I promise these will be the softest 100% whole wheat dinner rolls you've ever had - and they are easy to make with this complete step-by-step tutorial (& make-ahead tip). These are so easy and so good - with or without butter!
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This is the best dinner roll recipe - truly. Originally published in the first year of the site, this incredible all whole wheat dinner roll recipe remains one of my most popular recipes, which it deserves - I've actually had a friend tell me she dreamed about these rolls!
You'll find both a picture tutorial and a video showing you all the steps below, so there are a couple of ways to learn how to make these soft dinner rolls even if you've never made bread before. And you'll want to - they really are amazing!
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My family loves, loves this whole wheat dinner rolls recipe (well, they all tell me that yeast rolls are better than baking powder biscuits, but just between us, I also secretly crave these).
Along with my 100% whole wheat sandwich bread, these sweetened-with-honey whole wheat rolls are what finally made me believe that "soft" and "whole wheat" could actually coexist in a bread.
Can you really have fluffy and soft dinner rolls that are 100% whole wheat?
Actually, after tasting these rolls, many people have told me they don't believe they are 100% whole wheat (and just plain old regular whole wheat at that). They think I've added at least some all-purpose flour.
But it's all true. These soft and fluffy dinner rolls are made with only whole wheat (I've also made them with all spelt flour, too, with good results). It's the eggs, butter, and honey that make these a so-good-you-can't-eat-just-one type of roll. They are light and fluffy and almost don't need any butter - but go ahead anyway.
If you bring (or serve) these rolls to any dinner, holiday or otherwise, everyone will be begging asking you for the recipe. And they're easy, too, once you get the hang of working with a slightly wetter dough.
Don't believe me? Follow along and I'll show you all the steps, including what the dough should look like so you can see that it's all true.
Be like the thousands of other people who've made these rolls and been the star of the party!
Whole Wheat Rolls Video
How to Make Soft 100% Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
Note: this is a picture tutorial - for the full printable recipe, scroll to the bottom of the page.
1. The first step is to dissolve the yeast in a 1/2 cup of warm, not hot, water. Just measure out the water in a glass measuring cup using warm tap water, add the yeast and stir it in with a whisk, and set it aside.
2. Add softened butter into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the honey and cream them together with the paddle attachment.
3. Add the eggs and beat, scraping the butter from the sides. Pour in your warmed buttermilk (or milk) and the yeast mixture.
Note: It will not be smooth, as this picture above shows- it's OK to see lumps of butter floating around.
4. Mix in 4-1/2 cups of whole wheat flour and 1-1/2 teaspoons salt (trust me, you don't want to leave the salt out- I speak from experience), and mix well.
This is the whole wheat flour I like, and this is a lighter whole wheat flour that will make your rolls even fluffier.
5. Change to the dough hook and knead for only a couple of minutes- we're just trying to lose the extreme stickiness here, not really to develop gluten.
Add a couple more tablespoons of flour, if needed.
TIP: if you keep kneading, the flour will absorb and the dough will stick to the bowl again. You should knead just a minute or two, adding the small amount of flour and scraping the sides, just until it's not tacky when touched.
This was hard to photograph, but a finger touched on the surface should not come away with any dough on it, even though the dough looks sticky. In the photo above, the dough is still sticking to the bowl (good), but not to my finger, so it's ready to rise.
6. Leave it in the mixing bowl, cover it with a towel and let sit at room temperature for an hour.
NOTE: This is where the video may really help explain better if you're wondering what the dough should be like (the #1 problem people have is adding too much flour and coming out with dense, heavy rolls).
From what the dough should look like, to equipment, to adding too much flour – I try to address the most often asked questions and comments in this video. (UPDATE: for some reason it looks like 1 cup of water in the video, but it's only 1/2 cup - use the printable recipe ingredients below!)
This is the dough after the first rise. As you can see, it has risen some, but is not really "doubled."
It's OK, they will rise more in the pan.
7. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead with hands a few times, then cover it with a towel and let rest for 3 minutes.
TIP: I like to use a clean tea towel for easy clean-up, plus it helps use less flour.
8. While the dough is resting, pull out a 13x9-inch pan and butter it generously on the bottom and sides.
9. Cut the dough into 24 even (or as close as you can get) pieces. Flatten it out into a rectangle shape and use a knife to cut it into 24 pieces.
As you can see above, the middle pieces are bigger than the corner ones, so I just cut some off the middle pieces and add them to the corners.
10. Shape the dough pieces.
Here's how I learned to shape dinner rolls when I volunteered at my kid's summer camp: with your left hand (if you're right-handed) make a circle shape with the thumb and fingers then take the dough in your right hand and push it up through the circle, pushing up in the middle of the dough to form a rounded top. This creates tension so the rolls will keep their shape.
Then turn the dough ball over and pinch the ends in together.
11. Place the seam side down in the buttered dish- four balls across and six down. They should be touching in the pan in order to make all the soft sides everyone loves (the center ones are my favorites...).
