Soft Honey Oat Dinner Rolls

Last night, I dreamed about baking cupcakes. I actually dreamed about baking cupcakes. I mean, I knew I loved baking, and that I’ve been missing it, but even I’m surprised that I actually dreamed about it.

I’m relieved, though, because I fully expected hideous, giant spiders to plague my dreams. Because they do after I have run-ins with them.

Every time we move, I think, “Maybe they won’t have spiders there.” Or, “Maybe they’ll have less/smaller/cuter? spiders there.”

It’s like I forget that everywhere I move is still on the planet Earth. I continue to hold out hope that there’s some spider-free utopia where arachnaphobes live out their lives in blissful, spider-less peace and harmony. Because if there’s one thing that I think can unite humanity, it’s a spider-free world.

Phobias are like that, though. They aren’t rational, they don’t make sense. They are crazy, wrapped in fear, drenched in adrenaline. You can’t reason with a phobia.

That’s something people try to do, too. Someone inevitably tries to educate me on all the ‘wonderful’ things about spiders.

Let me make a some things abundantly clear:

1. I’m 33 years old, and, I believe, a reasonably intelligent person. I KNOW SPIDERS EAT OTHER BUGS. I know that they do things within the eco system to keep things balanced and blah, blah, blah. I’m afraid, not stupid.

2. I DON’T CARE. Just because a spider will eat some mosquitos or something, that doesn’t miraculously cure the intense heebie jeebies that they instill deep within my soul every time I see one. It doesn’t work like that, thankyouverymuch.

3. There is not one thing about spiders that is wonderful. The end.

So anyway. How to segue from horrific and disgusting creepy crawlies to incredibly delicious, lightly sweet, fluffy honey oat dinner rolls… Hm.

Well, there really isn’t a way to do that, so here’s some news: I’m baking some cookies later today. Yay for me!! So until I get to post them on the blog for you, make these rolls, because ohmigosh they are stupid good.

I created these rolls based on my Soft Honey Oat Bread recipe. That bread recipe has been one of the most popular and widely tested recipes on my entire blog, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. I can’t express how happy that makes me! With the holidays right around the corner, I wanted to try to modify the recipe a smidgen to see if it could be made into a dinner roll that would be perfect served alongside turkey and pumpkin pie. Happily, I succeeded.

So you’ve mixed the dough up, and had your first rise, so it’s time to shape the rolls. These pics show how I always shape dinner rolls. It’s always been no-fail for me, so I hope it’s helpful.

Divide the dough into 18 to 20 2-ounce pieces. each piece will be shaped into a small boule.

Stretch the boule around and use your fingers to push the excess in on the center of the boule.

Here’s what the back looks like.

Once you have the dough stretched and smooth, pinch the bottom closed. Easy.

Place your shaped boules on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, or a Silpat mat. I like to line them up into the best possible position to get the most middles that I can. Because the middle ones are the best.

Cover the rolls with a clean, dry kitchen towel.

Once the rolls are risen, they should just gently be pressing into one another.

Brush the rolls with a couple of tablespoons of warm honey…

…then sprinkle some oats over them.

You can skip these two steps, but I love the added sweet nuttiness from the extra honey and oats.

Bake at 400 degrees (200 C) these for 15 to 18 minutes, until light golden brown (or with an internal temperature of 190 degrees F).

I don’t have enough words in my vocabulary to express how much I love these rolls; how delicious they are.

Don’t be stingy with them. Slather on a healthy dose of butter (or margarine), maybe drizzle on a little extra honey, eat, smile, sigh contentedly, and repeat. And then repeat again.

Enjoy!

Honey Oat Dinner Rolls
Makes about 20 2-ounce rolls

Ingredients

5 cups (635 grams) bread flour
3/4 cups oats (I have used instant and old fashioned, both work great)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast (or one 2 1/4-teaspoon packet)
1 egg, lightly beaten (egg substitute for vegan/dairy free)
1 cup (250 ml) milk (almond or soy milk for vegan/dairy free)
1/2 cup (125 ml) lukewarm water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick or 57 grams) unsalted butter or margarine, cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup honey (agave for vegan)

1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons honey (or agave), warmed
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons oats

Combine the flour, oats, salt, and yeast in a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer and stir to combine.

In a small bowl, or two cup (450 ml) measuring cup, warm the milk so that it’s hot enough to melt the butter, but not boiling. Add the butter, stirring until melted, then stir in the water and honey. In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg, then add it to the butter mixture and whisk slightly.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until a dough just forms. If mixing by hand, transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. If using a standing mixer, knead on medium speed, with the dough hook attached, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. The dough should barely stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour 1-2 tablespoons at a time. If it’s too dry, add more water.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise for about 1 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Once the dough has risen, divide it into about 20 2-ounce pieces. Shape each piece into a small boule and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat mat. Cover with a clean, dry towel and allow to rise for an hour, or until doubled in size. Once doubled, brush the top with warmed honey and sprinkle with the oats, if desired.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (200 C). Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until they reach about 180 degrees inside. Allow rolls to cool completely (or at least 10 minutes) before serving.

Recipe by Darla