Soft 100% Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls Recipe
The softest 100% whole wheat dinner rolls recipe that turns out tender and fluffy yeast rolls everyone will ask for!
Servings: 24 rolls
Calories: 135kcal
Equipment
- stand mixer or a hand-held mixer with dough hook or by hand
- 1 13x9 inch baking pan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (20g) active dry yeast* (instant works, too) OR 2 packets of yeast
- 1/2 cup (120g) warm water (90 to 110 degrees)
- 1/2 cup (113g) butter, softened (can use oil)
- 1/4 cup (88g) honey (can use cane sugar or maple syrup)
- 3 large eggs (comments have said flax eggs work for those with allergies)
- 1 cup (245g) lukewarm buttermilk or milk (or milk substitute), 95-100 degrees
- 4½ to 5 cups (630g) whole wheat flour** (regular red hard wheat - hard white or golden wheat works, as well as spelt)
- 1 ½ teaspoons (10g) sea salt (regular grain salt, not kosher or coarse grind)
Instructions
- Dissolve the yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water in a glass measure and set aside.
- Cream the butter and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or with a wooden spoon by hand). 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 about 2 minutes only, just until no longer tacky, adding a tablespoon or two of flour at a time, if needed. (Do not add too much - KEY.) Alternately by hand: Knead a minute or two on a lightly floured surface just until smoother and still a bit tacky. Just be very careful not to add too much flour.
- 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 or oiled 13x9-inch baking dish with the pieces touching.
- Let rise, covered for 1 hour, until the rolls have filled in a are up to the top of the pan to about an 1/2 above the pan (if it's warm, you may need less time - do not let them overproof).
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. TIP: Set timer for 45 minutes to start oven preheating and then set for the last 15 minutes.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Notes
*Scant tablespoons, meaning not rounded, just under the top. This recipe is a low-knead bread, so it calls for more yeast than normal. However, you can use less - 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 tablespoons is about the amount in 2 packages of yeast. Some commenters have used 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon and thought they were fine. Experiment at your own risk.
**I scoop and level to measure flour. The weighed grams is for 4.5 cups of flour, add extra at 10g (tablespoon) additions as needed for dough to not be tacky when touched.
Make Ahead:
- Freeze: Make these up to 4 months 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.
- Reheat: 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
Serving: 1roll | Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 19.7g | Protein: 3.6g | Fat: 4.7g | Saturated Fat: 2.7g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 144mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 3.5g
