Soft Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls Recipe from Scratch
These soft and fluffy whole wheat dinner rolls are made from scratch with wholesome ingredients and an easy homemade dough. Perfect for holiday dinners, soups, sandwiches, or warm with butter and jam, this recipe creates tender rolls your family will ask for again and again.
Servings: 16 rolls
Calories: 206kcal
Cost: Varies
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Stand Mixer or dough whisk
- Large Cast Iron Skillet or baking sheet
Ingredients
- ½ cup warm water
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast equivalent to one packet
- ½ cup cultured buttermilk I love this homemade buttermilk recipe.
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup salted butter
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 ½ cups Spelt flour freshly ground (if using other flour types see notes section for adjustments)
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour I use organic, unbleached
- ¾ teaspoon salt I love Redmond Real Salt. Use code “Pioneering” for 15% off.
Instructions
- Mix warm water and dry yeast together in a bowl and stir to combine with a whisk. Set aside and allow the yeast to bloom.
- Add buttermilk, egg, softened butter, and honey into the bowl and stir to combine.
- Add flours and salt and mix by hand using a dough whisk until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl (can use a stand mixer for this step if desired).
- Using the kneading attachment to your stand mixer, mix your dough on low for about four minutes, then turn the mixer off to give your dough a rest.
- Test the dough by doing the "windowpane" test (see post above for directions).
- If the dough tears before you can get it thin enough to see light through it, then let it rest for about four minutes, then knead it on low for another two minutes and do the windowpane test again.
- Remove the dough from the bowl, add some oil to your bowl to keep the dough from sticking, then place the dough back into the bowl, giving it a quick turn so all sides are coated in oil.
- Cover the bowl with a tea towel and place in a warm, draft-free area of your kitchen to rise for one hour (or until doubled in size).
- Remove dough from the bowl and place on the countertop.
- Divide the dough into 15-16 equal portions. You can get precise and weigh out your dough to ensure equal-sized rolls, but I just eyeball it!
- Place each ball of dough, seam side down into a greased pan (or well-seasoned cast iron skillet) leaving adequate space between each roll to allow the rolls to double in size.
- Cover rolls with a slightly damp tea towel and allow them to rise until doubled in size (about one hour).
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and bake rolls for 12-15 minutes.
- Rolls should be just starting to turn golden brown on top when they're done.
- When they're fresh out of the oven, take a stick of butter and rub it over the tops of the rolls generously.
- If you can, it's best to let the rolls cool for 30 minutes before eating, otherwise the centers may turn a bit gummy!
Notes
Recipe Tips and Troubleshooting:
- Freshly milled flour will give the best flavor and nutrition for whole wheat dinner rolls.
- For all-purpose or bread flour use 3 & ¾ cups flour.
- For store-bought whole wheat start with 3 and ½ cups flour and only add more if it's too sticky to handle.
- Do not rush the rise time, as whole wheat dough often needs a little extra patience.
- If your dough feels dense, add a small splash of warm milk to soften it.
- For extra fluffy rolls, allow a second rise until visibly puffy before baking.
- Brush with butter right out of the oven for that classic homemade finish.
- Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Do not refrigerate as it can dry out the rolls.
- Freezer: Freeze fully cooled rolls in a sealed bag for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Warm in the oven at 300°F for 5 to 10 minutes or microwave briefly.
Nutrition
Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 174mg | Potassium: 50mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 207IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 2mg
