Sweet Molasses Raisin Bread-Traditional Newfoundland
Hi and Welcome to our website!
Sweet Molasses Raisin Bread brings me back to my childhood when my Mom would be baking some for Christmas.
I remember the house smelling amazing.
Then sitting down by the wood burning stove looking in the oven waiting for the bread to come out.
After it was baked my Mom cutting the bread while it was hot and spreading lots of butter and more molasses all over my slice of bread.
So Good!
Our video and recipe is super easy to follow and you won't be disappointed, make yourself a cup of tea and sit back and check out our step by step video tutorial of Sweet Molasses Raisin Bread.
Then after pick up your ingredients and make this delicious bread.
Follow our step by step video to make your fresh homemade bread today.
Here in Newfoundland and Labrador we like to fill the bread pan with three buns of dough, this was an old tradition by our elders.
Also marking the sign of a cross on the dough after its made was to bless the dough.
I would like to share with you another beautiful recipe and link for:
Traditional Newfoundland Christmas Fruit Bread
I will also share with you before you go to my recipe for Sweet Molasses Raisin Bread, and link for our first cookbook released in February 2017  and second cookbook released in October 2020
https://www.bonitaskitchen.com/cookbook
Ingredients
- White flour - 8 1/2 Cups
- Yeast - 2 Tbsp, fast rising or traditional
- Melted Butter - 1/4 Cup
- Brown Sugar - 1/2 Cup
- Warm Water or warm milk - 2 Cups more if needed
- Molasses - 3/4 Cups
- Vanilla - 1 Tsp
- Cinnamon - 2 Tbsp
- Raisins - 2 1/2 Cups
- Ground Cloves - 1/2 Tsp
- White Sugar - 1/2 Tbsp
- Sea Salt - 1/2 Tsp
Instructions
Prep time: 10 minutes, mixing time: 10 minutes, rising time: 2 x 1/2 hour, baking time 30 minutes
Method:
1 - Combine in large bowl: 8 cups flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, sea salt, raisins, cinnamon and ground cloves, mix together.
2 - In another bowl, add dry fast rising or traditional yeast with 1 cup warm water and 1/2 tbsp white sugar, let rise for a five minutes.
3 - In another bowl add 1 cup of warm water or warm milk and 3/4 cup molasses mix together, then melt 1/4 cup butter in a glass bowl.
4 - When yeast is ready pour over flour mixture in bowl then start adding the warm water, butter, molasses and vanilla mixing all ingredients together with a spoon or kitchen aid until it thickens then keep adding flour to work dough together, add more water if need at this stage ONLY” this will be done with your hand.
5 - Knead dough, add more flour if necessary until dough is smooth , elastic and no longer sticky and you can hear cracking sounds of the dough when folding dough inward, keep working dough into a ball.
6 - When completed sprinkle some flour over the top. I always draw the sign of a cross a few times on top then cut the top of the dough like a cross then cover with parchment paper and big towel. “Crossing your bread is optional”.
7 - Let rise in a warm place on your counter top until dough rises for 30 minutes then knead it down for a couple of minutes.
8 - Repeat this step letting the dough rise again for another 30 minutes.
9 - After your dough rises “ DON’T DEFLATE DOUGH” and cut in pieces forming it inwards into a ball, placing dough in bread pans, place three buns in each pan.
10 - Makes 3 loafs of bread keep covered and in a warm place until bread rises half the size you started with or just 30 minutes.
Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees F, bake bread for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown or depending on your oven, when bread is baked take out of your pans and place them out on a cooling rack.
BAKING TIPS: Sweet bread don't rise the same as white bread and it's a little heavier but ever so good. Grease bread with butter then cover with parchment paper and towel to soften tops. Don’t deflate the dough on its last rising because you need the air to stay in dough when folding them into balls.Â
You can also use ½ tsp baking soda in the molasses to frizz up the molasses. Then stir together and add to the mixture. Optional!!!
Also you can use ½ warm milk and ½ warm water for this recipe....
