0
Honey Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
These 100% whole wheat dinner rolls are nutty, a bit sweet, and have a wonderfully soft and hearty texture.
Yield 15 rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk (warmed to about 110°F/43°C)
- 1 (0.25oz) package (7g) or 2 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast
- 1/2 cup (1 stick/115g) unsalted butter (softened to room temperature, cut into 4 pieces)
- 1/3 cup (105g) honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 3 1/2 cups (420g) whole wheat flour
Topping
- 2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter (melted)
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Make the dough: Pour the warm milk over yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Or, if you don't have a stand mixer, a regular large mixing bowl. Whisk together, cover bowl with a towel, and allow to sit for 5 minutes. The mixture will be frothy and foamy after 5 minutes.
- On low speed, beat in the softened butter until it is slightly broken up. Then beat in the honey, eggs, and salt. The butter won't really be mixing into the mixture, so don't be alarmed if it stays in pieces. On low speed, gradually add the flour. Once it is all added, beat on medium speed until a soft dough forms. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 6-7 more minutes. The dough should pull away from the edges of the mixing bowl. Poke it with your finger; it should gently bounce back. If the dough is too sticky, add more whole wheat flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it pulls away from the bowl and you have the right texture. *If you do not have a stand-mixer with a hook attachment, knead the dough by hand in this step.*
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it with your hands for 1 minute. Form the dough into a ball, coat your mixing bowl with nonstick spray or olive oil, and place the dough back in and turn it over so all sides of the dough are coated with the oil/spray. Cover the dough/bowl loosely with plastic wrap, a paper towel, or aluminum foil and let sit in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
- Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
- Shape the rolls: Punch the dough down to release any air bubbles and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using floured hands, stretch the dough into a 9×13-inch rectangle (doesn't need to be exact, it can be a little smaller). Use a pizza cutter and cut into 15 rolls. See photo above for a visual. Round out the corners of the rolls since they stretched a bit as you cut them. Arrange in prepared pan. Loosely cover the rolls and allow to rise in a warm environment again until puffy and doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Bake the rolls: Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C). Bake rolls for about 25 minutes or until they are golden brown. About halfway through the bake time, I like to cover the rolls loosely with aluminum foil so the tops don't brown too much. Remove pan from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
- Top the rolls: Meanwhile, mix the melted butter and honey together. Brush over warm rolls. Sprinkle with sea salt. Serve warm.
- Cover any leftover rolls and store at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw on the counter or overnight in the refrigerator.
Notes
Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions:
- After dough has risen two hours in step 3, punch it down inside the mixing bowl and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight or for up to 2 days, then remove from the refrigerator and continue with step 4.
- You can also freeze the baked dinner rolls. Allow them to cool completely, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then reheat as desired. If reheating the whole pan, lightly cover and reheat in a 300°F (149°C) oven for about 10 minutes or until warm.
Review & Comments
Ann De | •
Is it ok to use as an olive oil as a substitute for the butter in the whole wheat roll recipe?
I have a family member who cannot have dairy and had other food restrictions. I have used olive oil with other wheat recipes and it worked out fine. And also the have used mashed avocado Please let me know
Thank you
Red Star Yeast | •
Hi Ann,
Olive oil would be fine, I don’t have experience with mashed avocado.
Happy Baking!
Bev | •
Can this recipe be made into a loaf of bread.
Thank you.
Red Star Yeast | •
Hi Bev,
I think you could but we do have a recipe for Whole Wheat Honey Bread you may want to check out.
Happy Baking!