Soft and chewy, these Sweet Molasses Brown Bread Rolls are simple and scrumptious. A touch of molasses and honey, healthy whole wheat flour give these rolls amazing texture and great flavor, similar to Outback or Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread.
Welcome to Freaky Friday created by the talented Michaela of An Affair from the Heart; plus she’s fun and the bonus; great recipes! Go and check her blog out.
Freaky Friday is a blog hop that a bunch of my blogger buddies and I do once per season, this being the “Winter Edition“. The theme of this blog hop is all things we love to eat in the winter, and for me that means, bring on the bread!
Secretly assigned to another blogger; this round we were able to choose from any of their recipes!
Then today, all at the same time, we reveal our recipe and assigned blogger. It’s a great way for us to get a fantastic new recipe and for you to meet some new food bloggers you may not have otherwise ever met! Scroll down to the bottom for a list of all of the bloggers, but go slow; you do not want to miss this!
My assigned blogger is Julie who blogs at Hostess at Heart! She and I have a lot in common; our passion for hostessing, inviting people into our homes and enjoying great food, our love of bread, oh and the overuse of exclamation points!! 🙂
Julie doesn’t shy away from from anything, she has great “how-to’s” like this How to Spatchcok and Carve a Turkey, or these AMAZING Double Chocolate Muffins.
But I am always envious of all of Julie’s incredible bread recipes, and so I knew that one of her bread recipes was what I needed to make.
I actually made two recipes and let my family decide, I made the Dark Chocolate Banana Bread (picture below) along with these Sweet Molasses Brown Bread Rolls.
We had a taste test, they loved both recipes, but being the children of a food blogger, said, “Mom we love them both, but the rolls go great with so many recipes, people need this recipe.”
Use them for sandwiches, soups, stews, chicken, or just about anything! It didn’t hurt that they love Cheesecake Factory brown bread and these are a great copycat recipe!
Ingredients for Sweet Molasses Brown Bread Rolls
- 4 teaspoons active dry yeast (make sure it’s not expired)
- 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
- 1 egg (see below*)
- ¼ cup honey (I love using local honey)
- 3 tablespoons molasses (I used organic)
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (I used organic Dutch processed)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (I use unbleached)
- 1-2 cups whole wheat flour
- cornmeal or rolled oats (optional)
How to bring eggs to room temperature
I often forget to bring my eggs to room temperature, and we keep our house kind of chilly in the winter time, so I often resort to this method. Submerge eggs in warm (not hot) water and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Room temp eggs!
High Altitude Adjustments for Easy Brown Bread Rolls
A few notes for those of us living at high altitude.
- When adding the whole wheat flour, add one cup a bit at a time, then slowly add only enough of the second cup until the dough starts to ball and leaves the sides of the mixing bowl.
- While adding the first cup of whole wheat flour, I also added 2 teaspoons of water.
Note that the dough will be very stiff, but work with it! It will be amazing!
How Do You Make Easy Brown Bread
I adore brown breads, like this Russian Black Bread, which isn’t really black, but brown and oh so warm and yummy!
But what makes them brown? Typical brown bread recipes have one or more the following to make them brown: molasses, honey, cocoa powder or espresso powder, rye flour and/or whole wheat flour.
Copycat Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread
What does Outback and Cheesecake Factory use to make their bread brown?
With a little googling, they use cocoa powder, molasses, and caramel or brown food coloring (ew for the last two), I like to use all-natural products, which we have done here!
Brown Sugar Butter for Homemade Brown Bread rolls
We devoured these homemade brown bread rolls so quickly and the rest I froze that I didn’t make the Brown Sugar Butter like Julie did, but the recipe is included in the printable recipe card below. Looks and sounds mouth-watering!
They are just as delicious with simple butter and honey!
Can I Freeze these Easy Brown Bread Rolls Recipe?
All breads freeze well, just make sure that they are completely cooled before wrapping tightly in parchment or plastic wrap and then seal in a freezer baggie.
How to Re-Heat Yeast Rolls
- Remove desired number of rolls from freezer, allow to thaw on counter while preheating oven.
