Brown Bread

One bite of this sweet, warm-from-the-oven brown bread recipe reminds me of the cozy winter dinners of my childhood. Slathered with butter or dipped in a stew, brown bread was a simple recipe my mom often turned to. Bread baking sometimes gets a bad rap for its complexity, but you don’t have to be a professional baker to make a homemade bread recipe like this one.

Thanks to oats and molasses, this bread has a beautiful texture and flavor—soft and satisfying on the inside, and lovely and crusty on the outside. The biggest challenge is budgeting time: Because it’s a yeasted dough, you must let it rise and bake, but the results are worth it.

Our recipe for brown bread makes two loaves, one for eating and one for freezing—the perfect way to plan ahead. Use brown bread toasted with jam in the morning, for lunch sandwiches or sliced alongside a steaming bowl of soup at dinner.

What’s the difference between brown bread and Irish brown bread?

Traditional brown bread is made with oats and molasses, while Irish brown bread typically uses different flours, such as wholemeal flour, a combination of whole wheat flour and wheat bran, or wheat germ. Irish brown bread is less sweet and has a more rustic texture compared to our molasses-based version.

Brown Bread Ingredients

• Old-fashioned oats: There are different types of oats, but for this recipe you want flat and flaky old-fashioned oats, also known as rolled or quick-cook oats. Rolled oats are slightly precooked, so they soften immediately when that boiling water hits them. Avoid steel-cut oats; they are too thick and will thicken the texture of the bread too much.
• Butter: Cubed butter melts faster into the oat mixture. You can use salted or unsalted butter, but salted butter (with a high-fat content, like Amish butter) balances the sweet molasses.
• Molasses: Molasses, a byproduct of sugar-making, adds a singular sweetness and a bit of color to the bread. But what kind is best, blackstrap or dark molasses? Blackstrap molasses is more robust, less sweet and slightly bitter, while dark molasses is sweeter and lighter in flavor. You could go either way, but I like dark molasses for this recipe for brown bread.
• Flour: Flour provides the structure and body of the bread and determines its final texture. Of all the different kinds of flour, all-purpose flour works well with its mid-level protein content, and most of us have some in our pantry. If you have bread flour, its slightly higher protein level is terrific for this kneaded dough.
• Yeast: Learning how to use yeast isn’t that hard! The more you practice, the more you can anticipate how the yeast will work. This brown bread recipe is fantastic for both pros and beginners. If your dry active yeast has been on the shelf for a while, proofing yeast will tell you if it’s still ready to rise.
• Salt: A little savory seasoning balances the sweetness, but if you choose salted butter, you may want to use less salt here.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the moist ingredients

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In a large bowl, pour boiling water over the oats. Stir in the cubed butter and molasses until combined. Let the mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until it cools to 110° to 115°F.

Editor’s Tip: Waiting for the mixture to cool is crucial to avoid killing the yeast when you add it later.

Step 2: Combine the flour and oat mixture

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In another bowl, mix 3-1/2 cups flour with the yeast and salt.

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Once the oat mixture has cooled to the correct temperature, add it to the flour mixture and stir until well blended. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Editor’s Tip: Gradually add the remaining flour a little at a time until a soft dough forms. You want it to be smooth but not sticky.

Step 3: Knead and let rise

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Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Knead it for six to eight minutes until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning it once to coat the top. Cover and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about one hour.

Step 4: Divide and rise again

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Punch down the dough to release the air. Turn it onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Shape each half into a loaf and place the loaves in two greased 9×5-inch loaf pans. Cover and let the loaves rise again until doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°.

Editor’s Tip: To ensure equal loaves, use a digital kitchen scale to measure the two halves of the dough.

Step 5: Bake and serve

Bake the loaves for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and they sound hollow when tapped. Remove the loaves from the pans and cool on wire racks.

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Brown Bread Variations

• Swap in some honey: For extra sweetness, substitute a bit of honey for some of the molasses. You can replace all the molasses with honey, but the bread will be less brown once baked.
• Add different types of flour: Adding a bit of wheat or rye flour can deepen the bread’s flavors and make a heartier loaf, but keeping some all-purpose flour in the mix is a good idea to ensure the bread’s texture isn’t too thick.
• Top your loaves: Adding seeds and nuts to the crust of the bread can add texture and flavor. Try flaked sea salt and everything bagel seasoning full of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, minced dried garlic and dried onion.

How to Store Brown Bread

To keep the bread fresh, store it in an airtight container or wrap it tightly. You can leave it out at room temperature or freeze it.

How long does brown bread last?

This recipe for brown bread can last at room temperature for up to five days. Refrigerating fresh bread dries it out, so we don’t recommend it.

Can you freeze brown bread?

Yes! Once the bread has cooled completely, wrap it in storage wrap and aluminum foil or place it in a freezer bag. Freeze the bread for up to three months. Thaw it at room temperature or gently warm it in the oven before serving.

Brown Bread Tips

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Why didn’t my brown bread dough rise?

You might not get a rise in your dough if the liquid is too hot, which kills the yeast, or too cold, which prevents the yeast from activating. Make sure the yeast is fresh and the water is between 110° and 115°.

How can you use brown bread?

Use brown bread for avocado toast and other sandwich ideas, or simply serve it toasted with good butter and jam. It shines as an accompaniment to your favorite chili recipes, chowders and soup recipes, adding some sweetness to these comfort foods.