American Bread

Squaw Bread Recipe

A soft, slightly sweet dark bread with a tender crumb and rich molasses depth that pairs beautifully with everything from soups to deli sandwiches.

There is something wonderfully nostalgic about a loaf of squaw bread fresh from the oven. The kitchen fills with the warm, earthy aroma of rye and molasses, and when you finally cut into it, the crumb is soft and slightly moist with a color that is somewhere between deep chestnut and chocolate brown. It has a mildly sweet, complex flavor that is hard to pin down but impossible to forget. Every bite is satisfying in that deeply comforting, old-fashioned way that only homemade bread can deliver.

Squaw bread is a hearty, slightly sweet dark bread that has long been a staple at deli counters and steakhouse bread baskets across the American Midwest and West. It is made with a blend of whole wheat and rye flours, sweetened with molasses and brown sugar, and enriched with just enough butter to give it a pillowy, tender texture. It is the kind of bread that works beautifully as a sandwich base, alongside a steaming bowl of chili or beef stew, or simply toasted with a generous pat of butter and a drizzle of honey. Once you bake it at home, you will wonder why you ever bought it pre-sliced.

I first encountered this bread at a little diner that served a basket of it warm before every meal, and I spent years trying to recreate that exact loaf at home. After a lot of testing and tweaking the ratio of flours and sweeteners, I finally landed on a version that hits every note: just sweet enough, deeply flavorful, and soft enough to slice without crumbling. This recipe is approachable even if you are newer to yeast breads, and the results are genuinely impressive. If you have never baked a dark bread before, this is a wonderful place to start.

Recipe at a Glance

⏱Prep Time25 mins

🔥Cook Time35 mins

🕐Total Time3 hrs 15 mins

🍰Servings2 loaves (about 16 slices each)

🇺🇸CuisineAmerican

🔢Calories~160 per slice

Ingredients

Bread Dough

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (one standard packet)

1 1/2 cups warm water, divided (about 110°F)

1/4 cup unsulfured molasses

3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt

1 cup dark rye flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 to 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 tablespoon caraway seeds (optional but recommended)

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (for color and depth)

Finishing

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted (for brushing after baking)

1 tablespoon rolled oats or cornmeal (for dusting the pan, optional)

Substitutions & Variations

★If you do not have dark rye flour, light rye flour works well and produces a slightly milder flavor with a lighter crumb color.

★Honey or pure maple syrup can be swapped in for the molasses in equal measure if you prefer a lighter, less bitter sweetness, though the bread will be a bit lighter in color.

★For a dairy-free loaf, substitute the butter with coconut oil or a good plant-based butter; the texture stays nearly identical.

★Bread flour can replace all-purpose flour for a chewier, slightly sturdier loaf that holds sandwich fillings especially well.

★If you enjoy a nuttier flavor, replace up to half a cup of the all-purpose flour with spelt flour for an earthy, wholesome twist.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1

Proof the Yeast

Pour 1/2 cup of the warm water into a small bowl and sprinkle in the active dry yeast. Add a pinch of the brown sugar to help feed the yeast, stir gently, and let it sit undisturbed for 8 to 10 minutes. The mixture should become foamy and smell pleasantly yeasty. If it stays flat and lifeless, your yeast may be old or the water too hot, so start over with a fresh packet before continuing.

2

Mix the Wet Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining 1 cup of warm water, the molasses, brown sugar, softened butter, and salt. Stir until the butter begins to soften and everything is fairly well combined. The mixture will look dark and glossy from the molasses. Pour in the proofed yeast mixture and stir to incorporate it evenly.

3

Add the Flours

Add the rye flour, whole wheat flour, and cocoa powder to the wet mixture and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a rough, shaggy dough begins to form. Add the caraway seeds if using. Then begin adding the all-purpose flour about half a cup at a time, stirring after each addition. Stop when the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is rough but cohesive. You may not need the full 2 1/2 cups.

4

Knead the Dough

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until it is smooth, elastic, and just slightly tacky. Doughs with rye and whole wheat flour will feel a bit stickier and denser than a standard white bread dough, so resist the urge to add too much extra flour. The dough is ready when it springs back slowly when you poke it with your finger and has a cohesive, uniform texture throughout.

5

First Rise

Shape the kneaded dough into a smooth ball and place it in a lightly greased large bowl. Turn the dough once to coat the surface, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Set it in a warm, draft-free spot and let it rise for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, until it has doubled in size. A slightly warm, turned-off oven with just the oven light on works great for this.

6

Shape the Loaves

Once the dough has doubled, punch it down firmly with your fist to release the built-up gas. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into two equal portions. Shape each portion into a smooth, tight oval loaf by folding the edges under and rolling it gently against the counter to create surface tension. Lightly grease two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans and dust the bottoms with rolled oats or cornmeal if using, then place a shaped loaf seam-side down into each pan.

7

Second Rise

Cover the loaf pans loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise again at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The loaves should rise about an inch above the rim of the pans and look puffy and rounded. Press a finger gently into the side of one loaf; if the indent springs back slowly but does not fully disappear, the dough is perfectly proofed and ready for the oven.

8

Preheat the Oven

About 20 minutes before the loaves finish their second rise, preheat your oven to 375°F and position the rack in the center. An evenly heated oven is important for a consistent bake, so give it plenty of time to fully come to temperature. If you have an oven thermometer, now is a good time to use it, as many home ovens run hotter or cooler than the dial suggests.