12. Cover the pan (I shake off the towel I used to shape them, then cover with that), and let rise for another hour.
TIP: Set the timer for 45 minutes, though, so you can turn the oven on to 350 degrees to preheat for the last 15 minutes of the rising time.
This is what they will look like after 1 hour of rising. They are not spilling over the pan, but all the sides are touching now.
13. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. I rotate them after 10 minutes for even browning.
14. Brush the tops with softened butter when they come out of the oven (just do it - you'll be glad you did).
As soon as they are cooled to just warm, pull them out of the pan and pull apart to serve.
Look at that texture- no heavy whole wheat rolls here. These are so good, please give them a try!
These make terrific whole wheat sandwich rolls, too - think of all the 'sliders' you can make healthier now!
To Make Ahead:
- You can make these up to a month in advance, let the cool in the pan, remove them as one piece, separate into 2 sections of 12 rolls and place each section of rolls into a gallon sized freezer baggie.
- Freeze until needed, or up to 4 months.
- When ready to serve, take them out in the morning to thaw, then wrap the 12-roll section in tin foil and heat in a 300-350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until warm.
You can also try a fun variation on this incredible roll, nice for larger gatherings:
More easy, never-buy-bread-again recipes
- Whole Wheat, Soft & Easy Sandwich Bread
- Easy Artisan Bread (yeast)
- Quick & Tender Homemade Hamburger Buns (or Breadsticks)
- Tutorial: Simple French Baguettes Recipe (or The Bread You Can’t Stop Eating)
- Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread Recipe (Ready in 1 Day)
Soft 100% Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons active dry yeast* (instant works, too)
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup lukewarm buttermilk or milk
- 4½ to 5 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Dissolve the yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water in a glass measure. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the eggs and mix, scraping the sides. Add the warmed milk along with the yeast mixture.
- Add 4½ cups of flour and the salt, mixing until combined. Change to dough hook and knead for 2-3 minutes only, just until no longer tacky, adding a tablespoon or two of flour at a time, if needed. (Do not add too much.)
- Let sit in bowl, covered, to rise for one hour. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead a couple of times, then let rest 3 minutes.
- Divide into 24 equal pieces, shaping each into a ball and placing in a buttered 13x9-inch baking dish with the pieces touching.
- Let rise, covered for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Notes
- You can make these up to a month in advance, let the cool in the pan, remove them as one piece, separate into 2 sections of 12 rolls and place each section of rolls into a gallon sized freezer baggie.
- Freeze until needed.
- When ready to serve, take them out in the morning to thaw, then wrap the 12-roll section in tin foil and heat in a 300-350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until warm.
Nutrition
This recipe has been updated - it was originally published in 2009.
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dave says
Is a stand mixer required? I get that it makes the project easier, but we don't have one, or the space to store one.
Jami says
I've read many comments from people who've successfully made the rolls by hand, so I know it is done even though I haven't made them by hand.
The only tricky part is the wetness of the dough, but if you LIGHTLY flour a surface and just roll/knead it a couple of times you should be okay. I think you can still go by the photos of what the dough should look like. Let me know how it goes!
Dani says
I followed the recipe and ran into a snag! For some reason, even with using the top 1/3 of the oven and the glass 13x9 pan, the middle buns that weren’t touching the glass edge didn’t bake all the way through! I left them in for the full 25 minutes. Next time I’ll try 30 minutes instead but any idea why this would have happened? My oven tends to run hot, but I wouldn’t think that would cause the rolls to be doughy.
Jami says
Shoot! I've made these through the years in many different ovens and I do tend to leave them in longer in some - the outside buns will be a bit more brown, but I usually wait until the center rolls are showing some browning, no matter how long it takes.
Another thing to do is to use an instant read thermometer! Insert it into one of the center buns to see the temp and bake until it's between 195-210 degrees.
Ali says
Could this be made into loaf
Jami says
I haven't tried it, but I'm sure it could.
Alex says
I converted these to use my sourdough starter. They’re so fluffy, they taste so good, my mind is blown. These are the best 100% whole wheat rolls ever!!!
Jami says
Great! Glad that worked.
Heather W says
Excellent! I have made these multiple times and it turns out great every time! Love the video as it shows how wet the dough should be before rising. Those in my family that like white rolls prefer these whole wheat ones!!
Jami says
I'm so glad, Heather!! Thanks for leaving a review 🙂
Pat says
Question: can i prep the dough ball the night before, letting it rise in fridge
overnight and finish the process the next morning?
Jami says
I've never done that, so I don't know. I always fully bake and then reheat them in foil.
Rachel says
About how many days do they usually stay fresh on the counter? Was thinking of making them Tuesday or Wednesday for eating on Thursday but don’t want them to be less fresh after just a day or two. Thanks!
Jami says
I've kept them for a day and they were good when reheated in the oven (wrapped in foil) before serving. Any longer and I'd freeze them.
Linda Button says
Hi!
