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. Between the smell, the taste! It's straight up pure bliss. <— Truth.
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.
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.
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!
Three cheers for perfect multigrain rolls!
Soft and fluffy homemade multigrain rolls! These hearty yet pillowy rolls are filled with oat bran, flax, oats and whole wheat flour!
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.
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.
See the tips & tricks section in the post above for extra info about the recipe!
Prep time includes rise time for the dough. The hands on / active time is about 40 minutes.
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook.
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!
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!