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Newfoundland Molasses Raisin Bread

Newfoundland Molasses Raisin Bread. A classic Newfoundland recipe that everyone’s Mom or Nan made back in the day. It’s often enjoyed at the Holidays and is a favourite for morning toast with gobs of melting butter.

Newfoundland Molasses Raisin Bread image with full loaf

Newfoundland Molasses Raisin Bread

 

Originally published Dec 2012.

In the last few remaining baking days leading up to Christmas, I like to make this incredibly popular Newfoundland Molasses Raisin Bread commonly referred to in this province as “Lassie Raisin Bread”.

This is another of those iconic Newfoundland recipes that every native Newfoundlander’s mother or grandmother used to make and hopefully still does.

Close up stock photo of golden raisins for butter tarts

I’ve used sultana raisins in the photo but golden raisins make a nice change too.

This bread is fantastic warm, straight out of the oven and makes the absolute best toast ever!

Molasses raisin toast is a bit of a Christmas morning tradition in our house. I normally make several loaves for the freezer and a few extra loaves for a couple of lucky gift recipients.

Molasses on a wooden spoon. Stock photo

Be sure to use light molasses or fancy molasses in this recipe. Cooking molasses can be too strongly flavoured for some.

If you’ve never done it before, be sure to hold back a little of the dough for “Lassie Raisin Toutons” which make a fantastic brunch addition too.

Fry them at a little lower heat than you do regular toutons though as the added sugar in this dough browns and burns more easily.

Originally published on December 22, 2008.

Newfoundland Molasses Raisin Bread featured image

Newfoundland Molasses Raisin Bread, 2008 photo.

Measuring flour correctly.

It is easy to over measure flour for any recipe by as much as 30% or more as you can see in the photo below. Both are one cup of flour but one weighs much more. Read more on how to avoid this common baking pitfall in our post on How to Measure Flour Correctly.

How to Measure Flour Correctly. Two photo collage showing the weight of a cup of flour measured two different ways.

How you measure flour is important. It can result in mis-measurement of up to 34%.

Looking for more Newfoundland-inspired recipes?

Our province has lots of great food to offer. Be sure to check out this collection of some of our Most Popular Newfoundland recipes.

Top Ten Newfoundland Recipes photo collage for Pinterest

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Newfoundland Molasses Raisin Bread with Title Text

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Newfoundland Molasses Raisin Bread image with full loaf
Yield: Four 1 1/2 pound loaves

Newfoundland Molasses Raisin Bread

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

A classic Newfoundland recipe that everyone's Mom or Nan made back in the day. It's often enjoyed at the Holidays and is a favourite for morning toast with gobs of melting butter.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup lukewarm water
  • 2 tbsp white sugar
  • 2 8 gram envelopes dry yeast (or 4 tsp total)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 8 cups all purpose flour, approximately
  • 1 ½ cups lukewarm milk
  • 1 cup molasses
  • 3/4 cup melted butter
  • 2 beaten eggs
  • 3 cups raisins

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, stir the sugar into the lukewarm water and then sprinkle the yeast over the top. Let stand without stirring for 10 minutes.
  2. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer that has a dough hook, stir together 3 cups of the flour along with the salt. When the yeast is ready, stir it add it to the flour and salt along with the butter, molasses, warm milk and beaten eggs.
  3. Using a wooden spoon or the regular paddle of your electric mixer, mix slowly for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is smooth with no lumps. If using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook at this point and begin to slowly incorporate the remaining flour. You may need to use a little more or less flour than the recipe details to bring your dough to a proper consistency that is not too sticky. This is not unusual.
  4. If not using an electric mixer, keep mixing in the flour gradually until a soft dough forms that leaves the sides of the bowl.
  5. Add the raisins at this point and continue to knead until the raisins are evenly distributed in the dough.
  6. Turn the dough out onto a flour-dusted counter top or breadboard to knead. Knead the dough for an additional 5-10 minutes by hand.

Proofing the dough

  1. Place the dough in a large bowl cover the dough with a damp tea towel. Leave it to rest and rise for two hours. Punch the dough down and knead it for a few minutes by hand before letting it rest for another 10 minutes.
  2. Grease 4 medium loaf pans. 9 x 5 inches at the top or similar dimensions. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Form each portion into a ball. I use a kitchen scale for this purpose, taking the total weight of the dough and them dividing by 12.
  3. Place 3 balls of dough in each prepared loaf pan. Cover with a clean tea towel and allow the dough to rise until it is about 2 inches above the rim of the pan, about 2-3 hours depending on room temperature. Molasses bread generally takes quite a bit longer to rise/proof than white bread.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes depending on the size of the pans that you are using. The top and bottom crust should have good colour.
  5. When baked, turn the loaves out onto a wire rack to cool. Brush the tops with melted butter if desired to soften the top crust.

Notes

For those who are familiar with making your own bread, you should be aware that the rising time for this bread is generally quite a bit longer than other breads. The times quoted here are just guidelines and will vary considerably depending on room temperature. The most important rising is in the pans; just make sure that the dough rises at least a couple of inches above the bread pans before baking the bread.

Total time noted in the recipe does not include rising times. Allow severl hours in addition.

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Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.

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Don

Thursday 27th of April 2023

Don't think my mixer can handle that much flour. If I cut recipie by half would I need to reduce kneading and baking time. Do you know of a recipie fir only two loaves?

Paula

Thursday 2nd of February 2023

Are the eggs necessary. I remember my Mom making molasses raisin bread but never ever used eggs in it. She made bread every week.

Connie Foote

Saturday 13th of November 2021

I have a carton of crosbys fancy mollasses and crosbys cooking mollasses. What one is best for bread? I always used the fancy, not sure what to do with the cooking stuff?

Amy F

Friday 10th of December 2021

@Connie Foote, He actually commented way further back that he uses fancy molasses. That’s what I use too and it works great. Cooking molasses is darker and more bitter. 😊

Lynn Parsons

Thursday 18th of November 2021

We use fancy molasses

Linda T

Monday 26th of August 2019

Good day Barry, When using a stand mixer and dough hook is it necessary to turn the dough out onto a flour-dusted counter top to knead the dough for an additional 5-10 minutes by hand or is using stand mixer and dough hook adaquate? Thank you.

Barry C. Parsons

Saturday 5th of October 2019

The hook should be adequate.

Shirley Hulan

Wednesday 28th of November 2018

Hi Barry, you have great recipes!! I make breads of many different kinds including Raisin Molasses. However, I use cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice & cloves in mine. I'd happily share my recipe if you want to try it. I notice a few comments about difficulty with rising....having lived in mountainous terrain I know that yeast is affected by barometric pressure. If the pressure is low, don't make bread until the sun shines. Of course the Island would not be affected by that, I have a barometer to be sure. I am originally from NL and really love and appreciate your great recipes.

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