I cannot locate whole wheat bread flour in my city, and if I order it online, it will come after Thanksgiving. Is there a good substitute? I can purchase whole
wheat pastry flour. Would that work? What about a combination of whole
wheat flour and bread flour? Would that work?
Thanks very much!~!
Linda from Colorado Springs, CO
Jami says
This recipe uses just regular whole wheat flour, Linda - it doesn't have to be bread flour. Hopefully that means you will be able to find the flour.
You could use a combo, but you wouldn't want to use pastry flour since that has less protein for pastries and we want higher protein flours to help develop gluten in yeast breads. 🙂
Tanie says
I have been looking forever for a whole wheat dinner roll that would not disappoint. Most are heavy, dry and have a tougher “chewy” feel to them, etc. This roll is THE WHEAT ROLL to end all wheat rolls! Lightly crisp on the outside, SO SOFT and FLUFFY inside. Fragrant and wonderfully wholesome! My kitchen smells INCREDIBLE tonight as I made these in preparation for Thanksgiving to save me a bit of time on that busy day. The tip on the White Whole Wheat MAKES these rolls! I also made some cranberry butter for breakfasts this week, and combined with your rolls, this will be something we have every holiday season. THANK YOU, Jami!
Jami says
I am so glad you found this, then, Tanie!! I so agree with you and am glad they will be a part of your holiday, too. 🙂
Caryn says
New here...used to live in Aloha, OR...want to try your wheat rolls for Thanksgiving. Any chance to use some white along with the whole wheat? Want to please everyone, not just my husband (we'd like them all ww)...just wondering if recipe would still work ok. Thanks. Happy Thanksgiving!
Caryn / Seattle
Jami says
I'm sure it would be okay, though I've never tried it since they are so soft and fluffy without. If you used white whole wheat, they wouldn't look as brown, if that's what you'd like to avoid. 🙂
Caryn says
Only because I didnt' have any white whole wheat...Will be buying some to try. Plus friends don't like WW rolls...not because of the color but because of the texture and flavor of whole wheat I guess. We love it.
Thanks.
Lacey says
Hi Jami! I am very new to the bread making business. Hahaha I've practiced loaves for about a year now and this was my second time venturing into rolls. These rolls tasted so good but the tops did not get that lovely golden color. They were the same brown color as the middle. Do you have an idea as to why? Any help would be appreciated! Thank you!
Jami says
Maybe you needed to bake them a bit longer? Or bake in the top 1/3 of the oven? Or move to the top 1/3 at the halfway mark? Not sure what else would make that happen!
Sam says
Do you think I could make these up to step 6 one day in advance, and then bake them the following day? If not, what is the best process for reheating?
Jami says
Hmm, I can't really recommend that since I haven't tried it and most bread recipes can be refrigerated before shaping, not usually after (without affecting the rise and maybe texture). So you can make it through step 4 and put it in the fridge for a long rise. Warm to room temp for about an hour before proceeding with the shaping and baking.
That said, I always make them fully, let them cool, and then separate in half into blocks of 12 - each of these blocks fits perfectly into a gallon zip top baggie. I remove the air with a straw and then freeze until the day before I need them. I take them out to thaw and 30 minutes before serving, I wrap the block (I still haven't separated the rolls - this helps keep them soft) in foil and place in a 300 to 350 oven (depending on what's in there heating) and heat them for 20 minutes or so. I think they're pretty perfect this way. 🙂
Brian W. says
I milled my own whole wheat flour yesterday and followed your recipe. The family couldn't say enough good things about the rolls! These will be on our Thanksgiving table this year. Thank you so much for sharing with the rest of us!
Jami says
Yay! So glad they worked with the milled flour, too.
Tammie says
I made this recipe using fresh ground hard spring wheat, and since there is an allergy in my family, I used flax egg instead of eggs.
It turned out great and the family loved them.
Jami says
I'm so glad!
Patricia says
I wasn't sure about this recipe because the kneading time is so short. I thought it would produce a dense roll, without the gluten fully being activated, but I was wrong. These are the best whole wheat rolls I have ever made! I did use soft white wheat flour, instead of hard wheat flour, and I ground it in my mill. I did test my yeast prior to using, and the dough took longer to rise than an hour in the bowl, and in the pan, but that is because I live in a colder climate, and it is also just the nature of whole wheat breads. I just let them rise in the pan until they were nice and fluffy, baked as directed, and yummmm!
Thank you so much for this recipe. It is definitely a keeper.
Jami says
So glad you gave this a try! Thanks for the great review.
Yael says
Wow! I couldn't believe bread can taste so good! Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
Jami says
It is amazing, isn't it? 🙂 So glad you liked it!
Szq says
Hey Jami,
I have to say that this is an awesome bun recipe. I generally don't provide feedback, however I still made a couple of adjustments.....I had such success that I had shared it out to our family and friends. Thanks for making me look like a Rock Star! I will continue to making these buns....so simple.
Jami says
Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a great review, I really appreciate it!
So glad you're enjoying the buns!