Hearty Honey Multigrain Rolls

I experimented with these one day when feeling under the weather, looking for a nice hearty bread to make but then decided to switch to rolls. After all, it’s just me and DH and once you slice into a loaf, it ain’t quite the same. So, know now, these freeze amazingly well and are still providing lunches and dinner rolls (heck, I eat these at breakfast too) whenever we want a nice, satisfying roll.

On it’s own it’s delish but pair it with a nice hearty soup https://kosherfromjerusalem.com/2020/01/13/vegetarian-mixed-bean-soup/ and you need nothing else.

I opted to make this in my mixer which is a heavy duty machine, a Bosch which can handle the load of over a kilo of ingredients. Be careful since if your mixer cannot, you could burn out your motor. If need be, halve the recipe.

This substantial roll is not fluffy, it’s got a nice dense (but not too) consistency and uses whole grains. One more thing to know, the oats I use are quick oats, not instant but also not steel cut which might otherwise need soaking to meld properly into the dough. Quick oats strike that happy balance of not needing the soaking but also not being a really refined grain.

This should not intimidate you since the whole recipe is done in the mixer, include the rising of the dough. If your mixer has a cover (mine does and it’s great. It also prevents dough from flying about) you can use this as the cover for the dough whilst rising.

The trick is to start off the dough using the cookie beater/paddle and once all ingredients are incorporated, you switch to the dough hook for kneading. If you start with the dough hook, I find that it takes forever to mix it all together properly. This way, within a coupla secs it’s mixed.

So start with your yeast to proof it which just means you are making sure it is light and lively and will raise your rolls properly. Mine was such a lively mix I barely prevented it from spilling overboard. Well, mostly didn’t spill overboard. 🙂 I use instant dry yeast for this which is the fastest. This is a mix of the sweetner, honey, very warm (but not hot or you’ll kill the yeast) water and yeast allowed to bubble together after mixing well, and letting sit for about 3-5 minutes. Here I got busy and let it go for 5 minutes.

As you can see, it looks like a head of foam on beer. While this is bubbling together, organize your flours and oats and salt and put in the mixer bowl and give it a brief whirl to mix. Salt should preferably not come in direct contact with yeast and this way it’s incorporated into the flours. Then pour the proofed yeast over the flour mixture. Mix in pulses and if you have a cover for your mixer, it’s a good time to use it.

The dough is mixed and now switch to a dough hook.

As you can see, here I added the optional pumpkin seeds and let them incorporate into the kneading dough.

Knead for about 5 minutes and let rest for 10 minutes. Then again knead for about 5 minutes. Then, coat with oil (just pour a bit over and lightly coat with your hands) and cover either with a clean towel or with the mixer’s own cover if you have one.

Look how nicely it’s rising right there in the bowl. Just ignore it for about an hour or so. Then, to check that it’s double itself, other than eyeing it, a trick is to gently press your finger into the dough to the first knuckle approximately and if the dough does not rise up to “erase” the hole, it needs to rise a bit more, say 10 minutes, unless your room is very cold and it needs longer. If the hole/indentation remains, you’re good to go.

Now you don’t need to punch down the dough since you will be manhandling it a bit so it will naturally deflate. Pinch off balls about the size of your palm (I weigh them, yes, I know, obsessive but then they are even in size, about 100 grams each for a nice size roll) and gently roll and smooth them into balls and place on a parchment paper lined rimmed baking sheet. Do this till you use up all the dough and then brush them with water if you want a crispy crust, oil or butter for soft.

They should rise in a warm kitchen for about 30 minutes. They don’t fully double in size but say about 1/3 bigger approximately. Now you have a choice to make, soft rolls or crispy. If crispy, preheat the oven to 425F, if soft, 350. Bake for crispy at 425 for approximately 18 minutes although as much as 22, check to make sure they are browned top and bottom. For soft at 350, about 25-30 minutes, same thing, browned top and bottom.

Let cool on wire racks if you can wait that long. Slather with butter, jam or just eat plain. They are practically a meal in of themselves!

Hearty Honey Multigrain Rolls

4 cups whole grain spelt flour
3 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup Quick oats
1 tablespoon salt
One rounded tablespoon instant dry yeast
One generous tablespoon honey
2 1/8 – 2 1/4 cups warm (not hot) water (depending on the flour, you may need a bit of additional water)
1/4 cup oil
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, optional

Directions:

In a mixer bowl combine the flours, oats and salt. Set aside.

In a measuring cup combine the yeast, honey and one cup of the warm water. Stir. Let the mixture bubble, between 3-5 minutes. Pour into the flour mixture and add the additional cup and 1/8 of water and the oil. Mix till well combined first with a regular cookie paddle and then switch for a dough hook after it’s come together and knead for another 5 minutes and let rest. Cover the mixing bowl and wander off for ten minutes. Knead again for 5 minutes and take a little additional oil and coat the medium soft dough in oil. Cover with a clean towel or the mixer’s cover and let rise for an hour. Poke with a finger- if the indentation remains and does not fill up, it’s ready to shape. Pinch off balls a bit smaller than the size of a tennis ball (approximately) and smooth and tuck. Place on cookie sheet, brush with water and let rise again in a warm spot for another 20-30 minutes or till approximately doubled in size. Bake in hot 425 oven for 18 – 22 minutes for crispy rolls. Alternatively, for soft rolls, bake at 350F for 25 -30 minutes after brushing with oil let either variation get nicely browned top and bottom and cool on wire rack.