Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
These 100% Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls are so soft, light, fluffy and moist, with a hint of honey. Make them for holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, etc.) or any day!
Back to basics today with this whole wheat dinner rolls recipe. I first discovered this recipe back in 2014 when I wanted to make some Whole Wheat Bunny Rolls for Easter. With the holidays coming up, I thought it would be a great time to re-make and share this delicious whole wheat roll recipe with you.
Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
A lot of recipes claim to be “whole wheat,” but use white whole wheat flour, or a mixture of all-purpose and whole wheat flours. This recipe is 100% WHOLE WHEAT, and incredibly soft and fluffy.
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The key to light and fluffy whole wheat dinner rolls is to not use too much flour. If you do, it will dry the dough out and make the bread dense. You want a slightly wet, sticky dough.
I highly recommend using a stand mixer to knead the dough so you don’t over-flour it. I prefer my Bosch Universal Plus Mixer because the hook really gets under the dough. Kneading it well to create those flexible gluten strands, which is key for a soft, fluffy dough. A Bosch is such a strong machine, which makes it perfect for bread dough.
How to Shape Dinner Rolls
If there’s one trick I learned while interning in a bakery and in culinary school, it’s how to shape rolls. It saves time and achy wrists from rolling the dough.
- Flatten the dough and divide it evenly. This recipe makes 2 dozen (24) whole wheat dinner rolls.
- Cup your hand and push the dough through your thumb and pointer fingers.
- Pinch the ends and place the rolls seam-side down onto a greased baking sheet. (I use a 12×18-inch pan.)
- Cover and let rolls rise. Then bake until golden brown.
My kids eat these whole wheat dinner rolls with no problems at all. In fact, they fight over them to make sandwiches for their school lunches. They won’t disappoint for your holidays either!
Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp yeast, (quick rise or instant dry yeast)
- ½ cup (118 ml) warm water
- ½ cup (113 g) butter, softened
- ¼ cup (84 g) honey
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (237 ml) milk or buttermilk, lukewarm
- 2 tsp salt
- 4 ½ – 5 cups (684-760 g) 100% whole wheat flour, (stir, spoon, and level when measuring)
- 1 Tbsp oil, (canola, vegetable, olive)
Instructions
- Stir yeast in warm water to dissolve. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and honey.
- Add the eggs. Mix and scrape bowl. Add the milk, salt, and yeast mixture. Mix to combine.
- Stir, spoon, and level 4 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour. Add to the wet mixture. Switch to a dough hook and knead for 5 minutes, until a soft dough is formed. Add extra whole wheat flour 1 Tbsp at a time, if needed. Dough will be sticky, but if touched with your finger, should come away clean.
- Pour oil into a large bowl. Scrape dough out of the mixing bowl, and into the bowl with the oil. Flip the dough over so all sides of the dough have oil on them. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour in a warm place.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. (Whole wheat or all-purpose flour works fine.) Flatten dough and divide into 24 pieces.
- To shape rolls: Cup your hand and push the dough through your thumb and pointer fingers. (See image in post.) Pinch the ends and place the rolls seam-side down onto a greased baking sheet about an inch apart. (I use a 12×18-inch pan.)
- Cover rolls with greased plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour in a warm place.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush extra melted butter over the top of the hot rolls. Enjoy!
Notes
Did you make this?
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I’m making these today for Thanksgiving and a bit confused about the yeast. I have the rapid rise yeast which states that there is no need to proof it in warm water you just add it directly to recipe?
Yes, but I still prefer to let it bloom and rise anyway. Especially with wheat bread where it’s harder to get it a fluffy texture.
These turned out quite well. I was a little confused where the article seems to imply that White Whole Wheat Flour is not real Whole Wheat Flour. All of my research indicates that there is a variety of whole wheat called: white whole wheat. Your rolls/breads will still turn out brown, just a slightly lighter brown. I have been using it for years and what I buy says “Organic Stone Ground White Whole Wheat Flour” on the front of the bag. The description on the back says: 100% organic hard white spring wheat. I have always had good luck with it.
The recipe directions were easy to follow. I appreciated the tip to shape the balls. I actually weighed the dough and it was 46 ounces. I then weighed out twenty three 2 ounce balls. It made for a beautiful tray (10.5 x 15.5) of evenly shaped rolls. I did not have to scrape my dough out of the bowl. After kneading the dough using 4.5 cups of flour, it was all around the dough hook. However, I believe it was just right. The rolls came out light, fluffy, and moist as described. I was concerned that there was too much yeast in the recipe, but it worked out fine with no overly yeasty taste. I did use regular yeast, as that is all I ever buy. The first rise doubled in about 40 minutes, so at that point I shaped the rolls. I did let the rolls rise for the full hour. These were definitely impressive for 100% whole wheat rolls. However, the next time I make them I think I will be looking to put some seasoning in them. Perhaps Italian Seasoning and brushing them with garlic butter and Parmesan. They just seemed a tad bland. It is a great base recipe though, even for first timers. If this will be your first time making anything with yeast, be sure to test the temperature of the water, before you add the yeast. It should be between 105 and 115 degrees. I also add 1 tsp. Sugar to the water and yeast. Stir well and let set. Make sure you use a cup with plenty of space for the yeast to bubble up. As for storing these, I always put my breads/rolls in a plastic container with a tight fitting lid. When I tried one today, it was every bit as light, fluffy and moist as yesterday. I did freeze the rest of the rolls. Thank you for sharing your recipe Amber. I have been trying to follow the Mediterranean diet and that calls for whole grains. These rolls will help me stay on track.
Thanks for your feedback! Glad they were a success!
Thank you for the detailed video and recipe. I made it in the afternoon on Christmas eve . It was my first time making bread and it turned out like yours “soft, moist and fluffy.” I love it. However, I stored it in a glass container after it cooled down. But it tasted a little dry and dense that night already. Is it normal? What can I do ? How to store it ? How long can it be in a container at room temperature ? How to reheat it ?
Thank you very much.
I would definitely store it in a plastic bag rather than a container with a lid at room temperature. It should last up to 4 days. It’s best to nuke leftovers in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to freshen it up before eating again or bake for 3 minutes at 350˚F.