Sweet Molasses & Raisin Bread (One Loaf only) Recipe: Ingredients: 2 & 3/4 Cups White or Wheat flour. 1½
Tsp yeast 1½
Tsp melted butter, or Margarine Pinch Sea salt 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar 1 Cup warm water. 1/4 Cup molasses and pinch oil in bowl 1/4 Tsp vanilla 1 Tsp cinnamon 1/4 Tsp Ground Cloves 1/2 cup raisins ( more if liked ) 1/2 Tsp White Sugar Method: 1 - Combine in large bowl: 2 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar and salt and raisins, cinnamon, cloves,salt toss together. ( keep 1/4 cup flour to work the dough ) 2 - In another bowl, add dry fast rising yeast with 1/2 cup warm water and 1/2 tsp white sugar, stir together, Let rise for a five minutes. 3 - In another bowl add pinch oil then molasses, in another bowl add butter then melt. 4 - Pour yeast mixture over flour mixture in bowl then start adding the warm water and butter, molasses and vanilla mixing all ingredients together with a spoon or your hand until it thickens then keep adding flour to work dough together,add more water if need. This will be done with your hand. 5 - Knead dough, add more flour if necessary until dough is smooth , elastic and no longer sticky and you can hear cracking of the dough when folding dough. Keep working dough into a ball. 6 - When completed sprinkle some flour over the top. I always draw the sign of a cross a few times on top then cut the top of the dough like a cross then cover with wax paper or parchment paper and a towel. Crossing your bread is optional. 7 - Let rise in a warm place until dough rises for half an hour then knead it down. 8 - Repeat this step letting the dough rise again for another 1/2 hour. 9 - After your dough rises cut in pieces forming it inwards into a ball, then put in your bread pan. Make one loaf. 10 - Makes 1 loaf of bread keep covered and in a warm place until bread rises half the size you started with. FOLLOW BAKING TIME AT THE TIME.
Allergens
This is one of my favourite things to do is make any type of bread, and the smell of it baking is so rewarding.
Then of course taking it out of the oven and cutting off a nice slice and spreading fresh butter over the top. 🙂
This may not sound like much but trust me it is so delicious!
So sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy our short video tutorial to make your delicious homemade bread today.
I will share with you another bread recipe, this one was my first bread video.
 Traditional Newfoundland Homemade White Bread
Years ago everyone made homemade bread here in Newfoundland and Labrador, this was a way of life. I know this day in age we still got the same goals making homemade meals and breads for our families but we just don’t have the same free time anymore.
Thank you so much for taking the time to visit our website and please leave me a message before you leave, on this recipe or any other recipes or videos.
FROM OUR KITCHEN TO YOURS, YOU HAVE A LOVELY DAY.Â
Bonita, RMHussey Productions and Team!
Hi Bonita,
My son and I made this bread today. Much better job than the attempt I made last year with 2 loaves weighing too heavy; no worries of blowing away after you ate it, lol.
The bread has risen well as is now in the oven baking. We can’t wait to try a slice.
Thanks
Hi Petrina: I loved your message, thank you for trying and I’m glad your son is helping you because that will diffently be in his favour in years to come when he is looking to make it himself. I hope it turned out good for you and i can smell it in spaniards bay, 🙂 thank you for letting me know. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy new Year. 🙂 Bonita
Thank you so much Bonita! I had a request from a dear elderly gentleman whose Mamma (as he put it) used to make a “plum loaf” each Christmas Eve & he can’t find anyone who makes it! I’ve made bread years ago but he said his mother used the big sticky raisins, so after watching your video I’m going to attempt to make the bread for this dear old gentleman, hoping it tastes like his Mamma’s! Wish me luck?
Hi Sandra: Thank you for your message and lovely story, I have my link here for Boiled Plum Pudding this may be the one his referring to. But this sweet molasses raisin bread he would enjoy as well. https://youtu.be/rRbz59nTW6s check out the video and you decide the one you are going to make for him. Enjoy Bonita 🙂
Hello Bonita, first of all Merry Christmas, I’m making ur molasses raisin bread today and I didn’t notice that I used cooking molasses not the fancy molasses. Is that gonna make a big difference.
