Soft and buttery, these fluffy Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls are so easy to make and much better than anything you would get in the store! In only a few hours, you'll have the most delicious rolls to serve with your dinner!
Whole wheat fluffy rolls not only add an extra bit of nutrition and fiber to your dinner, but they also add more flavor. The whole wheat flour adds a nuttiness that all purpose flour alone doesn't give you.
Homemade rolls make any dinner just a little better! 3 ingredient dinner rolls and 2 ingredient sweet potato rolls could not be easier to enjoy with your dinner! Serve these rolls with busy day soup, Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs or New England clam chowder!
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Whole Wheat Flour. White whole wheat flour will work perfectly in these rolls too. I love using whole wheat flour to make whole wheat sourdough bagels too!
- All Purpose Flour. Although these are whole wheat rolls, you'll want a little bit of white flour to mellow out the nuttiness of the whole wheat flour. Bread flour will work here in place of white flour.
- Active Dry Yeast. One package or 2 ¼ teaspoons.
- Honey. Sugar can be used too. The honey will feed the yeast so it grows and makes the bread rise.
- Salt. The salt keeps the yeast under control, so it doesn't rise too much and overprove.
- Warm Milk. Whole milk is best, but 2% or your favorite non dairy milk can work too.
- Egg. To add a little fat and structure to the dough.
- Melted butter. For added fat. This will make the dinner rolls light and fluffy.
Active Yeast vs Instant Dry Yeast
In this recipe, we are using Active Dry Yeast. That means it needs to be "bloomed" or woken up. All you have to do is sprinkle the yeast over some lukewarm liquid (in this case we are using milk, but warm water would be perfect too) and allow it to get foamy. When it does, you are ready to use the yeast!
If it doesn't get foamy, throw out the yeast and start again. That means the yeast is old or expired and won't allow the dough to rise properly.
If you only have instant yeast, you can use that too. No need to "bloom the yeast. Just add it to the liquid along with the flour and salt.
Equipment To Gather
Do I Need a Bread Machine?
No! No bread machine is needed! That's the great thing about these rolls. You don't even need a stand mixer if you don't have one. You can even mix these rolls by hand if you would like!
I don't have a bread machine and I never have, so I am not even sure how one would work! If you would like to make bread rolls with a bread machine, there are lots of great recipes out there for you to check out!
Let's Make Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls!
In a liquid measuring cup, add lukewarm milk. You can microwave the milk for 30 seconds or you can warm the milk on the stovetop for 1-2 minutes over medium heat.
Sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the flour, salt, and honey. Add the yeast mixture, melted butter, and egg to the dry ingredients. Turn the mixer on low speed and mix for 2-3 minutes and mix until a smooth ball forms and the dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.
Grease a large bowl with olive oil or spray it with cooking spray. Place dough into the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. This is the first rise. Place the bowl in a warm place and let the dough rise for 60-90 minutes.
Time to Shape the Dough!
Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with melted butter. Set that aside.
After the dough has doubled in size, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough down so it forms a disk. Cut the dough into equal pieces and form each piece into dough balls.
Place the dough balls into the prepared baking dish. Let the dough rest for the second rise in a warm spot for 60 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. After 60 minutes the rolls should look puffy and light. Brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown.
Tips and Tricks
- If you do not have a stand mixer, mix all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough by hand for 5-10 minutes until a smooth dough forms. Add it to the greased bowl and let it rise for 60 minutes.
- Do not add too much flour to the surface you are cutting the dough on. Too much flour will make the rolls tough and we want fluffy dinner rolls.
- If the yeast does not get foamy and bubbly in the milk mixture, throw it out and start again. That could mean the yeast is dead. Make sure to check the expiration date of the yeast before using it.
Storage Tips
When the rolls cool to room temperature, place the rolls into an airtight container or a gallon sized Ziploc bag. The rolls will stay fresh for up to 4 days.
To freeze the rolls, let them cool and place them in a freezer bag. Freeze them for up to 3 months. Warm the rolls in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 300 degrees to gently warm them up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Make the bread dough completely and let it rise. When the dough has risen, cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. The next day when you are ready to bake the rolls, cut them into equal pieces, and place them in the baking dish for at least 1 hour to come to room temperature. They should look puffy. Bake them for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown.
Yes! You can brush melted butter on the top of the rolls and sprinkle them with coarse sea salt, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or a mixture of seeds.
More Bread Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Soft Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 ¼ cup All Purpose Flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
- 1 ¼ cup Milk warmed
- ¼ cup Honey
- 3 tablespoon Butter Melted, plus more for brushing on the rolls
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- In a liquid measuring cup, add lukewarm milk. You can microwave the milk for 30 seconds or you can warm the milk on the stovetop for 1-2 minutes over medium heat.
- Sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the flours, salt, and honey. Add the yeast mixture, melted butter, and egg to the dry ingredients.
- Turn the mixer on low speed and mix for 2-3 minutes and mix until a smooth ball forms and the dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.
- Grease a large bowl with olive oil or spray it with cooking spray. Place dough into the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. This is the first rise. Place the bowl in a warm place and let the dough rise for 60-90 minutes.
- Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with melted butter. Set that aside.
- After the dough has doubled in size, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough down so it forms a disk. Cut the dough into equal pieces and form each piece into dough balls.
- Place the dough balls into the prepared baking dish. Let the dough rest for the second rise in a warm spot for 60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. After 60 minutes the rolls should look puffy and light. Brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown.
Video
Notes
- Make sure the yeast is not expired before you try to use it.
- Sprinkle the tops of the dough with sesame seeds or coarse salt for even more flavor!
- The rolls are done when the tops are golden brown and they sound hollow when you tap on them.
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