Now you can skip the steakhouse and make this Copycat Outback Bread at home with pantry ingredients! This Honey Wheat Bushman Bread recipe makes 4 loaves, serves 24, and costs just $3.18 to make.

Honey Wheat Bread made with pantry ingredients.

Outback Bread

Earlier on my website, I shared my version of Outback Steakhouse’s Walkabout Soup. Now you know I couldn’t share Outback’s soup recipe without sharing their famous Honey Wheat Bushman Bread!

There may have been a time or two (maybe more, I will not admit to how many times) while eating at Outback where I have been too full from the bread I ate before my meal came. It is just so good. 

My version of Outback bread tastes just like Outback’s, but the texture is a little different. My version is a bit heartier and more filling…both are things I love in a good loaf of bread, so it’s a win for me!

Slices of Copycat Outback Bread in a basket.

Recipe FAQ’s

What is Outback bread made of?

Outback Steakhouse bread is most well known for its dark brown color, right? So how do they get it to be that color? It has cocoa powder, molasses, and brown food coloring. Who knew! The bread also calls for honey, whole-wheat flour, salt, vegetable oil, yeast and water, and bread water. 

Does Outback have bread?

Oh ya, it does! If you have never experienced it, I would highly recommend it. It is so yummy when they bring it out warm with a little cup of butter. But since we can’t go out to eat every day, this Copycat recipe is perfect!

Is Outback Steakhouse bread vegan?

Outback Steakhouse is not a vegan restaurant, but it does offer a few vegan options. The bread is not vegan because of the honey used in the recipe. 

What kind of bread does Outback serve?

They serve a dark honey wheat bread that is made sweet by the addition of honey and molasses. The iconic dark color of the loaf comes from 3 ingredients: cocoa powder, molasses, and caramel or brown food coloring.

Slices of Honey Wheat Bushman Bread in a basket.

How do you make the Honey Wheat Bushman Bread recipe? 

  1. First, line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
  2. Next, mix the water, oil, food coloring, honey, and molasses until combined. 
  3. Then, add in the wheat flour, cocoa powder, and salt to the water mixture and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Next, loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 20 minutes. 
  4. Then, while leaving the mixer running on low, mix in the yeast and add the flour one cup at a time. Increase the speed to medium and mix for about 3-4 minutes. 
  5. Next, cover the bowl with pre-greased plastic wrap and let the dough rise for about 45-60 minutes. After the dough has risen, divide the dough into four pieces and shape it into 4 logs and place them on the prepared baking sheets. 
  6. Then cover the dough with greased plastic wrap and let it rise for another 45-60 minutes. Dust the risen dough with cornmeal. 
  7. Finally, bake the bread for 40 minutes at 350 degrees rotating the pans halfway through baking.  
Outback Steakhouse Bread

Cook’s Note:

  • This recipe makes 4, 10-inch loaves. These loaves are bigger and heartier than Outback’s, so you have a couple of options:
    • Cut the recipe in half and make just two loaves.
    • Make the entire recipe and freeze what you don’t use (this is what I do).
  • The bread will keep in the freezer for up to 4 months. Here’s how I store mine: Wrap a loaf in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. Then place the bread in a freezer-safe plastic bag.
    • To serve the bread once frozen: thaw at room temperature for about 90 minutes (or overnight in the refrigerator). Then unwrap the bread and warm it in a 325-degree F oven for 10 minutes.
  • To get that deep, rich brown color, you need to use some brown food coloring. If food coloring isn’t your thing, then just leave it out!

Cook’s Tools:

  • baking sheets
  • parchment paper
  • stand mixer
  • brown food coloring
  • wire rack

How much will this recipe cost?

RECIPE COST: $3.18

COST PER LOAF: $0.78

PER SERVING COST: $0.13

NOTE: I calculate the recipe prices by using name brand grocery prices on grocery store websites. 

  • 2 ½ cup water – $0.00
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil – $0.12
  • 1/2 teaspoon brown gel food coloring – $0.15 
  • 1/2 cup honey – $0.66
  • 2 Tablespoons molasses – $0.28
  • 3 ½ cups whole-wheat flour – $1.20
  • 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder – $0.20
  • 1 teaspoon salt – $0.01
  • 2 Tablespoons active dry yeast – $0.18
  • 2.5 cups bread flour – $0.38
Picture collage of Outback bread for Pinterest.

More Bread:

More From Food Folks and Fun

A basket full of sliced Outback Bread.
4.39 from 75 votes

Honey Wheat Bushman Bread Recipe – an Outback Steakhouse Copycat!

Prep Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
24 people
Now you can skip the steakhouse and make this Copycat Outback Bread at home! This Honey Wheat Bushman Bread is just the accompaniment for any main dish or soup!

Equipment

  • baking sheets
  • parchment paper
  • stand mixer
  • brown food coloring
  • wire rack

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 ½ cup warm water 100°-110°F
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ teaspoon brown gel food coloring optional
  • ½ cup honey
  • 2 Tablespoons molasses
  • 3 ½ cups whole-wheat flour
  • 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
  • 2-3 cups bread flour
  • cornmeal for dusting loaves

Instructions

  • Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. 
  • Mix together the water, oil, coloring, honey, and molasses in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
  • Add the wheat flour, cocoa powder, and salt to the water mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let the mixture sit for 20 minutes (this will give the flour time to absorb the liquid).
  • With the mixer running on low, mix in the yeast, and add the bread flour, one cup at a time. Once the flour is absorbed, increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough clings to the hook and almost clears the sides of the bowl, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Cover the bowl with greased plastic wrap, and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 45-60 minutes.
  • Divide the dough into four pieces. Shape the dough into 4 logs (divide the dough into eight pieces and form it into 8 logs if you want smaller loaves like Outback). Place the loaves on the prepared baking sheets. 
  • Loosely cover the dough with greased plastic wrap, and let the dough rise until doubled, about 45-60 minutes. While the dough rises, move the oven rack to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
    Outback Bread before it's baked
  • Dust the risen dough with cornmeal. Bake, the bread for 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F, rotating the pans halfway through baking (if you're making eight smaller loaves, then you will bake for about 20 minutes). 
  • Transfer the loaves to a wire rack to cool at least 1 hour before serving.
    Copycat Outback Bread Recipe

Video

Notes

This dough is on the sticky side. Make sure you flour your work surface and hands well. 
This recipe makes 4 loaves that serve 6 people each. 

Nutrition

Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 111mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.9mg

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Close up picture of Outback bread with text overlay for Pinterest.

Don’t forget the soup!

Walkabout Soup Outback Steakhouse Copycat Recipe 1

Check out my Outback Steakhouse Walkabout Soup Copycat Recipe!
This Outback Bread recipe first appeared on FFF on January 9, 2015. I have since updated the recipe and post. An original picture is below.

Copycat Outback Honey Wheat Bushman Bread Recipe
Outback Bread before it's baked
Copycat Outback Bread Recipe
Honey Wheat Bushman Bread
Delicious Outback Steakhouse Bread
Best Outback Bread Copycat Recipe

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Recipe Rating




101 Comments

  1. Yum! Thank you for sharing this recipe. It turned out so good! Mine were a little flatter than yours in the photo, but still tasted perfect! I’m in Colorado at altitude, too. Your directions are easy to follow and we’ll written. Thank you again!

  2. My whole family loves with some homemade honey butter

  3. Can you you use canola oil instead of vegetable oil?

  4. The bread did not taste like outback bread and has a weird floury aftertaste. Fair to say I’m pretty disappointed with all of the time and effort involved that this was a wasted effort. Will be throwing these 8 loaves of bread to the chickens.