Hi Andrea: Thank you for your message and for stopping by, I’m glad you are making our sweet molasses bread recipe. You can use whatever molasses you have available in this recipe. I usually buy whats on sale, enjoy to the fullest and Merry Christmas to you and yours. 🙂 Bonita
Wonderful teacher I made it lost calories but It turned out fantastic,I will make tomorrow for my daughter for Xmas. I over ate but never blew away,lol, my
grandaughter said nana may we put some slices out for Santa? I replied, yes Sarah,the first time I met Santa, he boast his mom’s raisin bread. Thank u th u. Sylvia
Hi Sylvia, Thank you for your message and for making our sweet molasses raisin bread, It is so sweet your grand daughter would like to leave some for santa. Have a Merry Christmas and thank you for stopping by,…Bonita
Hi Bonita,
I am from Quebec…sorry for the mistake…
I made each of your bread and we love them…
Have you a receipe of Ă bread Witherspoon Apple and raisins .. I taste it one Day but never find a receipe
Hi Danielle. Thank you for your message and for making our bread recipes, I haven’t got a recipe for Witherspoon Apple and Raisin bread sounds a lot like our sweet molasses raisin, I’t do sound like a soda bread and we do have a recipe for that https://youtu.be/lAeKW2eoeNs check out that link and let me know what you think. Chat soon….Bonita
Hi, I was looking for a traditional recipe for raisin bread and came across yours so I tried it yesterday and no success,I figured it was the yeast and it was instant yeast too. Today I bought new traditional active dry yeast and went directly by the recipe and it still didn’t rise that much and when I took it out of the oven and let it cool ,I tried broke a bun off and it wasn’t cooked inside. Could you please tell me what I’m doing wrong or what I should try. It really smells good though.
Hi Goward: Thank you for your message and for visiting my website, I’m so sorry it didn’t turn out twice. That is so strange I can see once but the second time around it should have came out lovely. I will start by saying everyones ovens are so different, I just replaced my oven a few months ago and I have been fighting with the temperature and the amount of time needed for recipes. Sweet bread is a little different then white or wheat bread, you may need to work the dough more, add more water during the mixing period to work the dough more. The other thing is leaving it in the oven a little longer, rising or lowering the racks in the oven. I hope this helps you and don’t discourage you from making this recipe again or making any type of bread. Have a Merry Christmas and Healthy and Happy New Year. Bonita
Yes now, I made this bread yesterday and had a mad old feed. My favourite way to eat lassy bread is toasted with a cup o’ tea. You knows now, when I makes it I just about got to turn around and make it again right away because everyone loves it and eats it on me. I also uses your white bread recipe, but I add a bit more salt and sugar and a bit of milk. Deadly good. Thank Bonita you are the bomb diggidy.
Hi Matt: You rock I love your messages and I’m glad you are making them your own by changing the ingredients to meet your needs, good on you. I hope you see my other reply’s and you found my suggestions helpful. Have a wonderful day. 🙂 Bonita
i have a bread maker got it for xmas please tell me how to make one loaf of raisin bread
Hi Emily: Thank you for your message and for visiting my website, what a lovely christmas gift a bread maker. I have never owned or used a bread maker but I can try and help you. A questions: Did the bread maker come with a booklet for how much ingredients you will need to make a loaf of bread. If so follow that and then all you would need to do is add the other ingredients by taking the amount down a little. My sweet molasses bread recipe is for three loafs, so take a 1/4 of the ingredients needed and add to your bread making, molasses, spices, raisins. Like i was saying I’ve never made bread with the bread maker before so that part i can’t help you with. The amount of flour, water, yeast,salt, will be in the booklet then all you would need to do is the add other ingredients to make sweet molasses bread, trial and error is what you are going to have to do on this one and when you get the right amount for the one loaf of bread you would have mastered your bread maker. I hope this helps you please let me know how it turns out. Maybe you can google bread making recipes for bread that can work too. Enjoy Bonita
Hi Bonita, I’m making white bread from your recipe, wondering what size should a ball of dough be when you put it into the pans? Do you weigh it on a kitchen scale? Should the deflated dough be 1/4….1/2… up the side of the pans? Thanks…love your videos also!
