Last Updated on January 26, 2026 by Stephanie Gilpin

A tender, lightly sweet sandwich loaf made with fresh-milled flour, molasses, and cocoa.

a loaf of brown bread sliced, with a close up of the interior texture on a blue and white tea towel

There’s something extra cozy about a brown bread loaf. It’s soft, slightly sweet from the molasses and honey, and sturdy enough to use for sandwiches or toast.

This version is made with freshly milled hard wheat, giving every slice a warm, hearty flavor that store-bought bread just can’t touch.

slices of brown bread made with fresh milled flour and topped with oats, a blue and white tea towel in the background

If you’ve made my Honey Wheat Sandwich Bread, this dough will feel familiar — the process is nearly identical. The added molasses, cocoa, and buttermilk create that classic brown bread flavor and a soft, pillowy texture your whole family will love.

Why You’ll Love This Brown Bread with Fresh Milled Flour

Soft, sliceable texture perfect for sandwiches
Naturally sweetened with honey + molasses
Made entirely with fresh-milled hard wheat (I prefer to use hard red wheat for a more rustic wheat flavor)
Flexible: makes two loaves, one loaf + 16 rolls, or 32 mini rolls – I love to make two things at once and freeze the other for easy meal prep!
Beginner-friendly recipe for those who are new to whole grain baking

For more information about baking with fresh-milled flour, check out my full fresh-milled flour guide.

Ingredients (Makes 2 Loaves)

Wet Ingredients

2 ¼ cups water
½ cup buttermilk
- Or make quick clabbered milk: Add 1–2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar to milk and let sit 3–5 minutes until slightly thick.
4 tbsp molasses
4 tbsp honey
6 tbsp butter, softened

Dry Ingredients

6 ⅔ cups fresh-milled hard wheat flour (or 800 g)
- Use hard red, hard white, or a blend- I prefer hard red for this loaf!
4 tsp instant yeast
2 ½ tsp salt
4 tbsp cocoa powder

How to Make Brown Bread Sandwich Loaf

Same exact process as my beginner Honey Wheat Sandwich loaf.

1. Mix the Wet Ingredients

In the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, add the water, buttermilk, molasses, honey, and softened butter. Stir to combine.

wet ingredients for brown bread dough in a bosch mixer bowl

2. Add the Dry Ingredients

Add the fresh-milled flour, yeast, salt, and cocoa powder.
Mix until the dough just comes together.
It will look loose, soft, and slightly shaggy — this is perfect.

3. Let the Dough Rest (Autolyse — Do Not Skip)

Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 25 minutes. This is crucial!
This step hydrates the fresh-milled flour and dramatically improves the final texture. The dough will look way too wet at first, but after the rest it will come together once kneaded.

a bosch mixer bowl covered with the lid while brown bread dough rests

4. Knead the Dough

After resting, knead for 8–10 minutes (in a stand mixer or a little longer by hand) until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and cohesive.

a zoomed out view of kneaded brown bread in a bosch mixer bowl with a blue and white tea towel, measuring spoon and wheat grain in the background

Avoid adding too much flour. If after 10 minutes the dough is still way too wet, add extra flour a tablespoon at a time until it comes together.
The dough will still feel slightly tacky — that’s normal for fresh-milled.

kneaded brown bread in a bosch mixer bowl

Use oiled hands to remove the dough and place it into a lightly greased bowl.

unproofed brown bread dough in a glass bowl with a blue and white striped tea towel and measuring spoon

5. First Rise

Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour depending on kitchen temperature.

proofed and doubled brown bread dough in a glass bowl with a blue and white striped tea towel

6. Shape the Loaves

Turn dough out onto a lightly oiled surface.
Divide into one of these 3 options:

Two 9×5 sandwich loaves
One loaf + 16 rolls
32 rolls

brown bread dough split into two pieces with a bench scraper

Shape tightly and place into greased loaf pans (you can also line them with parchment paper)
Sprinkle oats on top if desired for a traditional brown bread look.

a brown bread loaf on the second rise topped with oats

7. Second Rise

Let rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Use the poke test:

a finger poking brown bread dough to see if its proof

Slowly fills back in with a light indent → Ready to bake

brown bread loaf with oat topping with an indent showing that it is proofed

Troubleshooting:

Springs back quickly → Needs 10–15 more minutes
Does not spring back at all → Overproofed. A very overproofed loaf may have lost too much structure to be a good sandwich bread, however, you can still use it to make focaccia, breadcrumbs or croutons.

