid. I actually ordered it from Amazon (I think the bottle was $4 or so) because none of my local stores carried it. As far as making it yourself, I honestly don’t know as I’ve never tried that. The molasses will also give it a little more sweetness.
ElF says
What exact carmel color brand did you use?
Kate says
It was McCormick Caramel Color – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CHTVPB0?keywords=mccormick%20caramel%20color%2016%20oz&qid=1453841856&ref_=sr_1_fkmr0_1&sr=8-1-fkmr0 (not an affiliate link). It looks like it’s unavailable as a single bottle now, but this is the one I bought.
Chris says
If you have a Gordon’s Food Service (GFS) Store near you, you can get the Carmel Color there. I buy my there.
Kate says
Thank you for the tip!
Jo says
I just pinned this recipe this morning and decided it was the bread I was making for Thanksgiving tomorrow! By this evening I made the recipe (I used 3 packets active dry yeast) and I split it up into 10 mini loaf pans :-)
They look beautiful but I wont know how they taste until tomorrow.
I didn’t add the Carmel color- I just couldn’t find it at Walmart.
I’ll post tomorrow with the critics taste comments
Kate says
I don’t think you’ll miss the caramel color at all. I hope you and the critics enjoy the bread!! =)
Jo says
They turned out beautiful and delicious! Everyone loved them!! Thank you for a keeper recipe!
Kate says
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know! =)
Jocelyn says
This is a very nice bread. I used molasses instead of the caramel color and white whole wheat flour for the whole wheat flour. I also doubled the salt. I will be making this bread again. Thank you!
Rochelle says
Hi! I just came across your site and I LOVE your recipes! I just started “wanting” to make my own breads, and this looks absolutely delicious! I will obviously omit the coloring, but could I use something to substitute the bread flour for? I have almond flour or whole wheat flour.. Or is that a MUST?? Thank you so much for sharing all of your wonderful recipes!
Kate says
Thanks! So, as far as the bread flour goes, bread flour works well for breads because of the amount of gluten in the flour, and the gluten is what gives bread its chewiness. Usually, the easiest substitute for bread flour is all-purpose flour. I’m not familiar enough with almond flour to comment on it, but the problem with whole wheat flour is that it tends to produce a denser, drier product unless you make other alterations to the recipe. I hope that helps! =)
Jessica says
Just a quick question. Could you use molasses instead of the caramel coloring?? If so would you have to adjust the liquid in the recipe? Thanks!
Kate says
I think so. I don’t know that you would end up with the same depth of color, but I think you could swap it out tablespoon for tablespoon. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turns out. Good luck! =)
Jennifer Keller says
I wanted this bread so bad. I thought 2 Tablespoons of yeast was a lot but went with it anyway. It only took 2 cups of bread flour but I did have to add more water as well since it was too dry. I am on the east coast and it is March but a dry day still I had to add quite a bit of water I just eyeballed it to get the proper consistency I raised the bread twice for an hour each time, then proofed it for an hour. It looked great going into the oven in 2 bread pans. It came out moist and delicious. Next time though I will add a little molasses I think it is missing in the recipe
Kate says
The flour/water ratio and rising times can definitely vary. I live in a very humid part of the country, and I try to write the recipe with varying amounts, but sometimes the recipes still need to be adjusted based on altitude, humidity, temperature, etc. I’m glad that you were able to make those adjustments and make it work for you!
Andrea says
Hi. This sounds amazing, and since I love their bread I will definitely have to make this.
Could you use brown gel coloring (like used for cakes/frosting), instead of the caramel color if you still want that gorgeous color?
Kate says
I’ve never tried that, but it sounds like a good idea. If you try it, I’d be interested to hear how it turns out!
Itzel says
Hello Kate! I found your recipe and I decided to give it a chance because of all the recipes I had, I just felt that yours was gonna be the one. I made some changes on the flour I used and I followed a different process but definitely I will keep it. Thank you for sharing…….I already made the bread and it came out just DELICIOUS!
P.S. I am glad I can read english so I could find your recipe. I am a mexican living in Mexico.
Kate says
Hi! I’m so glad it worked out for you with your changes!! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know! =)
Christy says
In regards to the caramel coloring, Coke changed their formula to a different kind of caramel coloring because in California they have, in my opinion, way stricter codes on foods than the rest of the country. And Coke would have had to put a cancer warning label on each unit sold. They didn’t stop using caramel coloring, they just changed the type they use. Actually, studies have proved you would have to drink 1,000+ sodas PER DAY to equal the amounts that caused cancer in the rats used in the study. Now who does that?
Kate says
Thanks for the clarification on that! I didn’t realize there were different types of caramel coloring either. If anyone still feels uncomfortable with it, they can certainly omit it in the recipe.
aimee @ like mother like daughter says
Yum! The bread at outback is so good! I can’t wait to try this!
Kate says
Thanks!! I hope you enjoy it! =)
LaLonne says
***IMPORTANT HEALTH NOTE: When I didn’t know what “Caramel Color” was, I googled it and was SHOCKED to see story after story about Caramel Coloring containing two cancer causing chemicals in it – so much so that Coke & Pepsi are changing their formulas to get rid of it (Coke already has, Pepsi will by Feb, 2014). Even if it’s only a *small* amount of those chemicals, it’s sure not worth the coloring to me! Yipes.
Kate says
Thanks for bringing this up. I’m not sure whether you saw the other comments concerning this, but I was unaware that there was any controversy surrounding caramel color when I published this recipe. Please feel free to omit the caramel color as it is there purely for looks.
Amy T says
Do you need the food color. I prefer to not have unnecessary artificial ingredients.
kateheartseating says
No, it’s mainly there to add the deeper brown color to the bread. The flavor that it adds is really negligible, so you could leave it out.
Anjali says
This recipe should be just fine if I cut it in half since I only have one 9×5 pan, right? Thanks for posting this!
kateheartseating says
It should be! I can’t see any reason that it wouldn’t be just fine halved. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask! I hope you enjoy the bread!! =)
The Queen Vee says
What is Caramel Color and where do you buy it?
kateheartseating says
Caramel color is a food coloring; it’s what gives the bread its brown color. I live in a fairly small town, so I had to order it on Amazon, but I would think larger grocery stores might carry it. You could leave it out if you don’t want to buy it, and it should be ok. It just won’t have the same color to it.
Pat says
Is the caramel liquid?
Kate says
The caramel is caramel color- a brown food coloring. If you can’t find it, you can leave it out, and the only that that it will change is the color of the bread.
Sarah says
I saw many other recipes using cocoa powder rather than caramel 🤔
Miz Helen says
Congratulations!
Your recipe is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week. Have a great weekend and enjoy your new Red Plate!
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
kateheartseating says
Thanks so much, Miz Helen!! Have a great Easter weekend! See you at your party next week! =)
Lauren says
Just wanted to let you know that your recipe was featured at this week’s!
kateheartseating says
Thanks for the heads up!! I went by, but I don’t think the party was live yet. I’ll swing back by!! =)
Lindsay @Artsy-Fartsy Mama says
Ooh this sounds amazing!! Can’t wait to try it out!
Thanks for sharing at Artsy Corner, you were featured this week :)
kateheartseating says
Thanks!! I hope you enjoy the bread! =)
Trish @ Mom On Timeout says
I want a whole loaf just for myself :) Looks amazing! Pinned and featuring tonight. Thanks so much for partying at Mom On Timeout!
kateheartseating says
Haha! A girl after my own heart! I made them in the small loaf pans so I could have one all to myself. Thanks so much for the feature!! That’s awesome! =)