Hi Christina: Thank you for your message and for visiting my website, I just noticed your message for some reason it was hiden on my messages. Sorry for the late response and I hope your bread turned out good and you resolved the size of the dough, for next time it don’t matter how big they are just as long as they are all the one size. Just compare or use a scale or judge. Please let me know how your bread turned out and thank you once again for your message. Bonita
Hi Bonita from Arizona.Just finished batch of white bread and am now making the sweet bread.Even in 104 F. I am baking your awesome bread.Thank you so much for sharing your know how.Grandkids will be happy campers when they come over today.
Hi Bernie: You are very welcome and thank you for making my bread recipes and for sending me this lovely message. Enjoy it to the fullest and have a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend. 🙂 Bonita
Wanting to give this a go but have a question. In the ingredients 1/2 tsp white sugar listed …. in the instructions 1 tbsp white sugar in the yeast .. which is correct ?? or does it not matter too much as it is high in sugars anyway ??
…. and when do the spices go in ?? I assume with the flour in the beginning ??
Watched the video and followed that. Hope it works out well .. first rise happening as I write.
Hi Rae: How did your bread turn out and do you have any left, I can smell it baking. 🙂 Bonita
Hi Rae: The spices will go in with the flour, I’m not sure if you looked at my video because it gives you a full step by step tutorial showing you how to make it. 🙂 Bonita
Hi Rae: Thank you so much for your message and I’m so sorry I’m just getting to your message, I try to check my messages in all the areas at less twice a day. But with the time change I may miss some, I don’t think it would make a differance if you used 1/2 tsp full but it was 1 tbsp of sugar in the yeast. I just checked the recipe and looks like I made a typo in that ” so sorry” I did fix it and I hope your bread turned out delicious. This is a lovely recipe and the taste is to die for, I love making this recipe to seat and have for comfort food. 🙂 Enjoy Bonita
Hi Bonita, I want to thank you for this recipe of molasses raisin bread! Turned out delicious!
I have tried making molasses raisin bread few times in past without success but this recipe worked!!
Only thing is I had to add a little extra water.
Thanks again!
Hi Valerie: Thank you so much for your follow up message and I’m so glad you enjoyed our recipe, sometimes when making any bread you may need to add a little more water not sure why, maybe we used a little more flour or less butter. But when you put the water and yeast in thats when you will know if you need more, thank you for sharing that with us. Enjoy to the fullest and have a wonderful evening. 🙂 Bonita
Great Video. Growing up my Mom made bread every day and when we came home from school that’s the first thing you would smell coming into the house. I used to make bread myself years ago, but of course with a full time career it was hard to do. Now that I have a little more time I am going to make this bread for my family this Christmas. The instructions on the video are exactly the way I learned how to make it from my Mom as a
child growing up in Nfld. A great family tradition. Thank you so much Bonita for keeping our wonderful culture alive.
You are very welcome Veronica, thank you for leaving a lovely message and for stopping by. This was one of the reasons why we started our channel was to help anyone that is looking for a traditional or non-traditional Newfoundland and Labrador recipe. I know we got a long way to go before we reach everyone of them but one recipe at a time and please god we all can get to keep our cultural recipes alive. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and enjoy making the Sweet Molasses Raisin Bread. 🙂 Bonita
Great recipe. Best bread I’ve made so far 🙂
Hi Gina: Thank you for your message and I’m so glad you are making our SWEET MOLASSES RAISIN BREAD recipe. This is a lovely and tasty bread and I can almost smell it here. Enjoy to the fullest and stay safe. 🙂 Bonita
I love your recipes, however, since i an an empty nestor the quantities are too large for me. Have you ever considered downsizing some of your recipes for “us folks”?
Hi Myrna: Thank you for your message and for stopping by, I understand totally and its always harder to cook for one or even two people. But for those bread recipes you can half the batch to meet your needs. What I do for us is freeze the two loafs until i’m ready for them so I don’t have any waste. I hope this helps and stay safe and thank you 🙂 Bonita
Hi Bonita,
Thank you so much for sharing all your recipes & videos. I absolutely enjoy watching them and have been trying a lot of them over these past couple of months.
