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Why I Love These Dinner Rolls
Making bread does not have to be complicated. I find that simple bread made with easy ingredients and instructions is all that is needed for a perfectly soft dinner roll. Growing up in the Midwest United States, artisan breads were uncommon. Instead, breads were traditionally on the sweeter side with uncomplicated components. And that’s exactly where this dinner roll recipe comes into play.
These honey oat dinner rolls are nostalgic for me. Honey, old-fashioned oats, and butter are softened with hot water. A little milk tenderizes the dough along with flour and yeast. The best part? These really are foolproof. Once they rise, they’re formed into balls where they rise once more into soft, pillowy rolls. While baking, they become golden, and once slightly cooled, they’re ready to be devoured!
What Is Instant Yeast?
Yeast is often found in two different forms: instant and active.
- Active yeast is more traditional and means that the yeast needs to be activated in warm water to ensure it will rise.
- Instant yeast is made of smaller granules and does not need to be dissolved in water. Instant yeast is guaranteed to be active and ready to use.
I have always used instant yeast and find it to be fail-proof. No activation with water makes it easier and quicker. That’s a win-win!
How Do You Know When the Dough Has Risen Enough?
Most recipes will say that when the dough has doubled in size, it has fully risen. If you are new to making bread, this can be hard to decipher. Here are two methods to know when it’s ready:
- Choose a bowl and make a mark where the dough begins. This way, there is a baseline to track the dough’s growth. This does involve some approximation, but it is a great way to visually see the progress.
- Press a finger into the dough. If it springs back quickly, the yeast is still producing gases and has not fully risen. If the indentation stays or springs back slowly, the dough is ready.
Dough always rises best in a warm environment. Keeping a light on in an unheated oven can produce just enough warmth for the dough to rise quickly.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
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Honey Oat Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 cup oats
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup hot water
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ tsp (1 pkg) instant yeast
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the butter, honey, oats, and salt. Pour in the hot water and stir until the butter is dissolved, 1-2 minutes. Allow to cool to no less than 110°F, 5-6 minutes.8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, ¼ cup honey, 1 cup oats, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 cup hot water
- Stir in the milk with the beaten egg and add 2 cups of the flour and yeast. Stir to incorporate, creating a sticky dough. Add more flour, 1 cup at a time, incorporating well after each addition. Stir and eventually knead the dough. Do not add more flour, but knead the dough until it is slightly tacky and clears the side of the bowl, 3-5 minutes. Form the dough into a smooth ball.½ cup whole milk, 1 large egg, 4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 ¼ tsp (1 pkg) instant yeast
- Drizzle the sides of the bowl and the dough with 1 tbsp neutral oil. Cover and allow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled, 40-60 minutes.
- Once doubled, punch down the dough and knead into a ball. Separate the dough into 15 even-sized dinner rolls and place in a buttered 9×13 baking dish. Cover and let rise until doubled, 35-50 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Once dinner rolls have doubled, place in the preheated oven and bake until the tops are golden, 20-25 minutes. The center of the bread should reach 190°F. Remove from the oven and allow to cool 20 minutes before pulling apart and serving.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
Thank you for this amazing recipe
I made it and my kids loved it so much they ate one right away and the next morning they had some for breakfast and then an afternoon snack.😂
I do the same as your mom i make sure i get every drop of egg and i rub some flour to remove the sticky dough.
The rolls are soft, sweet and Very yummy.
Kaleb I tried these rolls last week and they are Amazing! I love the texture. I am having Thanksgiving Dinner at my house and these rolls are going to be on our table! Thank You for all the delicious recipes that you share.
This is a perfect roll recipe…10/10…simple, easy to follow directions and as you say in your video, pretty much fool proof. I did substitute molasses for honey, just personal preference. Thanks so much for all your wonderful videos and recipes!
I just took these out of the oven a few minutes. Of course, we couldn’t wait to try them. Absolutely the best recipe I’ve ever used!
Hi Kaleb , wanted to ask you a question about your honey oat dinner rolls ,your mom stated that you can freeze this in advance to bake at a later time
So at what step do you freeze , and then what are the steps after defrosted ?
I cant wait to try these
Thx Eileen
Made these for Christmas dinner… they were a huge hit…I didn’t have rapid yeast so I adjusted the recipe accordingly and they came out great!
Hi Kaleb: Made your rolls 2 weeks ago and again today! Today I mad the dough into 18 about 70 grams rolls which is slightly smaller to go with chili. They are easy! I wonder if you could switch the honey to molasses for mor of a brown bread rolls? Please tell me what you think? Love watching from Nova Scotia. 💞
Cindy I am so interested to hear if you tried these rolls using molasses. Please reply if you did and how that went, thanks 🙂
Not yet! I am finally retired so mayb3 over the winter 😊
Absolutely easy to make and delicious. My rolls were not as airy as the video, so I’m thinking I may need to let it rise a little bit longer. I do have the same question as another reviewer….did you use quick oats or traditional because the dough in the video appeared quite smooth and I still could see the oats in mine and I did mix and knead quite a bit. I will be making them again and the family loved it!! Thank you….love your posts, your videos and your love for your family and what you do!
I made two batches of rolls yesterday without a problem. The recipe was easy to follow and the rolls are delicious . I’m passing out the recipe to friends and family!