Multigrain Rolls
Soft and fluffy, these dreamy homemade multigrain rolls are impossible to resist! Hearty yet pillowy, they’re filled with oat bran, flaxseed, oats and whole wheat flour. And are a perfect compliment to any meal. Freezer friendly with dairy free option included.
These multigrain rolls were originally published in April 2012. The post has been updated as of April 18, 2017 with new photos, text and a slightly modified & improved recipe.
Let’s talk homemade carbs.
Because I think we can all agree that there is something oh so magical about a tray of soft, pillow–y rolls that you pull straight out of your own oven.
And today’s recipe is one that I have been fiddling with for quite some time.
I originally posted these multigrain rolls wayyyy back when I first started this website. And while I’ve always loved the flavor, I’ve long felt that they were just a touch too dense in terms of texture.
Hence all the fiddling.
Which makes me all the more excited to share the modified recipe with you today. Because, success!
They are still packed to the brim with all sorts of good stuff – we have oat bran, flaxseed, rolled oats, white whole wheat flour.
They’re hearty and healthy, AND perfectly soft and fluffy. Otherwise known as the PERFECT combo in my book.
And did I mention that they freeze incredibly well? These little babies win on all fronts.
They’re fantastic on their own, slathered with a bit of butter or dunked big time into a bowl of piping hot soup. You just cannot go wrong.
Tips & Tricks For These Multigrain Rolls
- When measuring the flour, be sure to scoop it with a spoon into your measuring cup and then level off. Don’t dunk your measuring cup into the flour bag / canister. This will result in using too much (and the dough being overly heavy).
- The milk. I personally like to use unsweetened almond milk here – but anything will work.
- Let’s chat about when you are kneading the dough in your stand mixer. You want the dough to clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom. If you press the dough with your finger, it should be tacky, but not stick in big clumps to your finger. I usually check the dough after about 2 minutes of kneading and add additional flour if needed (and then continue kneading to the full 5 minutes).
- Now, the baking pans. After testing these many ways, I think the rolls bake up best in the 9-inch deep dish pie plates listed in the recipe. HOWEVER. 9-inch round regular baking pans also totally work, as do 8-inch round pans. All will be just fine – so use whatever you have on hand.
- And lastly, the topping. You can use whatever you please here when it comes to the mixed seeds. But as a starting point, my favorite is to use a combo of ½ tablespoon poppy seeds, ½ tablespoon sesame seeds and 1 tablespoon raw sunflower seeds.
Additional Bread Recipes You Might Enjoy:
- Honey Yeast Rolls
- Fresh Herb Dinner Rolls
- Wheat Pizza Dough
- Cranberry Walnut Bread
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Bread
- Dairy Free Hot Cross Buns
Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.
Multigrain Rolls
Soft and fluffy, these dreamy homemade multigrain rolls are impossible to resist! Hearty yet pillowy, they’re filled with oat bran, flaxseed, oats and whole wheat flour. Freezer friendly with dairy free option included.
Ingredients
For the rolls:
- ½ cup oat bran
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- ½ cup boiling water
- 1 cup warm milk (approximately 110°F)*
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- ¼ cup light honey
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
- ⅔ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 ¼ cups white whole-wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ teaspoon pepper
- 3 to 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
For the topping:
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons mixed seeds of choice
- flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
For the rolls:
- Add the oat bran and flaxseed to a small bowl. Pour in the boiling water and mix to combine. Set aside to sit for about 5 minutes.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the warm milk, yeast, honey and olive oil. Mix briefly on low. Add in the eggs, oats, white whole-wheat flour, salt, pepper and the oat bran / flax mixture, and mix again on low to combine.
- With the mixer still on low, slowly add in 3 cups of the all-purpose flour (½ cup at a time). Once added, switch to the dough hook. Knead on low speed for about 5 minutes, until the dough becomes soft and slightly sticky, adding additional flour as needed if the dough is too tacky / sticky (I usually need to add about 3 to 4 tablespoons).
- Form the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl, then cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
- Grease two (9-inch) deep-dish pie plates with nonstick or olive oil spray.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide into 16 equal pieces (about 2 ½ to 2 ¾ ounces each). Shape each into a ball and place evenly in the prepared baking pans (with one in the center and the rest around the edges).
- Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size, about 25 to 30 minutes.
For the topping:
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a small bowl, mix together the egg yolk and water. Brush the proofed rolls with some of the egg wash, then sprinkle with the mixed seeds and flaky salt.