8. Bake

Bake loaves at 350°F for 30–35 minutes, or until:

Internal temperature reaches 190–195°F, and
Tops are deep brown and feel firm

For more information on how to shape and bake brown bread rolls, check out my brown bread roll recipe.

9. Cooling and Serving

Remove loaves from pans.
Cool on their sides for 15–20 minutes to prevent sinking or collapse.
Move to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.

Serve with:

Softened butter
Soup or chili
Breakfast sandwiches
Your favorite sandwich fillings

a partially sliced brown bread loaf on a wooden counter with a striped blue and white tea towel

This is one of our family’s anytime breads — soft enough for little ones, sturdy enough for hearty sandwiches, and flavorful enough to enjoy warm right out of the oven.

Printable Recipe:

Brown Bread Sandwich Loaf with Fresh Milled Flour

A soft, lightly sweet brown bread made with fresh-milled hard wheat, molasses, and honey. Perfect for sandwiches, toast, and to round out meals.

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Rise Time 1 30

Total Time 2 30

Serving Size 2 loaves

Equipment

1 Stand Mixer optional, but recommended

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup buttermilk or clabbered milk: 1–2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar stirred into milk
4 tbsp molasses
4 tbsp honey
6 tbsp softened butter
6 2/3 cups fresh-milled hard wheat flour 800g
4 tsp instant yeast
2 1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp cocoa powder

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine the water, buttermilk, molasses, honey, and softened butter.
Add the fresh-milled flour, yeast, salt, and cocoa powder. Mix until the dough just comes together. It will look soft and loose.
Cover and let the dough rest for 25 minutes (autolyse). Do not skip this step.
Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Dough will remain slightly tacky—use oiled hands to handle it.
Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Turn dough onto a lightly oiled surface and divide into two 9×5 loaves OR one loaf + 16 rolls. Shape tightly. (Add oats on top if desired.)
Let rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes. Use the poke test:
Slowly fills back in with a light indent → ready to bake
Springs back quickly → needs 10–15 more minutes
Bake loaves at 350°F for 30–35 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 190–195°F. (Rolls bake faster.)
Remove from pans and cool on their sides for 15–20 minutes to prevent sinking, then move to a rack to cool fully.

Notes

This dough can also be made into rolls or slider buns.

Freshly milled hard wheat is necessary for structure. Hard white or Hard red will work, I like hard red best for this recipe!
Allow bread to cool completely before slicing for clean, even slices.

Save this Recipe on Pinterest:

a pinterest pin for brown bread with fresh milled flour, with an image of sliced bread

Author

Stephanie Gilpin

Hi, I’m Stephanie, the creator and author behind Garden of Mirth. I’m a home cook with a deep love for cooking from scratch, baking with sourdough, and growing as much of our food as I can right at home. My passion is creating easy, wholesome meals that the whole family will love—whether that looks like a flaky homemade biscuit, long-fermented sourdough bread, or the most delicious tomato pie you’ve ever tasted. I’m inspired by the rhythm of the seasons, the fruits and vegetables I grow, freshly milled grains, and the slow, nourishing process of sourdough fermentation. At Garden of Mirth, you’ll find a blend of old-fashioned recipes passed down through generations and new creations inspired straight from my garden. Whole-food cooking paired with family traditions is truly my jam, and my goal is to help you feel confident making real food at home—food that brings people together around the table. Whether you’re here to learn sourdough, cook from scratch, or use what’s growing in your own backyard, I’m so glad you’re here.
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