Fresh bread in the morning
We’ve said it time and time again and we stand by it: there’s nothing like enjoying fresh bread! This is especially true in the morning, when you can have a fresh warm bread roll with plenty of butter and a hot cup of coffee. We were definitely spoiled growing up, as our mother made fresh bread rolls so often that we probably just came to expect it. Obviously, that’s not possible for everyone to do every day, but we’re here to show you that it can be simple and easy to do! Today’s recipe is not only a way to make delicious oatmeal rolls, but it’s also a way to use up any extra oatmeal you might have on hand. So, keep reading to learn how to make them!
Convenient and easy oatmeal rolls
There are a lot of bread recipes out there, and many of them might look complicated. We certainly have a wide range of recipes on our blog, from no-knead and easy ones to more advanced techniques with lots of different flavors and additions. There’s a time and a place for every recipe, and some might be better suited to a relaxed weekend day spent baking. This recipe for oatmeal rolls, though, is for the busy days when you still might want some fresh bread! It uses ingredients you likely already have, you don’t have to get your hands too dirty, and it only really rises once. What could be better?
Use leftover oatmeal
Plus, did I mention you can use leftover oatmeal to make these oatmeal rolls? So, if you ever find yourself unsure of what to do when you make a little too much oatmeal, this is a great recipe to have up your sleeve. And if you don’t often find yourself with leftover oatmeal, no problem. We’ve written the recipe from scratch, so whether you’ve got leftovers or not, you can easily make these rolls. As I’m writing this, I’m also wondering whether these would work with overnight oats, and I think they probably would! As long as the oats are softened before they go into the dough, it’ll work out just fine.
Other bread roll recipes you’ll love
If you like the look of this recipe for oatmeal rolls, we have a few more you might love!
- Grovboller (Whole grain bread rolls): If you like seeded bread that’s a bit denser but super flavorful, these are the perfect rolls for you.
- Sigteboller (Sifted rye bread rolls): Want to try something you probably haven’t had before, but that’s still simple in flavor and ingredients? Try these!
- Havreboller (Oat rolls): Are you a big oat fan? These have a slightly different texture to oatmeal rolls but plenty of delicious oat taste.
- Rundstykker (Danish breakfast rolls): An absolute classic and must-try. Also a no-knead recipe!
- Gulerodsboller (Carrot bread rolls): Light and slightly sweet, these are a favorite of ours and will surprise you with how delicious they are.
- Chokoladeboller (Chocolate rolls): Exactly what you think they are – a treat that is so yummy you’ll want to bake it every week.
Ingredients you’ll need
We promised simple earlier in this post, and that’s exactly what you’ll get in the ingredients for these oatmeal rolls. All you’ll need is oats and water (or leftover oatmeal), additional water, yeast (dried or fresh), flour, and salt. In terms of the type of oats, we would recommend rolled/old-fashioned oats or quick oats. If you’re in the UK, Scottish oats also work very well in this recipe. We haven’t tried it with steel-cut oats, but if you do, let us know how they turn out in the comments! You can use bread flour if you have it, but all-purpose/plain will also work just as well.
How to make oatmeal rolls (havregrødsboller)
The process is also very easy to follow and low effort, which is ideal if you’re busy and want fresh bread. Of course, some waiting is always involved in baking bread, but we promise it’s not too bad. To start, mix the oats with warm water and let them sit for about an hour to soften the oats. Here’s where you can just use leftover oatmeal if you have it! Then, combine the oatmeal with the rest of the ingredients and mix until you have a shaggy dough. Let this rise for an hour and a half. Every twenty minutes, complete a stretch and fold, pulling the sides of the dough up and into the center. This replaces kneading, and you can also skip it if you like, although the rolls may turn out a bit flatter and have less structure.
Preheat the oven with a roasting dish in the bottom. Once the dough has finished rising, use a wet spoon to scoop up blobs of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Boil some water on the side in a kettle. When the oven is ready, place the rolls in the oven and carefully pour the boiling water into the roasting dish, creating steam. Close the oven door and watch the magic happen. After 25-30 minutes, the rolls should be lightly golden with a nice hard crust (thanks to the steam!). Enjoy with plenty of butter on top!
Havregrødsboller (Oatmeal Rolls)
Ingredients
- 150 grams oats (we use rolled oats or old fashioned oats)
- 200-250 ml warm water
- 150 ml warm water
- 2 tsp instant yeast (2.25 tsp active dry yeast, 17.5g fresh yeast)
- 300 grams bread flour or all purpose flour
- 1½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Mix the oats with 200ml of warm water in a large mixing bowl. If using oats that are more whole and less broken up, add another 50ml of water (~1/4cup). Let this sit for an hour to soften the oats. You can also use about 350-400 grams of leftover oatmeal in this step instead.
- Add to the oat mixture: the additional 150ml of water, yeast, flour, and salt. Mix together (we just use a spoon) until it forms a cohesive ball of dough. If it's super dry and not coming together, add a little bit more water. If it seems super wet, add a little bit more flour.
- Let this sit for an hour and a half. Every 20 minutes during this time, complete a "stretch and fold" of the dough. Basically, with slightly damp hands (just run them under water briefly) you will pull up the sides of the dough in the bowl and fold them inwards, along four quadrants of the bowl. See this great blog post from The Clever Carrot for more help with this technique! Try to complete three "stretch and folds" during the rising time; then the dough will rest for the last 20-30 minutes.
- After the last stretch and fold, preheat your convection/fan oven to 375F or 190C. Place a roasting dish or a deep baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven or just on the bottom of the oven and let it preheat with the oven.
- Right before shaping the rolls, put some water (we use around 200-300ml) in a kettle and bring to a boil – you'll need this when the rolls are ready to bake.
- Once the dough is ready, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. We place all the rolls on one baking sheet, but you can separate them onto two baking sheets if you have the space in the oven for them!
- To shape the rolls: scoop up the dough with a wet spoon and place it on the baking sheet. You can use the spoon to make the rolls a little rounder once they're on the baking sheet.
- Optional step – once the rolls are all placed on the baking sheet, take a sharp knife dipped in water and score each roll across the top.
- Let the rolls rest for around 10 minutes after shaping and before putting them in the oven.
- Place the rolls in the preheated oven, then very carefully pour the boiling water into the roasting dish/deep baking sheet in the bottom of the oven. This will make a lot of sound and may splash a little, so be careful! Quickly close the oven door to trap the steam.
- Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes, until golden and hollow-sounding when you tap them. This time may vary slightly for your oven, so keep an eye on them.
- Enjoy! We love to eat these slightly warm from the oven with butter and jam.
