Winter Molasses Bread Recipe with the Bread Machine

For a slightly sweeter flavor, make molasses bread this winter. It has just the right amount of sweetness and a warm taste in an easy no knead bread recipe.

Jump to Recipe

All throughout the year, I enjoy using my bread machine to make homemade bread. The bread machine makes it easy because it does everything for you, including time to let the dough rise while in the loaf pans in the machine. The resulting bread is just as good as if you made it by hand, dealing with the sticky dough ball, floured surface, and greased bowl that comes with that process. 

In the cooler months, during winter time, I prefer bread that’s a little heavier. This is a great recipe if you want dense bread, but one with a slightly sweet flavor. Adding molasses to the mixture, along with a little bit of cornmeal, makes this bread have a perfect taste for winter with a mild sweetness to it. 

The original recipe came from the book with my bread machine when I received it for a wedding gift. We made it recently to go with a pot of chili and it was a perfect balance. This would also be good with a warm bowl of soup.

This bread was also great as a breakfast bread. I topped it with a bit of honey and the boys tried it with some maple syrup to add another hint of sweetness. Both were a good way to serve the bread, and it was just as good the next day. Next time I want to try to spread some cream cheese on the bread. 

Hint: make sure to use the correct type of yeast. The first time I made this I only had instant yeast and tried that. It did not work as well since it activated too soon. The sweet bread was a bit of a mess. 

Types of Flour Used

There are two types of flour used in this recipe. The best way to make sweet molasses bread is by combining the two. They are different flours and activate in different ways, but both are basic ingredients for making many breads and other baked goods from scratch.

Bread Flour

Instead of all-purpose flour, which has a lower protein count, bread flour is a more dense type of flour. It will give your bread the best results because the higher protein produces more gluten thus creating more elasticity in the bread dough. Using bread flour will also make your bread more chewy than using all-purpose flour. 

Whole Wheat Flour

Whole wheat flour is also dense, but it does well in recipes with plenty of liquid to help lighten it up a bit. Regular whole wheat flour is high in fiber since it contains the entire wheatberry. It also has more vitamins and minerals than most other types of flour. Using whole wheat flour for bread helps absorb liquid when you let the dough rest, ending with a better texture. 

Molasses Bread Step by Step

Ingredients

• 7/8 cup hot water
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 egg (at room temperature)
• 1/4 cup dark molasses
• 1/4 cup corn meal
• 2 3/4 cup bread flour
• 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

Preparation

Add the hot water, melted butter, egg, and molasses to the bread machine pan.

Add the cornmeal and both types of flour on top of the liquid ingredients without mixing.

Form a well in dry ingredients and add the yeast, don’t let the yeast touch the liquid ingredients.

Select Sweet, crust color (I did light), and press start.

When the bread is done, remove it from the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack.

Leftovers

Storage: Store the remaining molasses bread in an airtight container at room temperature. The bread will stay good for about 3-5 days, depending on the humidity in your house. 

Reheating: We prefer the bread warm, so I suggest sticking it in the toaster or microwave for a short amount of time to warm it slightly. 

Freezing: As with most breads, this will freeze well. Make sure it is in a freezer-safe container. To thaw the bread, remove it from the container and place it on the counter for a couple of hours until it is no longer frozen. Then you can store it in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days. 

Recipe

Molasses Bread

For a slightly sweeter flavor, make molasses bread this winter. It has just the right amount of sweetness and a warm taste in an easy no knead bread recipe.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Course:

Homemade Staple

|

Side Dish

Cuisine:

American

Keyword:

bread

|

bread machine

|

cornmeal

|

molasses

|

winter

Dietary Needs:

Nut-Free

Cooking Method:

Bread Machine

Servings: 10 slices

5 from 9 votes

Ingredients

• 7/8 cup hot water
• 2 tbsp butter (melted)
• 1 egg (at room temperature)
• 1/4 cup dark molasses
• 1/4 cup corn meal
• 2 3/4 cup bread flour
• 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

Recommended Equipment

• Bread Machine

Instructions

• Add the hot water, melted butter, egg, and molasses to the bread machine pan
• Add the cornmeal and both types of flour on top of the liquid ingredients without mixing
• Form a well in dry ingredients and add the yeast, don’t let the yeast touch the liquid ingredients
• Select Sweet, crust color (I did light), and press start
• When the bread is done, remove it from the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack

Click the buttons below to share and print this recipe

Pin Recipe Print Recipe

Nutrition Facts

Molasses Bread

Amount Per Serving (1 slice)

Calories 220 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat 4g6%

Saturated Fat 2g10%

Trans Fat 0.1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 22mg7%

Sodium 30mg1%

Potassium 213mg6%

Carbohydrates 40g13%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 95IU2%

Vitamin C 0.002mg0%

Calcium 29mg3%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

Bread Machine Recipes

• Cinnamon Raisin Bread in the Bread Machine
• White Bread Recipe
• Homemade Pizza with a Bread Machine
• Cinnamon Rolls with the Bread Machine
• Homemade Bread in One Hour
• Fresh Mozzarella-Topped (Not So) Flatbread
• Mini Soft Pretzels
• Pizza Hot Pocket
• Ham and Cheese Hot Pocket
• Salami and Cheese Hot Pocket
• Breakfast Hot Pocket
• Pita Bread Pockets From Scratch
• Winter Molasses Bread