My question today: Can I use my KitchenAid to make the molasses raisin bread? If yes, is there a point at which I need to take the dough out of the KitchenAid bowl and knead it by hand?
Hi Lisa: Thank you for your message and I’m sorry I just seen your message, yes you can use your kitchen aid to mix the ingredients only and when it starts to form a dough ball, remove it from the mixer and continue kneading in the bowl with your hand. After that the second stage will be the bowl, then the pans. I hope this helps and enjoy to the fullest. 🙂 Bonita
I’ve made your whole wheat bread and it came out awesome. I then tried the molasses raisin bread. It rises perfectly but when I turn into single loaves for each pan that’s where I’m having difficulties. The raisins are continuously falling out and it’s hard to turn into a loaf. The 1st time I didn’t add extra warm water but this time I did when I was mixing all the ingredients together but I still had issues with the raisins falling away from the dough. Is it because I didn’t mix correctly? I find that when the loaves are baked you can see the crease on the bottom of the loaves. The bread taste delicious and my husband really enjoys it. If you can offer any assitance that would be great. Thanks;
Hi Cathy: Thank you for your message and for stopping by, I’m glad you enjoyed our bread recipe and made it. Adding more water was ok this would help mix and bring all the ingredients together. I’m not sure why the raisins was falling out of your dough, did the dough feel to tight and springy. Did it rise ok on both times or only once, sometimes there is no reason why that happens but next time when mixing it make sure if you add more water only do it at the mixing stage. I’m glad it tasted good and you and your husband enjoyed to. 🙂 Bonita
Hi Bonnie;
Yes, the dough did feel tight and springy and it was difficult to form into loaves. The dough did rise good on both times though. I will try again and add more water only @ the mixing stage. I’m hoping to make another batch tomorrow. I’ll let you know how it turns out. Thanks so much for your recipes. I have learnt so much from them.
Cathy
Hi Bonnie;
Yes, the dough did feel tight and springy and it was difficult to form into loaves. The dough did rise good on both times though. I will try again and add more water only @ the mixing stage. I’m hoping to make another batch tomorrow. I’ll let you know how it turns out. Thanks so much for your recipes. I have learnt so much from them.
Cathy
Hi Cathy, Thank you for your reply and followup on your bread dough, I know I answered you on the email but I just seen this message here and thought I would reply as well. Enjoy Bonita
Hi Bonita,
Love your videos and recipes, like watching mudder in da kitchen again as she has passed away now. Also, love when Raymond chats wit ya, awesome, I was wondering what type of molasses you used, was it fancy molasses?
Thanks,
Marilyn
Hi Marilyn: Thank you so much for your lovely message and so sorry to hear about your mom passing our condolence to you and your family. I’m thinking the molasses I was using was just a regular molasses. You can use dark or light, baking molasses or table molasses, usually I buy my groceries in bulk or whatever is on sale to save money. This is a lovely bread recipe and it reminds me of my childhood days when mom and dad would be getting ready for Christmas and they will make a big batch of sweet molasses bread with the salt fish soaking for fish and brewis for christmas eve. Enjoy our recipe and video to the fullest and stay safe, also this recipe is available in our new cookbook A Little Taste of Home https://www.bonitaskitchen.com/cookbook if you wish to check it out. Message anytime 🙂 Bonita
I’ve been wanting to make raisin molasses bread for some time. After reviewing a number of recipes on line, I chose yours. I made the bread today and it turned out beautifully. Thanks for your guidance on the video…it helped a lot. I’ll check your site for more recipes. I’ll be sure to make other types of breads and baked goods with you. Thanks so much. You took the fear out of bread making. Andrea
Hi Andrea: Thank you so much for your message and for enjoying our bread recipe, please follow up when you make it and let us know. Have a lovely day 🙂 Bonita
Hi Bonita,
I followed your recipe today for raisin bread. My bread did not really rise during the first, second or third rise. It baked up really touch and tasted doughy. I followed the recipe step by step but used the Kitchenaid stand mixer. Any idea what might have happened?
Hi Jackie: Thank you for your message and for stopping by, I’m sorry to hear about your bread. It was ok to use a kitchen aid for mixing the dough, after the rising stage would be in the bowl. No need to over mix the dough only to have all ingredients blended equally through the dough. If you where making it by hand you will be 5 minutes or so.
