Oh, how my family loves these Soft Oat Dinner Rolls!!

It’s easier than you may think to make your own dinner rolls with ingredients you control and trust.  Made with cooked oats and sweetened with a bit of molasses, these soft rolls will quickly become a staple at your house.  They also make delicious hamburger buns!

I’ve made them so many times lately at the request of my family, that I thought you might like for me to share them with you just in time for Easter planning.

Start them early enough in the day to allow for rise time, but the actual hands-on work is very minimal, and made even easier with a stand mixer!

Begin by putting 2 cups of water,

3 T. of unsalted butter,

and 1 cup of quick oats

into a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Stir for a couple minutes until the oats are cooked and have absorbed the water.  If you don’t have quick oats on hand, pulse 1 cup of rolled oats in a food processor a few times and it will be the right texture.  Remove from the heat and let the oats cool thoroughly, stirring now and then to release the heat.  If you add hot oats to the yeast mixture, it will kill the yeast and the rolls won’t rise so don’t skip this step!

In a small bowl, add 2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast to 1/3 c. warm water (between 110 and 115 degrees).  Stir just a bit to get the dry yeast dampened and then let it sit for 5 minutes or so or until the mixture gets foamy.

In a mixing bowl, add and mix the following ingredients:

4 c. unbleached flour

1/3 c. sugar

2 tsp. molasses,

1 1/2 tsp. salt.

When the oatmeal has completely cooled, add it to the flour mixture and mix thoroughly.  Add in the yeast mixture and mix again.

Scrape off the mixing blade and switch to a dough hook.  Add in 3/4 – 1 c. additional flour, 1/4 c. at a time — stop adding flour when the dough comes together into a *ball,* is barely sticky, and cleans the sides of the bowl.  This is called a soft dough.  Let the dough hook continue to work for 3-4 minutes to knead the dough.  If kneading by hand, knead on a floured surface 4-6 minutes.

Coat the dough with olive oil or butter (about 1 T.) and let it sit covered with a cloth in a warm area until dough has doubled in size (about 1 hour).

Butter two large baking sheets or baking dishes.

Punch dough down to release the air and take off a handful at a time, forming a ball, and tucking the ends underneath to create a smooth surface on top.  Pinch the undersides together to seal it and set it on the baking sheet/dish leaving a couple inches in between each to leave room to rise (45 minutes or so).

This should make about 18 dinner rolls.  I often make half of the dough into larger balls and use them for sandwich rolls or hamburger buns.

Cover the baking sheet/dish with a towel and again, set in a warm place to let rise until double. Sprinkle with whole rolled oats.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place risen rolls into preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until barely golden brown.

Cool on the baking sheet for five minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Serve warm with gobs of softened butter and honey, or jam, or Crock Pot Apple Butter, or whatever makes your heart the happiest.

Soft Oat Dinner Rolls

 

Print

Prep time

2 hours 30 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

2 hours 50 mins

 

Made with cooked oats and sweetened with a bit of molasses, these soft rolls will quickly become a staple at your house. They also make delicious hamburger buns!

Alison: That Which Nourishes

Recipe type: Bread

Serves: 18 rolls

Grocery List

• 2 c. water
• 3 T. butter
• 1 c. quick cooking oats or 1 c. rolled oats pulsed in a food processor 4-5 times
• 4¾ - 5 c. unbleached flour
• ⅓ c. sugar
• 2 tsp. molasses
• 1½ tsp. salt
• ⅓ c. water
• 2¼ tsp. active dry yeast
• rolled oats for garnish
• olive oil or butter

Here's how...

1. Begin by putting water, butter, and oats into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir for a couple minutes until the oats are cooked and have absorbed the water. Remove from the heat and let the oats cool thoroughly, stirring now and then to release the heat.
2. In a small bowl, add 2¼ tsp. active dry yeast to ⅓ c. warm water (between 110 and 115 degrees). Stir just a bit to get the dry yeast dampened and then let it sit for 5 minutes or so or until the mixture gets foamy.
3. In a mixing bowl, add and mix 4 cups of flour, sugar, molasses, and salt.
4. When the oatmeal has completely cooled, add it to the flour mixture and mix thoroughly. Add in the yeast mixture and mix again.
5. Scrape off the mixing blade and switch to a dough hook. Add in ¾ - 1 c. total additional flour, ¼ c. at a time -- stop adding flour when the dough comes together into a *ball,* is barely sticky, and cleans the sides of the bowl. This is called a soft dough. Let the dough hook continue to work for 3-4 minutes to knead the dough. If kneading by hand, knead on a floured surface 4-6 minutes.
6. Coat the dough with olive oil or butter (about 1 T.) and let it sit covered with a cloth in a warm area until dough has doubled in size (about 1 hour).
7. Butter two large baking sheets or baking dishes.
8. Punch dough down to release the air and take off a handful at a time, forming a ball, and tucking the ends underneath to create a smooth surface on top. Pinch the undersides together to seal it and set it on the baking sheet/dish leaving a couple inches in between each to leave room to rise.
9. Cover the baking sheet/dish with a towel and again, set in a warm place to let rise until double. Sprinkle with whole rolled oats.
10. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
11. Place risen rolls into preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until barely golden brown.
12. Let cool for five minutes on the baking sheet and then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

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