Herbed Oatmeal Pan Rolls (Soft, Wholesome & Easy)

 

If you love delicious homemade bread, these Herbed Oatmeal Pan Rolls are soft, hearty, and wonderfully flavorful — the perfect companion to soups, stews, or any cozy meal. Made with a simple oat‑and‑flour dough and finished with a buttery herb topping, these rolls bake up tender and golden in a single pan. 

Soft, wholesome, and full of homemade flavor. Made with oats, two flours, and a buttery herb topping, they bake into tender pull‑apart rolls that are perfect with soups, stews, or enjoyed warm with butter.  They’re easy to make, beautifully rustic, and bring that comforting “from‑scratch” goodness to the table with very little effort.

 

I would be the first one to confess that I am not a great bread baker. My mother made beautiful loaves of bread . . . and my Aunt Thelma's Potato Rolls were the best I've ever eaten. I am afraid I missed out on the bread baking gene when it was being handed out.

That's why I really love this  recipe for Herbed Pan Rolls. You don't have to be a bread expert to turn out really great rolls. They come out perfect each and every time.

These have a beautiful wholesome texture and a lovely herbed buttery flavor. Simple to make and they smell heavenly when they are baking.

Wonderfully rustic these are fabulous served with soups, stews or salads. They are even lovely all on their own with simply some butter and perhaps a few bits of your favorite cheese to enjoy on the side.  Best eaten on the day, you can gently refresh them the next day by spritzing them with a bit of water and reheating them in a gentle oven.

Prepare to fall in love!

 

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

TO MAKE

HERBED OATMEAL PAN ROLLS

Simple ingredients that are probably in every kitchen.

For the Rolls:

• 1 cup (240ml) boiling water
• 1/2 cup (40g) rolled oats (not old fashioned)
• 2 TBS butter
• 2 cups (250g) strong white bread flour
• 1/2 cup (65g) multigrain granary bread flour
• 2 TBS  sugar
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 TBS easy bake yeast (bread machine, quick rise)
• 1 large egg, at room temperature

For the herby topping:

• 2 TBS butter, melted
• 1/4 tsp dried basil leaves
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp finely grated Parmesan Cheese

 

NOTES ON INGREDIENTS 

• Be sure to use the proper oats for the best results.  Large flake oats or quick oats are not suitable.
• I use salted butter as that is all I have in my home. If you are worried about salt, then decrease the amount of salt required.
• Strong bread flour is a high protein flour that is specifically designed to be used in making breads. It has a higher gluten content than regular flour.
• Multigrain flour is a nutritious blend of multiple grains such as wheat, oats, barley, and millet. Unlike refined flour, it combines the benefits of different whole grains. You can substitute whole wheat flour (whole meal) if that is all you have and will still end up with a delicious roll.
• Use yeast that is specifically meant to be used for quicker rises, or for use in the bread machine.

 

HOW TO MAKE

HERBED OATMEAL PAN ROLLS

As far as bread rolls go these are really quick and easy to make.

1. Combine the boiling water, oats and 2 TBS butter in a small bowl, stirring to melt the butter. Let stand and cool to just warm before proceeding. (Make sure that the mixture is not too hot or you will kill your yeast. It should be blood temperature, just warm to the touch.)
2. Measure the white and granary flours into a large bowl. Whisk in the sugar, salt and yeast.
3. Beat the egg into the warm oat mixture. Stir this into the dry ingredients until all are well incorporated. (Be sure your egg is at room temperature.)
4. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead dough until you have a smooth, soft dough, which is not sticky, adding more strong white flour as needed. (Your dough should be soft and pliable.)
5. Shape into a ball and cover with the bowl. Let rest for 20 minutes. (Don't forget to cover it to keep the air from getting to it and drying it out.)
6. Grease a 9 inch square metal baking tin. Punch the dough down and then press it into the baking tin to fill all the corners. (Punching it down helps to get all of the air bubbles out of it resulting in a nicer finish.)
7. Take a sharp knife and cut down through the dough to the bottom of the pan, cutting it into 9 equal squares. (3 cuts across and 3 cuts down.) Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes. (Cut right down to the bottom. No need to separate the rolls.)
8. Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Once the oven has heated bang the pan of rolls into it and bake for 15 minutes. (Place on the center rack.)
9. While they are baking, stir together all the ingredients for the herby topping.
10. At the end of 15 minutes, remove the partially baked rolls from the oven. Brush the tops with the herby topping. (I use a soft pastry brush to do this.)
11. Return the pan to the oven and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown and they sound hollow on the bottoms when turned over and tapped lightly with your fingers.
12. Tip out onto a wire rack to cool to warm. Best served fresh, but can be revived by a gentle reheating in a warm oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

 

HINTS AND TIPS FOR SUCCESS

• Read through the recipe several times before beginning to help familiarize yourself with any ingredients or equipment needed.
• Assemble all of your ingredients before you begin. This will help to alleviate any risk of leaving something out by accident.
• Use yeast that is fresh and within date. If you are unsure you can always prove it first by adding a tsp of it to a cup of water along with some sugar. If it bubbles and expands, then it is okay to use it.
• Have all of your ingredients at room temperature before beginning.
• If you think your dough is too sticky, add some additional bread flour, a bit at a time until you have the consistency you are looking for. It should be soft and pliable and not overly sticky.
• Preheat your oven properly before putting your rolls into the oven.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT ARE ROLLED OATS?