1. During the mixing stage was it dry or moist.
2. Did the yeast rise good and for only five minutes.
3. Was the dough wrapped and in a warm area for rising, like big towel.
4. What did the dough fill like after it had its first rise, spongy and soft with some cracking sounds.
All of these questions are pretty much the way your dough should have been before you put it in the pans and baked it.
I look forward to your message and thank you in advance.
Bonita
Hi Bonita,
The yeast did rise perfectly, but the dough felt really tough during each stage. You could hardly notice any increase in size after the first proof so I left it for another 15 minutes. It still didn’t rise much. After the second rise it had risen a little but not much. When I make white bread it is really easy to form in a bun but the raisin bread was very tough. It did rise a little while in the pans but I had to leave it for almost an hour to get a little increase in size. I had it covered with a cloth and placed in the sun. I have tried other raisin bread recipes as well but I’m not having much luck. I must be doing something incorrectly. When I put the bread in the oven it did rise up a little but just at the height of the baking pan. I left it in the oven for almost 35 minutes because it didn’t look like it was baked at 30 minutes. After it cooled, I cut it but it was very dense and doughy. My son who loves raisin bread could not eat it.
What kind of molasses did you use in your sweet molasses raisin bread? What brand did you use? It certainly wasn’t baking molasses because that’s kind of bitter. Did you use regular molasses? We used to purchase Karo molasses but it’s not called that anymore. Thank you for listening.
Ho Marilou, Thank you for your message and for stopping by, I only used a regular molasses. I buy whats available and cheapest, but if you wish to buy a brand that would work as well. Enjoy our recipe and thank you… 🙂 Bonita
I have now made this three times, most recently inspired by the play “Come from Away” which I saw in Richmond, VA. The first and third times came out great, and the second time was too dense because it did not rise enough. I think my problem that second time was that I was in a hurry and measured the rising by the clock vs. by my eyes. It was a good reminder that bread dough is a living thing.
I love your site!
Hi James: Thank you for your message and for stopping by,I’m so glad you enjoyed our recipe and some times with making any type of bread is hit and miss…..but don’t give up. I’m glad the show “come from away ” inspired you to make our recipe from NL….we have many homemade breads and recipes you may like to try on this website and our youtube channel….We also got affordable recipes like corned beef cakes, corned beef hash and casserole…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAp_JDxCkq0 , https://youtu.be/mRoDFIQRjJY , https://www.bonitaskitchen.com/recipe/corned-beef-casserole/ enjoy Bonita
I’ve had a hard time mixing the dough and added water when i shouldn’t of to try and make it easier to knead. I believe I may have just dumped the 8 cups of flour when I probably should’ve used 7 cups instead. Not sure if that’s what went wrong.
Hi Cindy, Sorry to hear about your bread dough not working out. Sometimes its best to take your time with the first step. What I mean about that is mix the dry and wet ingredients together, leaving 1/2 to 1 cup of flour for bring the dough together. When you are mixing it make sure the dough feels wet and mushy, and then slowly work it together and if the first step don’t feel like that add a little more warm water to help create that texture. I hope this helps and so so sorry for the loss of your flour and work. Try again soon and thank you for stopping by. You can always email me for quicker response to [email protected] 🙂 Bonita
Hi there !
I made the white bread with great results my family loves it !
The raisin bread for some reason isn’t rising very well my yeast was proofed for 5 min. And was great and I used Crosby molasses it just isn’t rising well . I’m in be process of waiting for the second rise now to see if it worked but dough feels quite tough ….we will see ? What could I possibly have done wrong ?
Thanks for the great videos !!
Sandra
Hi Sandra, Thank you so much for your message and for making our bread recipes. I’m so glad our white bread recipe worked well for you but very sorry you are having trouble with our sweet molasses raisin bread. That is a heavier dough and depending on the texture of your dough during the mixing stage.The dough should be wet at first and then sticky the next stage and then smooth and spongy on the last stage of mixing before you form the dough ball….. I hope it all works for you but please followup and let me know.
Thank you
Bonita