Homemade Soft and Fluffy Oatmeal Dinner Rolls
These easy to make oatmeal dinner rolls are a combination of plain white and wholemeal bread flours with added porridge oats. They make a great side to soups and main courses, and with a sprinkling of oats on top, they look pretty too. You can even make a batch and freeze some for later.
Recipe Overview
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Prep Time:
30 MINUTES (+ rise time)
Cook Time:
15 MINUTES
What Makes This Recipe Great
Great for bread baskets, served with soup or used as sandwich rolls.
Made from scratch in your own kitchen.
These oatmeal dinner rolls are freezer-friendly.
Oatmeal dinner rolls are a delicious bread roll that is versatile enough to use for sandwich rolls, dipping into soups or spreading with butter and serving on the side of a main meal. They’re also great for bread baskets.
You can make soft and fluffy rolls filled with oatmeal, two types of bread flour and sweeten with a little honey. What’s more, they only take 20 minutes to bake in the oven.
You can even make a big batch and freeze them, defrosting takes only minutes in the oven, so you can have homemade oatmeal dinner rolls whenever you want and straight from your home kitchen.
Check Out More Bread Recipes:
Equipment Needed:
- Large Mixing Bowl: Use a large bowl to mix the bread dough. After it’s ready you can also use the same bowl for the first rise.
- Wooden Spoon or Spatula: You can use a spoon or rubber spatula to bring the dry and wet ingredients together before kneading.
- Measuring Equipment: Digital kitchen scales are a must for any home baker. Accurate measurements of the ingredients will ensure you get the best results. You’ll need a measuring jug for the water too.
- Large Baking Tray: You may need more than one to place the dinner rolls in and allow for the second rise. Be sure that the size of your baking tin allows the bread rolls to rise without touching each other. Line each one with baking paper to help prevent the rolls from sticking. Alternatively, make sure your baking trays are well greased.
- Pastry Brush: For brushing the tops of the dinner rolls with milk.
- Damp Cloth, Clingfilm (Plastic Wrap) or Plastic Bags: My favourite method for covering the dough and allowing it to rise is to use plastic bags. Make sure they are clean and large enough to fit the mixing bowl and then the baking tins into.
- Wire Cooling Rack: A wire rack allows air to circulate around the oatmeal dinner rolls as they cool and prevent the bottom of the bread buns from turning soggy.
- Stand Mixer With Dough Hook/Bread Maker (optional): For ease, you can use a stand mixer to mix and knead the bread dough, or create the dough in a bread maker using the dough setting. While useful, these appliances are only optional and not essential.
Ingredients:
- Strong White Bread Flour: You can use any type of strong white bread flour like Manitoba for example. However, don’t use a plain all-purpose flour in its place as there isn’t enough protein content in the dough to make bread rolls and your results may not be good.
- Strong Wholemeal Bread Flour: We add this to the white flour for added depth in flavour. I don’t recommend using only wholemeal flour on its own however, as it can make bread rolls too dense and not light and fluffy.
- Porridge Oats: We add these into the dough and use extra oats to sprinkle on top.
- Easybake Yeast: A dried yeast that doesn’t need activation before use. This helps our dough to rise. Be sure that your yeast hasn’t passed the expiry date and has been opened in the last 6 months for best results.
- Fine Sea Salt: Used to flavour the dinner rolls and slow the yeast slightly.
- Honey: We use a little honey to help activate the yeast and act as a sweetener.
- Unsalted Butter: Softened butter is best and without added salt. We control the amount of salt we use by adding it in separately.
- Water: If you want to get technical, the ideal temperature of water for dough should be between 43°C and 54°C (110°F and 130°F).
- Milk: We use a splash of milk to brush the tops of the oatmeal dinner rolls. It not only helps them to give them a golden brown colour while baking, but helps the extra oats stick to the top of each one.
Substitutions and Additions:
Wondering if you can substitute or add an ingredient? Here, I will tell you if that’s possible.
Substitutions:
- Strong Wholemeal Bread Flour: Substitute with more strong white bread flour for a lighter roll or use spelt flour for a nutty flavour.
- Easybake Yeast: Active dry yeast can be used, but it needs to be activated in lukewarm water before mixing with the dry ingredients. Fresh yeast can also be used but needs twice as much as it isn’t as concentrated. You can dissolve fresh yeast in water before use.
- Honey: Use white sugar or golden caster sugar in its place.
- Unsalted Butter: Olive Oil can be used instead of butter.
- Milk (for brushing):If you want a shinier finish to your bread rolls, try using a beaten egg in place of the milk for brushing.
Additions:
- Seeds: Add sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or flaxseeds to the dough for extra texture and nutrition or sprinkle some on top along with the oats.
- Herbs: Fresh or dried herbs like rosemary, thyme, or oregano can be mixed into the dough for an aromatic flavour.
Step-By-Step Guide – How To Make Oatmeal Dinner Rolls
Frequently Asked Question
How do I know if the dough is properly kneaded?