Rolled Oats are steamed and flattened oat groats, quick to cook and versatile for various recipes.  Do not use quick or instant oats for this recipe.

WHAT IS MULTI-GRAIN FLOUR?

Multigrain flour is a nutritious blend of multiple grains such as wheat, oats, barley, and millet. Unlike refined flour, it combines the benefits of different whole grains, providing more fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals in a single ingredient. You can either purchase it, or make your own.

CAN THIS RECIPE BE DOUBLED?

Yes, you can absolutely double this recipe. Simply double all of the ingredients and use either two 9-inch square pans or a 9 by 12-inch baking pan to bake them in.

CAN THESE BE FROZEN?

Yes, these freeze very well. Simply wrap tightly in some cling film, and then a layer of aluminum foil. Label, date and freeze. They will keep for up to 3 months frozen.  Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then warm gently in a warm oven when you are ready to serve them.

CAN I USE FRESH HERBS INSTEAD OF DRIED?

I have never used fresh herbs, but I don't see why you couldn't.  You will need roughly twice the amount of fresh herbs as you would dried.

 

A FEW OTHER BREAD ROLL RECIPES TO ENJOY

Nothing can round out a simple meal or make a holiday dinner better than having a delicious bread roll to enjoy. Here are a few more delicious recipes for bread rolls that we love! 

OLD FASHIONED PULL-APARTS - Soft, fluffy and pure comfort, these old fashioned rolls are everything a homemade dinner roll should be: soft, tender, buttery and beautifully golden brown on top. They're wonderfully simple to make. Just basic pantry ingredients: strong bread flour, yeast, milk powder, sugar, butter, milk, and water. These come together to create a dough that rises into the lightest fluffiest rolls. Once baked, they pull apart into perfect little clouds, each one being brushed with melted butter so they're glossy, warm, and impossible to resist.

LION HOUSE DINNER ROLLS -  Inspired by my visit to the Lion House Pantry in Salt Lake City this half‑batch version brings that same bakery‑style magic right into a home kitchen. The dough is beautifully simple: warm water and milk to wake up the yeast, a touch of sugar, softened butter, an egg, and enough flour to create a soft, supple dough that pulls cleanly from the bowl. After a gentle rise, the dough is rolled into a long rectangle, cut into strips, and shaped into the signature Lion House spirals before rising into pillowy perfection. Once baked, the rolls emerge golden, tender, and impossibly fluffy — the kind you “inhale” straight from the oven. They’re soft on the inside, lightly buttery on the outside, and truly everything a perfect dinner roll should be.

 

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Yield: Makes 9 rolls

Author: Marie Rayner

Herbed Oatmeal Pan Rolls

Prep time: 1 HourCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 1 H & 25 M

Wholesome and delicious. These tasty rolls are perfect with soups, stews or even on their own, buttered with some tasty strong cheddar on the side.

Ingredients

For the Rolls:

• 1 cup (240ml) boiling water
• 1/2 cup (40g) rolled oats (not old fashioned)
• 2 TBS butter
• 2 cups (250g) strong white bread flour
• 1/2 cup (65g) multigrain granary bread flour
• 2 TBS  sugar
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 TBS easy bake yeast (bread machine, quick rise)
• 1 large egg, at room temperature

For the herby topping:

• 2 TBS butter, melted
• 1/4 tsp dried basil leaves
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp finely grated Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

1. Combine the boiling water, oats and 2 TBS butter in a small bowl, stirring to melt the butter. Let stand and cool to just warm before proceeding.
2. Measure the white and granary flours into a large bowl. Whisk in the sugar, salt and yeast.
3. Beat the egg into the warm oat mixture. Stir this into the dry ingredients until all are well incorporated.
4. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead dough until you have a smooth, soft dough, which is not sticky, adding more strong white flour as needed.
5. Shape into a ball and cover with the bowl. Let rest for 20 minutes.
6. Grease a 9 inch square metal baking tin. Punch the dough down and then press it into the baking tin to fill all the corners.
7. Take a sharp knife and cut down through the dough to the bottom of the pan, cutting it into 9 equal squares. (3 cuts across and 3 cuts down.) Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
8. Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Once the oven has heated bang the pan of rolls into it and bake for 15 minutes.
9. While they are baking, stir together all the ingredients for the herby topping.
10. At the end of 15 minutes, remove the partially baked rolls from the oven. Brush the tops with the herby topping.
11. Return the pan to the oven and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown and they sound hollow on the bottoms when turned over and tapped lightly with your fingers.
12. Tip out onto a wire rack to cool to warm. Best served fresh, but can be revived by a gentle reheating in a warm oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

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