9

Bake the Bread

Place both loaf pans on the center rack and bake for 32 to 36 minutes, until the tops are deeply browned and the loaves sound hollow when you tap the bottom of the pan. If you have an instant-read thermometer, the internal temperature should read between 195°F and 200°F. If the tops are browning too quickly around the 20-minute mark, loosely tent them with a piece of aluminum foil for the remainder of the bake time.

10

Brush and Cool

As soon as the loaves come out of the oven, brush the tops generously with the melted butter. This gives the crust a soft, slightly shiny finish and adds a final layer of richness. Let the loaves rest in their pans for 10 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto a wire cooling rack. Allow them to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Cutting too early releases steam and can leave the interior gummy rather than perfectly set.

Pro Baker Tips

✓Rye flour absorbs liquid more slowly than all-purpose flour, so give the dough a few minutes of rest after mixing before deciding whether to add more flour. What feels sticky at first often firms up nicely.

✓The cocoa powder is not there for a chocolate flavor; it deepens the color of the bread to that signature dark brown. Do not skip it, and make sure you are using unsweetened cocoa.

✓For a glossy top crust before baking, brush the shaped loaves lightly with a mixture of one egg white and one tablespoon of water right before they go into the oven.

✓If you want a thicker, crustier bottom, place the loaf pans directly on a preheated baking stone or a heavy baking sheet that has been in the oven during preheat.

✓Caraway seeds are traditional and add a lovely subtle anise note, but if you are not a fan, you can leave them out entirely or swap in fennel seeds for a milder version of that flavor.

✓This bread slices much more cleanly after it has cooled completely. Use a serrated bread knife and a gentle sawing motion to get clean, even slices without compressing the crumb.

Storage & Serving Notes

◆Once fully cooled, wrap the loaves tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight bread bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.

◆For longer storage, slice the cooled loaf and freeze slices in a zip-top freezer bag with a small piece of parchment between each slice. They keep well for up to 2 months.

◆To toast from frozen, pop slices directly into the toaster on a medium setting. No need to thaw first.

◆Avoid refrigerating the bread, as cold temperatures cause starches to crystallize faster and will dry out the crumb significantly within a day or two.

◆To refresh a slightly stale loaf, wrap it in aluminum foil and warm it in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes. It will taste remarkably close to fresh-baked.

Serving Suggestions

Squaw bread is endlessly versatile and tastes wonderful in both sweet and savory applications.

›Slice and toast it, then top with salted butter and a drizzle of honey for a simple, deeply satisfying breakfast.

›Use thick slices as the base for a hearty deli-style sandwich with roast beef, sharp cheddar, and whole grain mustard.

›Serve warm alongside a bowl of beef stew, French onion soup, or a creamy tomato bisque for a complete and comforting meal.

›Cut into cubes and toast in a 375°F oven to make flavorful croutons for a Caesar salad or a hearty grain bowl.

›Spread with cream cheese and smoked salmon for an elevated appetizer or brunch bite that looks impressive and takes about 30 seconds to assemble.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it called squaw bread?

The name has murky origins and has been used for decades in American diners and steakhouse chains to describe a soft, dark, slightly sweet bread made with rye and whole wheat flours. The term is considered outdated and offensive by many today, and some bakeries and restaurants have rebranded it as dark honey wheat bread or molasses rye bread. The bread itself is delicious regardless of what it is called, and many bakers simply refer to it by its flavor profile.

Can I make this bread without a stand mixer?

Absolutely. This recipe is written entirely for hand mixing and kneading. The dough is a little denser than a standard white bread dough because of the rye and whole wheat flours, so it takes a bit more effort to knead by hand, but it is very doable. Just make sure to knead a full 8 to 10 minutes to develop the gluten structure properly. If you do have a stand mixer, use the dough hook on medium speed for about 6 to 7 minutes.

My loaves came out dense and heavy. What happened?

Dense bread is almost always a result of one of three things: under-proofed dough (the yeast did not have enough time to produce sufficient gas), yeast that was not active to begin with, or too much flour added during kneading. Rye and whole wheat doughs are naturally denser than all-white-flour loaves, but they should still feel light and airy after the rises. Make sure to proof your yeast first, give the dough the full rise time, and resist adding extra flour unless the dough is truly unworkable.

Can I make this into rolls instead of loaves?

Yes, and they make wonderful dinner rolls or sandwich buns. After the first rise, divide the dough into 16 equal portions and shape each one into a smooth ball. Place them about 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let them rise for 35 to 45 minutes. Bake at 375°F for 18 to 22 minutes until deep brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.

Is this bread the same as the dark bread served at Outback Steakhouse?

It is very similar! The famous restaurant bread that many people grew up loving is a soft, dark, slightly sweet molasses and rye bread, and this recipe captures that same flavor profile beautifully. The key elements are the combination of rye and whole wheat flours, the molasses sweetness, the cocoa powder for color, and the soft, buttery finish. Many home bakers say this recipe is even better than the restaurant version.

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Go Make It!

Baking a loaf of squaw bread at home is one of those kitchen projects that rewards you far beyond the effort it takes. The process is straightforward, the ingredients are simple pantry staples, and the results are genuinely extraordinary. Whether you are feeding a crowd, stocking your freezer with sandwich bread for the week, or just treating yourself to something warm and homemade on a Sunday afternoon, this recipe will not let you down. Go ahead and get that oven preheated, and get ready to fill your kitchen with one of the best aromas in home cooking.