The dough should be smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. A good test is to gently press your finger into the dough; if it springs back, it’s ready to rise.
How do I prevent the rolls from becoming too dense?
Ensure you’re using the correct amount of flour and that the dough is properly kneaded and allowed to rise fully. Over-flouring and under-kneading can both lead to dense rolls.
Why brush the rolls with milk before baking?
Brushing the rolls with milk helps them achieve a golden brown colour and provides a slightly softer crust. It also helps any toppings, like the porridge oats, stick to the surface.
Mastering This Recipe – Expert Tips
- Knead Until Smooth: Knead the dough until it’s smooth and elastic. This develops the gluten, giving the rolls a nice structure. A properly kneaded dough will bounce back when you press it with a finger.
- Proper Proofing: Allow the dough to rise until doubled in size in a warm, draft-free area. If your kitchen is cool, try placing the dough in an oven with just the light on or near a warm appliance.
- Check for Proper Dough Consistency: The dough should be soft and slightly sticky but not overly wet. Adjust with small amounts of flour or water as needed during mixing and kneading.
- Don’t Skip the Second Rise: After shaping the rolls, let them rise again. This second proofing gives them a lighter texture and better volume.
- Check for Doneness: Tap the bottom of the rolls; if they sound hollow, they are done.
- Cool Completely: Let the rolls cool on a wire rack to prevent the bottoms from becoming soggy and to retain their crispness.
Storage
Storage
- Room Temperature: Store the baked rolls in an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. This will keep them fresh and soft.
- Chilling: If you need to keep them for a bit longer, store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. However, note that chilling may cause the rolls to dry out faster.
Freezing
- Unbaked Dough: You can freeze the dough after the first rise. Shape the rolls, place them on a baking sheet, and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. To bake, defrost in the fridge overnight and allow the rolls to rise at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before baking.
- Baked Rolls: To freeze baked rolls, let them cool completely. Then, wrap them tightly in aluminium foil or place them in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrosting
- Baked Rolls: Defrost at room temperature for a few hours or in the fridge overnight. To refresh them, wrap the rolls in foil and warm them in a preheated oven at 175°C (350°F) for about 10 minutes.
Reheating
- Oven: Reheat the rolls in the oven at 175°C (350°F) for 5-10 minutes. If they’re a bit dry, wrap them in foil before reheating to retain moisture.
- Microwave: Microwave the rolls on medium power for 10-20 seconds, just until warm. Be careful not to overheat, as this can make the rolls tough.
Note
- Toppings: If you added toppings like extra oats or seeds, they may not adhere as well after freezing and defrosting. You can lightly brush the rolls with water and sprinkle fresh toppings before reheating.
Homemade Soft and Fluffy Oatmeal Dinner Rolls
Delicious bread rolls that are great to serve on the side to dinner, soups and even as sandwich rolls. These oatmeal dinner rolls us porridge oats and two types of flour, making them filling and full of flavours. You can even freeze them for later use!
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Servings: 12 Rolls
Calories: 203kcal
Ingredients
- 350 g Strong White Bread Flour
- 100 g Strong Wholemeal Bread Flour
- 150 g Porridge Oats, plus extra for sprinkling
- 12 g Easybake Yeast
- 10 g Fine Sea Salt
- 5 g Honey
- 30 g Unsalted Butter, Melted
- 350 ml Lukewarm Water
- 50 ml Milk, For brushing.
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the strong white bread flour, strong wholemeal bread flour, and porridge oats.
- Add the yeast and fine sea salt to separate sides of the bowl. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients.
- In a separate small bowl, mix 3/4 of the lukewarm water with the honey until dissolved. Pour this mixture into the well of the dry ingredients.
- Add the melted unsalted butter to the mixture.
- Stir everything together until a dough forms, gradually adding the rest of the water as needed. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If it becomes too sticky, add a little more flour as needed.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
- Place the kneaded dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth or clingfilm (plastic wrap), and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F). Lightly grease a baking tray or line it with parchment paper.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down and divide it into 12 equal pieces, each weighing between 70g-80g. Shape each piece into a ball and place them onto the prepared baking tray. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops with a little milk and sprinkle some extra oats on top.
- Place the tins inside large plastic bags or cover with a damp cloth and let them rise for another 30 minutes, or until they have puffed up.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Remove the rolls from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack before serving.
Recipe Notes
For ‘Prep Ahead Tips,’ ‘Smart Shortcuts,’ and ‘Mastering This Recipe’ guidance, visit the full recipe post!
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- Use a mix of strong white and wholemeal bread flours for the best texture, too much wholemeal flour will make the rolls dense.
- Ensure the dough is soft but not sticky; adjust with flour or water as needed.
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- Use active dry yeast if Easybake yeast is unavailable (be sure to activate it first though)
- You can replace unsalted butter with olive oil.
- Room Temperature: Store the rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- Freezer: Freeze rolls for up to 3 months, wrapped tightly.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 326mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 70IU | Vitamin C: 0.003mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg
