Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

5 from 18 votes

Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

These whole wheat dinner rolls are light and airy and made with 70% whole wheat flour. The recipe is simple and easy to make and much healthier than most other bread rolls.

Course Bread, Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American

Keyword baking, baking from scratch, bread, dinner rolls

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 22 minutes

Proofing Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 17 minutes

Servings rolls

Calories 233kcal

Author Veena Azmanov

Cost $10

Equipment

Ingredients

1.25 cup Milk
2 tbsp Honey
2 ¼ tsp Instant dry yeast
4 tbsp Butter melted
½ tsp Salt
2 cups Whole wheat flour
1 cup All-purpose flour

Plus

½ cup All-purpose flour for kneading
½ Egg or egg yolk beaten or milk

Metric - US customary

Instructions

Activate yeast

Ensure milk is warm, not hot (about 110 F).
Combine milk, yeast, honey, and butter.
Stir and set aside to foam for 3 mins.

Knead the dough

Measure the flour and salt in a bowl (you can use an electric mixer).
Mix in the yeast mixture – stir to combine. In the video, I added the flour in three batches to combine well but you can also add it all at once.
Transfer to a well-dusted worktop and knead for 7 to 10 minutes, until soft and elastic (if using electric mixer knead with the dough hook for 5 minutes on medium speed).
The dough should be soft, a little sticky but smooth and shiny (see video).

First rise

Form the dough into a smooth ball and place the dough in an oiled bowl seam side down and coat the surface with oil to prevent drying.
Cover with a clean kitchen cloth and leave in a warm place for about an hour until double in size.

Divide and roll

When the dough is double in volume, transfer to a well-dusted floured surface.
Divide the dough into 12 equal portions (see video).
Hold each piece of dough in your hand and gather all the seams together.
Place seam side down on the counter surface.
Place your hand on the ball and move your hand back and forth rolling the ball into your palm making sure the seams stay down at all times.
This will compress the dough, which bakes beautifully, as well as seal the seams.

2nd. proof the rolls

Grease a 9 x 9 square baking pan or similar.
Place the rolls in the pan.
Cover with a clean kitchen cloth, and
Let rest in a warm place for about 45 minutes until almost double in size.

Egg wash and bake

Preheat the oven to 190 C /375 F.
Brush the rolls with egg wash or milk.
Bake for about 20 to 22 minutes until lightly golden on top.
When baked, brush with melted butter.
Take them out of the pan and cover with a clean kitchen cloth to keep them soft.
Enjoy.

Video

Notes

Measure all ingredients ahead of time, so you don't forget anything at the last minute.
For accuracy, use a weight measure for the ingredients because every cup of flour can weigh differently depending on how you fill it.
The liquid (milk or water) must be warm (not hot) - about 110F. If the liquid is too hot, it will kill the yeast. Similarly, if the liquid is too cold, it will not activate the yeast.
Though instant dry yeast has a long shelf life, it can get ruined. Always check the expiry date on the yeast. If unsure, combine the yeast with water/milk, sugar/honey, and oil/butter from the recipe and let stand 5 minutes. If it gets foamy the yeast is good to go. If not, it's best to buy fresh yeast or check the temperature of the milk.
Keep salt away from yeast as it can kill the yeast. I like to combine salt with the flour then add the yeast mixture.
A soft loose well-hydrated dough is not necessarily a bad thing. Often, it will give you a soft puffy bread. So, don't be tempted to add more flour than mentioned in the recipe.
Kneading is key to making good bread. While kneading by hand can be therapeutic, using a stand mixer is easier and quicker.
Leave the dough at room temperature to rise until double in volume. While not recommended, when in haste, you can place it in a warm (30 C / 75 F- not hotter) oven this will expedite the rise.
Bread does not have to be time-consuming. You can leave the dough in the fridge to rise for a few hours (even overnight) while you go about your chores. A slow rise will give more flavor to the bread.
Always preheat the oven for at least 10 minutes before you place bread in or the low temperature will spread the dough too much.

Overnight Rolls - The dough can be prepared a day in advance. Proof them for an hour on the counter then punch down and let the dough rest in the fridge overnight. Overnight proofing is a great way to add flavor to the bread. The next day, continue with the recipe as directed, rolling, and shaping the chilled dough.
Storing these rolls- These dinner rolls do freeze beautifully. Cool the baked buns then place them in a freezer-safe storage bag. These can be frozen for up to a month.
Kneading the dough - The dough does need kneading so if possible try using an electric mixer.
Bread machine - these rolls can be easily made in a bread machine. Pour all ingredients in the pan set to dough or manual. Start and let the dough run its cycle for about 9 to 10 minutes - continue with the recipe as shown above.

Nutrition