Oatmeal Molasses Rolls (vegan)
These vegan oatmeal molasses dinner rolls are flavoured with black treacle or molasses and rolled oats. They are super soft and fluffy with a buttery, slightly sweet flavour.
Servings 15 rolls
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook
- 23 x 33 cm/9 x 13 in baking pan
Ingredients
Tangzhong:
- 35 g (4 ½ Tablespoons) white bread flour
- 170 g (⅔ cup + 2 teaspoons) water
Dough:
- 190 g (¾ cup + 2 teaspoons) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy) cold
- 30 g (2 Tablespoons) dark or light brown sugar
- 65 g (3 Tablespoons) black treacle or molasses
- 10 g (1 ½ teaspoons) table salt
- 420 g (3 ½ cups) white bread flour
- 85 g (1 cup) rolled oats
- 10 g (1 Tablespoon) instant/fast action yeast
- 45 g (3 Tablespoons) vegan block butter softened
To Finish:
- milk for brushing
- oats for sprinkling
Instructions
- To make the tangzhong, place the flour in a saucepan and gradually whisk in the water to avoid lumps. Place the pan over a medium/low heat and whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened to a soft paste/pudding-like consistency.35 g (4 ½ Tablespoons) white bread flour, 170 g (⅔ cup + 2 teaspoons) water
- Scrape the tangzhong into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and pour the cold milk on top. This will cool the tangzhong down so that it doesn't kill the yeast.190 g (¾ cup + 2 teaspoons) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy)
- Add the sugar, treacle or molasses, salt, bread flour, oats and finally the yeast. Mix to form a shaggy dough.30 g (2 Tablespoons) dark or light brown sugar, 65 g (3 Tablespoons) black treacle or molasses, 10 g (1 ½ teaspoons) table salt, 420 g (3 ½ cups) white bread flour, 85 g (1 cup) rolled oats, 10 g (1 Tablespoon) instant/fast action yeast
- Knead with the mixer on a medium speed or turn out onto an un-floured surface and knead by hand for 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough will be sticky at first but resist the temptation to add extra flour, it will become smooth after a minute or two of kneading (you may need to scrape it off the surface with a dough scraper).
- Add the softened vegan butter. Continue to knead until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth and elastic. It may seem greasy and messy at first but keep kneading and I promise you the butter will all mix in and the dough will become smooth.45 g (3 Tablespoons) vegan block butter
- Once the butter is fully incorporated the dough should look smooth and silky and it should pass the windowpane test (you should be able to stretch a portion of the dough thin enough to see light through it without it tearing). It should still be soft and slightly sticky however.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and set aside to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Line a 23 x 33 cm/9 x 13 in tin with baking paper.
- Punch down the risen dough and give it a very brief knead to knock out any air bubbles then divide it into 15 even pieces - use a scale for accuracy, they should be around 68 grams each.
- Shape each one into a ball by going round the piece of dough stretching the edges up and over the centre, keep going until you have a neat ball then pinch the edges together to seal them. Flip the ball over so that it is seam side down, cup it with your hands on either side and roll it until it is smooth; you are trying to create surface tension but don't go so far that the surface tears.
- Place them slightly spaced apart in rows in the lined tin. Loosley cover with oiled clingfilm and set aside to rise until puffy, about 1 hour. If you press one gently the dough should spring back slowly most of the way but leave a small indentation. If it springs back quickly and fills in all the way then they need a little bit longer. While they are rising preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4.
- Gently brush the risen rolls with milk, then sprinkle with oats. Bake for 28-30 minutes until browned and the temperature in the centre registers 90°C/194°F on a probe thermometer.milk for brushing, oats for sprinkling
- Remove them from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
- See post above for tips, details, storage instructions and step-by-step photos. If you have a question about the recipe I may have already answered it above!
- As with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scale rather than the cup conversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!
- If you want, you can give the dough it’s first rise overnight in the fridge rather than at room temperature. This breaks up the workload and gives the bread an even better flavour.