- Preheat oven to 300-325 F degrees
- Wrap rolls in aluminum foil or place on quarter sheet pan and cover with foil.
- Heat until warm, about 15 minutes
Don’t forget to PIN to your Favorite Bread Board!
Take a look at all of our 2020 Freaky Friday Winter Edition Recipes:
- An Affair from the Heart – Braised Beef Short Ribs with Red-Eye Gravy
- Aunt Bee’s Recipes – Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken Tacos
- Bowl Me Over – Honey Sriracha Chicken
- Hostess at Heart – Chicken Marsala
- House of Nash Eats – Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Lemoine Family Kitchen – Vegetarian Pot Pie Soup
- Life Currents – Pepper Jelly Cheese Balls
- Soulfully Made – Alice Springs Chicken (Outback Copy Cat Recipe)
- Take Two Tapas – Chocolate Spoons
- The Fresh Cooky – Sweet Molasses Brown Bread Rolls
- The Speckled Palate – Valentine’s Day Dessert Board
- West Via Midwest – Grasshopper Pie
- Who Needs a Cape? – Air Fryer Loaded Mini Meatloaf
Tell me how you enjoy these rolls!?
Goes great with! Savory Beer Beef Stew, Easy Jambalaya of course with your holiday turkey and wash it all down with this easy and delicious 4 ingredient Margarita.
Like this recipe?
Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and leave a comment below the recipe!
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons active dry yeast make sure it’s not expired
- 1 cup warm water 110 degrees F
- 1 egg room temp – see below*
- ¼ cup honey I love using local honey
- 3 tablespoons molasses I used organic
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder I used organic Dutch processed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour I use unbleached
- 1-2 cups whole wheat flour
- cornmeal or rolled oats optional
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
Brown Sugar Butter
- 1 stick 8 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Rolls
- In the bowl of a stand mixer combine warm water and yeast until dissolved and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Once yeast smells yeasty and frothy, add the rest of the ingredients up until the whole wheat flour. Mix on low, scraping down sides until just combined. Change paddle beater to the "J" hook (see notes if you do not have a J hook), add one cup of whole wheat flour a little at a time with mixer on low, until combined. Gradually add whole wheat flour until dough starts to come together, starts to ball and pulls away from the bowl. If needed add a couple of teaspoons of water. Knead on low for 5-7 minutes, if needed add additional flour. Dough will be very stiff.
- Transfer dough to floured surface and knead until tight and smooth, about 4-5 times. Spray or spread oil in a large ceramic bowl, form dough into ball, turning to cover both sides with oil. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 60-90 minutes. If you need a warm place, preheat your oven to 100 degrees then TURN OFF.
- Punch down dough and using a bench scraper, cut into 16 even dough balls, pinch bottoms into a round ball shape and lay in a sprayed or parchment lined 13×9 inch pan. Place in warm place to rise for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350° F. and brush tops of muffins with melted butter sprinkling with a little cornmeal or rolled oats (optional)
- Bake for 18-22 minutes
- Brown Sugar ButterIn a bowl, mixer or food processor, mix the brown sugar, softened butter and honey. Refrigerate until ready to use, the bring to room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Debbie
I love, love, love this recipe. To me it tastes just like the bread at the Cheesecake Factory!
Thank you sooo much, Debbie! I couldn’t agree more!
Samantha Lockridge
These look amazing???? Do you think I can just use the King Arthur Bread flour (white) ? Right now that’s all I have.
You sure can Samantha; since bread flour has more protein in it, you may need a little more water — your dough should not be overly dry, but moist.
Amanda
Is it possible to make the dough the night before and bake in the morning? Any tips? I wasn’t sure if it was possible overly rise the dough.
Hmmm, I’ve never tried that, but you could try. I think it might rise overnight. It sure is easy to whip together. Maybe measure out all of your ingredients and leave them out overnight. Then mix in the morning? Let me know if you try it.
Susan Erwin
Can instant yeast be substituted in this recipe?
