Favourite Squaw Bread

This is a copycat of the famously soft, sweet brown bread served at restaurants like Cheesecake Factory and Outback Steakhouse, scaled for a bread machine. The trick is the liquefied raisin-and-molasses mixture: raisins get pulverized in a blender with milk, water, oil, honey, and brown sugar before joining the dry ingredients, dissolving completely into the dough rather than appearing as visible chunks.

The three-flour blend is what gives this bread its signature texture. Bread flour provides structure and chew, whole wheat adds nuttiness and fiber, and rye flour brings a subtle earthy depth that you cannot get from any single flour alone.

A scoop of vital wheat gluten (gluten flour) is the secret that makes whole-grain bread machine loaves rise tall instead of sitting dense. Whole grains weigh down the dough; extra gluten compensates and gives you a soft, well-risen loaf.

Warming the liquid mixture briefly (the personal note in the recipe suggests 50 seconds in the microwave) is genuinely useful. Active dry yeast wakes up faster in warm liquid, around 110°F (43°C). Anything hotter kills the yeast; cold liquid means a slow, sluggish rise.

Pro Tips

• Add ingredients to the bread machine pan in the order your manual specifies. Most machines call for wet first, then dry, with yeast on top in a small well so it does not contact liquid before mixing starts.
• Use the LIGHT crust setting as the recipe directs. The honey and brown sugar make the loaf brown deeply on its own; medium or dark settings can scorch the crust.
• Check the dough during the first knead. It should form a soft, slightly tacky ball. If too dry, add water 1 tablespoon at a time; if too wet, add bread flour the same way.
• Let the bread cool fully on a wire rack (1 hour minimum) before slicing. Slicing warm bread compresses the crumb and makes the texture gummy.

Variations

• Add 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder along with the dry ingredients for a darker, more steakhouse-style brown bread.
• Stir in 2 tablespoons of molasses in place of the honey for a deeper, more old-fashioned flavor.
• Sprinkle the top with old-fashioned oats before the final rise for extra texture and visual appeal.