Healthy Herb Bread Rolls
These homemade bread rolls have a deliciously crisp crust that surrounds their supremely soft insides, and comforting herb flavors fill every bite. Enjoy them plain, fresh and warm from the oven, or with a bitof butter for an added treat. They’re quick and easy enough to whip up any day of the week, yet their elevated flavor makes them perfect for guests, dinner parties, and holidays — especially Thanksgiving! They’re best if eaten the sameday they’re made, but leftovers will keep for at least a day or two if stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (270g) white whole wheat flour or gluten free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp herbs de Provence (see Notes!)
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup (180mL) unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 2 tbsp (30mL) distilled white vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, herbs de Provence, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center. Pour in the milk and vinegar. Stir together until the flour is just incorporated.
- Divide the dough into 12 portions, and transfer each onto the prepared baking sheet. Moisten your fingers and palms with a bit of water, roll each into a ball, and flatten into a disc that's ¾”tall. (Remoisten your hands while shaping, if necessary.) Using a sharp knife, score the top with a (+) sign (see Notes!).
- Bake at 425°F for 12-16 minutes (closer to 12 for a firm crust; closer to 16 for a thicker and crispier crust) or until the outsides are as crusty as you’d like and the very centers feel quite firm to the touch. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Remember to measure the flour correctly, using using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much flour will cause the dough to be dry, and you may not be able to mix in all of the flour. If that happens to you, add a little extra milk (1 teaspoon at a time) until you can incorporate all of the flour.
IMPORTANT FLAVOR NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: The herb flavor in these bread rolls is fairly pronounced. For a more subtle flavor, decrease the herbs de Provence to ¾ - 1 teaspoon instead. For a stronger herb flavor, increase the herbs de Provence to 2 teaspoons. (I liked this version with more herbs just as much!)
Also, not all herbs de Provence are exactly the same! See both the note below and the “Herbs” section in my blog post above for more information.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.
HERBS DE PROVENCE NOTE + ALTERNATIVE: Herbs de Provence is a mixture of dried herbs often used in Provençal recipes. You can find it near the other herbs at many grocery stores. Some spice brands include additional dried herbs, but staples in herbs de Provence are basil, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, savory, and lavender.
I used Trader Joe’s blend, which included all of the herbs above, plus sage.
If you can’t find herbs de Provence, then you’re welcome to use a different blend of herbs or make your own custom herbs de Provence blend instead.
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk will work in place of the unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
VINEGAR ALTERNATIVES: If you don’t have or can’t find distilled white vinegar, try to find another vinegar with a similar pH level of around 2.5 to maintain the same texture. Lemon juice has a pH level around 2-3, so it should also work.
FLAKY SEA SALT NOTE: I sometimes add a sprinkling of this flaky sea salt on top, and I love the bright pop of flavor it adds. I crumble it a bit in between my fingers so it’s not quite as coarse before I sprinkle it on top of the rolls.
SCORING THE DOUGH NOTES: I’ve found the thin blade of a fillet knife works really well for scoring dough.
The deeper you make the cuts when scoring the dough, the taller the four “peaks” on the top of the dough. If you only make shallow cuts, the rolls will most likely crack around their base. Neither really affects the flavor; it’s mainly the appearance. See the “Shape and Score” header in my blog post above for more information!
GLUTEN FREE VERSION: For the gluten free flour, I recommend the following blend: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ¾ cup (90g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 1 teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten free flour blends (I like this one from Bob’s Red Mill) will work, if measured like this.
EGG FREE, DAIRY FREE + VEGAN VERSION: No modifications needed!
HOW TO MAKE A FULL-SIZED BREAD LOAF: In Step 3, instead of forming individual rolls, shape the dough into a single 1 ½” thick circle. (Remoisten your hands while shaping, if necessary.) Score the top with a (+) sign. Bake at 425°F for 27-30 minutes or until the outsides are crusty and the very center feels quite firm to the touch. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
HOW TO STORE: These bread rolls are best if eaten the same day they’re made. However, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for at least a day or two. (If you store them in the refrigerator, they’ll keep longer – but the rolls will be less moist and tender.) After storing, the crust also loses its crisp crunch, so just keep that in mind!
{gluten free, egg free, dairy free, vegan, clean eating, low fat, sugar free}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.