Sweet Molasses Brown Bread Rolls Recipe (with yeast)
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Imagine a basket of golden-brown, sweet molasses brown bread rolls, fresh out of the oven. They’re soft, tender, and oh-so-delicious. Dive into this easy recipe, your kitchen will smell heavenly!
Update: This recipe was originally shared in September 2015. I have updated this recipe to include more details and tips, as well as new photos. I hope you love these Molasses Brown Bread Rolls!
Molasses Brown Bread Rolls recipe is an easy bread roll to make. Molasses and a bit of honey give this easy brown bread recipe a mild sweetness. Topped with our special butter makes them unforgettable!
What does Molasses Bread Taste Like?
The combination of molasses and honey adds just a hint of sweetness to these brown bread rolls. A touch of cocoa gives this bread a depth of flavor but by no means a chocolate flavor.
This Homemade Brown Bread has been compared to the bread served at Outback Steakhouse and Cheesecake Factory restaurants.
There’s a reason that we go to those restaurants, and the memory of their Brown Bread Rolls with honey butter is a big one! This recipe, in my humble opinion, resembles that bread that we gorge on.
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Molasses Brown Bread Recipe Ingredients
The dark color of these sweet molasses dinner rolls comes from the cocoa powder, brown sugar, and molasses. It can vary from light to deep brown depending on the varieties that you use. The color and flavor will vary but one is no better than another.
- Active Dry Yeast – You can substitute for Instant, or Rapid Rise yeast as well. If you need help in knowing the difference, see our Basic Baking article.
- Lukewarm Water – Using warm water will aid your yeast in activating. We shoot for bath water warm. Hotter than that can destroy your yeast.
- Egg – Makes this bread richer and acts as a binder for the ingredients
- Honey – Adds sweetness to this brown bread recipe. We use local but use what you have available to you.
- Molasses – Adds sweetness to these rolls and also aids in keeping the bread moist. The varieties are explained below.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – Adds a deep richness to the flavor without the actual taste of chocolate.
- Brown Sugar – Either light or dark varieties will work just fine.
- Flour – We used whole wheat and all-purpose white flour in this recipe. Using just whole wheat would have made these rolls dense. The combination of the two flours kept our Molasses Brown Bread soft and tender.
- Salt – We like using fine sea salt in our bread recipes. The granules are small and will not sink to the bottom of our dry ingredients like the coarser varieties.
- Garnish – The tops of these rolls can be dusted with a light sprinkle of cornmeal or oats. It can be skipped altogether as well
What’s the best variety of molasses to use?
Molasses is a liquid and will add moisture and a darker hue to Brown Bread. There are basically three varieties of molasses. You can use what you prefer. Here are the differences.
- Light molasses – lighter in flavor and hue. Perfect for baking and candies.
- Dark molasses – stronger in flavor and darker hue. Can be used interchangeably with light molasses. Often used for gingersnap recipes.
- Blackstrap molasses – very dark in hue and has a strong flavor with a bitterness to it. Often used in barbecue or baked bean recipes. (source)
How to make Brown Bread
- Combine dry yeast with warm water and let it rest until it blooms in the bowl of an electric stand mixer, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Note: if you use instant yeast, rapid rise, or active yeast, you don’t have to wait.
Add the egg, honey, molasses, whole wheat flour, cocoa, brown sugar, and salt, to the yeast mixture. Mix together using the paddle attachment.
Change the paddle attachment to the dough hook attachment on the mixer.
With the mixer on low, gradually add 1 cup of all-purpose flour and mix until combined. Gradually add the other half cup of flour until the dough starts to ball and leaves the sides of the bowl. Beat on low for 7 minutes, adding additional flour if necessary.
This is a stiff dough but it will bake up soft and tender.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until it’s tight and smooth 4 to 5 times.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled large bowl, turning once to oil both sides of the dough ball. Cover and allow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 90 minutes.
Punch down the dough and break it into 16 equal pieces. Roll them into dough balls. Place them on a lightly greased 9X13 inch baking dish and allow them to rise again for 1 hour.
Brush the tops with melted butter and dust with cornmeal or oats. (optional)
Bake until golden brown or until an instant-read thermometer reads that the internal temperature reaches 190ºF.
If you’re going to use the Brown Sugar Honey Butter, you can make it before or while you’re making your rolls.
Bread can be stored at room temperature for 2 to 3 days or frozen wrapped with plastic wrap and placed in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
How to make Brown Sugar Honey Butter
- Whip a stick of butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add the brown sugar and honey. Continue beating until well blended.