- Bake until the tops of the rolls are golden brown, about 22 to 26 minutes. Let the rolls cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.
Notes
*To keep these dairy free - use unsweetened plain almond milk.
See the tips & tricks section in the post above for extra info about the recipe!
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 212Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 149mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 7g
Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.
Great recipe! I made these in my bread maker using almond milk and Just Eggs a vegan egg substitute. I also used wheat germ instead of oat bran and pure maple syrup instead of honey. They turned out perfect and I can’t wait for my vegan family members to try them. I’ll definitely make them again!
So happy to hear this! Glad they worked well with the changes!
Can I use bread machine yeast in this recipe?
Hi Jo-Anne – Yes, bread machine yeast is just a type of instant yeast so that will work fine in this recipe (you just don’t want to directly sub active dry yeast since that would need to be proofed / activated before using). Hope you enjoy!
How do you make your rolls by hand I don’t use dough hooks, so how much kneading time would I have to do.Thanks
Hey Dee – I’d go less by time and more by how the dough feels – you want it to be soft and slightly sticky (if you press the dough with your finger, it should be tacky, but not stick in big clumps to your finger). Once it hits that texture, you can stop kneading!
My kids just started to really like bread with grains and seeds. Can you add the seeds (like sunflower and poppy) in to the dough, or is it best to just have them on top?
Hey Lisa! I think you could add some to the dough – I would probably start with a small amount and see how it goes (and then add more the next time depending on the results).
Is it possible to make these with all purpose gluten free flour?
Hey Elizabeth! Hmmm my guess is that the final result won’t turn out quite the same … but it’s not something I’ve ever tried myself.
Hey! My family really likes flax bread. These look delicious – I wondered how could I add more flax in? Would I take some oil or flour out?
Hey Ange! It could probably be done but it’s SO hard to say without me testing it myself! If you do experiment please let me know how it goes 🙂
How large are the rolls? I like a large bun and can’t tell from the pictures.
Hey Louise – I’d say they’re about the size of slider rolls (but I’ve never measured them so I can’t say for sure!).
I just made these. I think they look great! I did end up making them a little larger, and I’m glad I did. Mine were about 3 1/2 ounces each.
I tried to send a photo, but sadly, I’m too old.
So glad to hear they turned out Louise! Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Hi!
I’m thinking of making this tomorrow but have only limited amount of honey at home. Do you have suggestion on what I can do?
Hey Meity! So few suggestions. 1. Use as much honey as you can and then substitute regular granulated sugar for the rest. Then when kneading, you might need to add in a little water to get the dough to the desired consistency. 2. I think maple syrup would work in place of the honey if you have that on hand instead.
Just made them and they are so fluffy inside, crisp on the outside, and delicious! Easy for a novice! Great directions!Thank you!
So happy to hear this Kris! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know!
The directions don’t say when to dissolve the yeast. With the flax seed and bran in step one?? Thank you!
So sorry! Just saw it in step 2!
No worries! Hope you enjoy them!
WOW! I have been baking bread for decades. I have won Best of Show for my honey wheat bread. I was looking for a recipe that used no butter or milk. I did as you suggested, and I used almond milk.These rolls are fabulous! They are soft and pillow-y! I truly believe they beat out my recipe. I love all the seeds too. THANK YOU! In my search, I found very few recipes that fit the bill. This is a beautiful dough, and makes awesome rolls. You need to enter them in your state or county fair.
Oh this made my day Judy! Thank you so much for the kind words. And so so glad to hear you loved them! They are a favorite of mine 🙂
Looks great! Want to do it. However, there are two varieties of flour and in Perú, where I live, there is only one sort of white, either plain or self-raising. Is this a no, no recipe for me please?
Hey Graham! No worries – you could definitely use more plain white flour here in place of the white whole wheat flour. You may need to add a touch more when kneading in the mixer, since whole wheat flour is a bit heavier than regular flour. You want the dough to be tacky, but not overly sticky (so just add more if it is too sticky!). Enjoy!
Hi Ashley, these rolls are amazing, thanks for the recipe! I’m just wondering can this same recipe be used for Multigrain Bread?
Hey Sheri! So glad you enjoy them! I don’t see why not – I’ve never done it myself so you’ll have to play around with the bake time (if you have an instant-read thermometer, the internal temperature should be about 190ºF when done).
I’m so glad you’re resharing these — they look like fluffy perfection! I absolutely love multigrain bread with seeds and I’ve got to try this out ASAP!
Thanks Marcie!! It took quite a bit of tweaking but I finally got them just the way I wanted them! 🙂