I haven’t tried it Susan, but you should be able to substitute it. Decrease the amount slightly and you shouldn’t have to let it sit, you can add directly with dry ingredients. Let me know how it goes!
Debbie
I looked up the equivalent and you use 2.67 tsp of instant yeast.
Amy Nash
These rolls were so delicious that I skipped dessert in favor of having extra rolls! They were so good!
Erin
I baked these rolls to go along with our Valentine’s dinner last night, and I am so glad they did. They were delicious and GONE so quickly, haha. Awesome tip about getting the eggs to room temperature, too, because I always forget about that. We’ll definitely be making these again soon!
Linda Krenz
These adorable little rolls look so good. I have some local honey I’m going to try with them.
Local honey is the BEST!
Chelsea
I havent made these yet but was wondering if you could omit all purpose flour and just use whole wheat flour instead? Also I only have packets of yeast that are 2 1/4 tsp each, would I measure it out or just use two packets? Thank you, cant wait to try this recipe!
Hi Chelsea, You can use only whole wheat flour, however; it is a dryer flour, so you might need to add more liquid, add enough so that tit’s not sticky, but a bit tacky if that makes sense. And yes, you should be fine with that yeast, using two packets, though that might be a touch too much. It might help since you are making it all with whole wheat flour. Let me know how they turn out. Happy baking! Kathleen
Caroline
If making them with whole wheat flour, you mention to use more liquids… what kind of liquids? More honey? Molasses? More eggs? Would you be able to provide measurements of the liquids
Hi Caroline, water is what I would add, whole wheat flour is more absorbent. As for how much, bread making is more of a feel. You want the dough to be tacky but not too sticky. Add water a teaspoon at a time.
Jennifer Ann Stewart
Molasses is my husband’s jam, not to mention bread in general, and when I made these last night he ate them all! I was hoping to keep some for sandwiches the next day, and now I have to make a second batch! These are so amazing!
Wow, I love hearing this Jennifer! So fun, and I love that phrase, “molasses is my jam”!
Lynn Spencer
Thanks for this recipe Kathleen! You have made the men in my family very happy!
Thanks Lynn, wish I could make them low carb!
Lynn Spencer
The men in my family loves these rolls!
Angela
Wow, these rolls look easy enough and so delicious! I think I need to give them a try! I love that you drizzled honey all over!
So, so delicious with honey!! Thanks Angela, happy week to you!
Brandi Burgess
This looks like the best bread ever!!!!
Ah, thanks Brandi!! 🙂
Lori V
Seriously delicious! Your easy to follow directions for these rolls are very much appreciated! A definite keeper!
Thank you so much Lori!! Hope you love them!
Lori V
Sherry Denise Cole
I am eager to try this recipe. This is my family’s favorite bread.
What is it that makes it so delicious? I hope you enjoy it Sherry!
Julie Menghini
Wow, you are definitely an over achiever and I knew you and I were foodie soul sisters! So glad you found recipes that work for your family and you did an amazing job! Thank you Kathleen!
Tasia ~ two sugar bugs
They look positively amazing!! It also sounds like you, Julie and I have a lot in common too.????. Pinned!
I am pretty sure we’d all get along smashingly!
Debi
These bread rolls are fabulous. Perfectly flavored and even better than going out to eat! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you Debi! So glad you enjoyed them!!
Nikki
I don’t make bread nearly often enough! This is amazing and I know we will enjoy this again and again!
Michele
These were so easy and I can’t believe how fast they were devoured at our house!
Deb Clark
I’ve made a ton of homemade bread and roll recipes lately. This one just went on the list! You had me at the honey photo – sold! I have everything I need and these will be wonderful for sandwiches next week!!
They will make delicious sandwiches Deb! Thank you for your kind words!
Deb Clark
Michaela Kenkel
Oh my word!! These are getting baked this weekend!! It’s freezing here, and we have been eating so much soup. These are going to be perfect with the next batch!! Just amazing, Kathleen!
Thank you so much Michaela, they are perfect for those freezing days to go with soups!!