- Store covered in a small bowl or jar in the refrigerator. Brown sugar honey butter can also be frozen. We like to roll ours in a piece of plastic wrap in the shape of a tube and freeze it so it can be sliced for serving.
Oh, and that butter would be delicious on pancakes or waffles too. I’m just drooling thinking about it.
Hostess Tips for Making Sweet Molasses Brown Bread
- If you don’t have an electric mixer, we use a wooden spoon or Danish dough whisk to mix sticky dough.
- After adding the last cup of flour, only add additional flour if the dough is sticky and will not leave the sides of the mixing bowl. Adding too much flour can make your rolls dense and tough instead of the fluffy dinner rolls that we strive for.
- If you want perfectly sized rolls, you can use a kitchen scale to weigh the bread into 16 equal-sized pieces. We just approximated ours. Rustic can be beautiful, right?
- The time it takes your dough to rise is dependent on so many things including temperature, humidity, and elevation. The time we give is approximated.
- Preheat your oven thoroughly. We turn our oven on 30 to 45 minutes before the end of the rising time.
- Instead of relying on color to tell us when our bread is baked, the best way is to use an instant-read thermometer and bake until the internal temperature reaches 190º F.
Serving Suggestions
When it comes to pairing those sweet molasses brown bread rolls, you’re in for a treat! They’re incredibly versatile. Try them alongside hearty soups like a steaming bowl of 13 Bean soup or Vegetable Lamb soup for a comforting meal.
Just like our Irish Brown Bread recipe, we love serving Molasses Brown Bread rolls with our St. Patrick’s Day meal. I’ll make them the day before and they’re still amazing the next day.
They also make a great companion to Chicken Garlic Parmesan Pasta or Turkey ala King, adding a touch of sweetness to your savory dishes.
And, don’t forget to slather them with butter or spread some cream cheese for a delightful snack. The possibilities are endless, and your taste buds are in for a real adventure!
We LOVE baking bread! You can find all of our bread recipes here!
We really enjoyed these rolls, and even though I bake a lot of bread it reminded me that I need to make these brown bread dinner rolls more often.
I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.
Sweet Molasses Brown Bread Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
Bread Dough
Brown sugar butter
- 8 tbsp salted butter 1 stick
- 1/4 cup brown sugar light or dark
- 1 tbsp honey
Instructions
Molasses Brown Bread
- Combine warm water and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Add the egg, honey, molasses, whole wheat flour, cocoa, brown sugar, and salt, to the yeast mixture. Mix together using the paddle attachment until combined.
- Change the paddle attachment to the dough hook. Add one cup of the all-purpose flour and mix on low until combined. Gradually add another ½ to ¾ cup of all-purpose flour until dough starts to ball and leaves the sides of the bowl. Beat on low for 7 minutes, adding additional flour if necessary.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until tight and smooth, 4 to 5 times. Place the dough in a large lightly oiled bowl, turning once to oil both sides of the dough ball.Cover the dough and allow it to rise until doubled in size, 90 minutes.
- Punch down dough and form 16 rolls. Place in a greased 9X13 inch pan and allow to rise again for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 °F.
- Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cornflour or oats (optional)
- Bake for 22 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 190 °F.
Brown Sugar Honey Butter
- Add the stick of butter to the bowl of an electric mixer and mix until the butter is light and fluffy.
- Add the brown sugar and honey to the butter. Continue beating until smooth.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
If you love making a St. Patrick’s Day dinner, these bread rolls are perfect just like these homemade bread recipes. Try making your own Molasses Brown Bread Rolls, Simple Waterford Blaa Rolls, or Irish soda bread recipe. If you love sourdough bread, our Sourdough Pumpernickel and Rye Sourdough make amazing leftover corned beef sandwiches!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Don’t forget to pin it for later and follow me on Pinterest for more delicious recipes like this one!
2015 Molasses Brown Bread Rolls
Julie they look so soft and nice! And I love the butter idea, gorgeous! 🙂 x
Thank you so much! They were very soft and stayed that way for several days. My husband did a number on that butter! I think he ended up putting it on anything. 🙂
Can’t blame him, I would be tempted to do the same!
I love brown bread, this looks delicious Julie, Happy FF 🙂
Thank you so much Jess! Happy FF to you too!
I’m thinking these rolls would be lovely to serve at a dinner party I’m having next week! I may have to sneak a couple just for me with that brown sugar butter…oh, my!!
Thank you Lora! Please let me know if you try them. Enjoy your weekend!
Your bread looks delicious – I have not made any brown bread in a long time – I use to make it regularly when I served a hearty German meal 🙂
Thank you Judi! These rolls are light enough that they would go with a heavy meal. That butter is addicting! Not thigh friendly at all. 🙂
Delicious looking Julie. You bake like a pro!!
You are so darned sweet skd! Thank you!
☺
AMAZING!!
Thank you Josette!
Absolutely fantastic and indulging. The bread itself is so good but that addition of butter is super awesome ❤️
Thank you Sonal! John just loved that butter! And, we both just love homemade bread.
These look so delicious!
Thank you so much! They were pretty yummy too.
This bread looks delicious! Love the look of these and I have some molasses to try it!
Thank you! I hope if you get to make them that you will let me know how you like them.
This sounds yummy!
Thank you so much Jewels!
Julie – I love these rolls! They turned out great, I can’t wait to have them with my next steak meal and really get the full outback experience! 🙂
Thank you! They were very easy to make, and I will definitely make them again. Their slight sweetness goes perfectly with a savory meal. I hope you will let me know how they turn out when you make them!
Ooh, good reminder about that slightly sweet, warm bread! I think I’ve seen that “it’s always autumn” recipe and bookmarked it somewhere; happy to have it back at the front of my mind. Also, that whipped sweet butter? Please! Sounds so dreamy.
Thank you so much Chelsea for stopping by. I just love to bake bread and there is always that perfect bread for an occasion. The butter was definitely delicious. I think my husband is still licking the jar clean. 🙂
This sounds delicious!! Homemade breads are totally the best breads! 😉
I agree Tracy! Thank you for stopping by!
Once again, perfection! Warm bread and melty butter can’t be beat!
Thank you Patti! I just love fresh bread and home baked is so yummy.
Yum, yum, yum! I haven’t been to Outback in a gazillion years, but I do remember this bread … and I am totally going to make your version … with that butter too!
Thank you Kimberly! My husband suggested that I leave lumps in the butter. I’m surprised he didn’t just dump brown sugar on the rolls! I haven’t been to Outback either. My husband makes to darned good a steak at home.
Haha, “out of body experience”! I’m sure it was exactly that. I love the presentation! 🙂
Thank you Ana! John is still licking the empty butter jar. He said next time leave brown sugar lumps. Glutton!
I love the sound of these, and I’m thinking they’d be the perfect thing to slide into one of our holiday bread baskets. Plus that brown sugar honey butter…mmmmm!
Thank you Heather! I do love when several kinds of rolls are served and I secretly hope to get a certain one while waiting my turn. I’m such a kid.
Look awesome!
Thank you Sir!
Your rolls looks so professional! Not to mention yummy! Wow, I wish I had been there when they came out of the oven! Recipe saved and I might even get over my “flour” phobia and give them a go, with that butter you made! 🙂
Thank you Petra! Flour phobia? You aren’t a baker? These really aren’t difficult at all. Now that butter is just short of sinful. John wants me to make more but I think it’s best to wait a bit so the thighs can recover from the last jar. 🙂
Well, I always seem to get more flour outside the bowl, on myself included so I tend to actually avoid it! A friend of mine calls it my “flour phobia”, she is of course an excellent baker, whilst I am not a great baker at all. I will give these a go and yes, yum, the butter! 🙂
I would love a report! I do get flour showers once in a while too. Especially if the mixer is involved.
I went to Outback probably 25 years ago and wasn’t very impressed. but these breads do look fabulous!!!
Thank you Mimi! My husband can make one mean steak so between the sodium and fat in those commercial steaks we don’t do either. This bread was yummy though.
Ohhhh wow Julie!! Outback’s bread is one of my all-time favorite breads… I’ve been meaning to find a recipe for it… and now I’ll definitely use this one 😀 😀
Thank you Amanda! Easy and delicious. Make sure your cover it in buttterrrr!
Oh wow, something completely different! Probably too sweet for me, but not for my men…x
It isn’t very sweet at all, especially if you don’t put the brown sugar butter on it. Thanks for stopping by Elaine!
🙂 x
Definitely going to give this a try Julie. This is the type of bread that I can manage, I might even have all the ingredients on hand. Can’t wait to make that sweet butter too. You are definitely staying challenged with your breads aren’t you? 🙂
Thank you Loretta! This was a new one for me and the dough was not soft. It was actually very dense but they came out soft and boy did my kitchen smell good! Please let me know what you think.
I can’t wait to try this recipe! My mom used to make a sweet, brown bread when we were children—so delicious!!!
Thank you Liz. I’d never made it before but had eaten it and loved it.
This looks sooo good!!!
Thank you! I appreciate your stopping by and taking the time to comment!