Irresistible Rustic Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls Recipe: Healthy Comfort Food

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I’m not going to lie, making homemade bread with freshly milled wheat does have its challenges and learning curves, but it is so worth it. These lightly sweetened whole wheat dinner rolls took me a handful of tries to get them just right. I didn’t hate the other attempts, but this one is so fluffy and enjoyable I couldn’t not share.

Whole wheat baked goods often get a bad rap for being dense, crumbly, or heavy. But these rolls are soft, fluffy, and packed with the nutty and earthy goodness you get with whole wheat. Perfect for any dinner, holiday meal, sandwiches, or burgers.

The Science of Fluffy: Understanding Whole Wheat Dough

We soak the flour and water (called autolyse) for at least 30 minutes (up to an hour) before adding other ingredients to help with the gluten development in whole wheat flour. It helps to soften the bran as well to avoid some of the density and crumbly texture you might have experienced with other freshly milled flour recipes.

You don’t want to add the fat or oils before the bran has softened as it will coat the grain and prevent it from hydrating. It is also super importance to knead your dough enough to get the elasticity you’re looking for in your rolls.

Essential Tools for Whole Wheat Roll Baking

• Grain Mill
• Stand Mixer with Dough Hook
• Mixing Bowl
• Dough Scraper
• Pastry Brush
• Oil for Rolling Dough and Greasing Pan
• Baking Pan(s)
• Plastic Wrap

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Ingredients for Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

• 1.25 Cups (290g) Warm Water
• 2.5 Cups (500g) Hard White Wheat Berries
• 1/4 Cup (100g) Honey
• 1/3 Cup (70g) Coconut Oil, Melted
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 Egg + 1 Egg Yolk
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice
• 2 Tbsp Active Dry Yeast
• 2 Tbsp Melted Butter for brushing tops of rolls

Instructions for Making Irresistible Rolls

1. Add warm water, honey, and lemon juice to mixing bowl and grind berries right on top of water
2. Mix into a shaggy dough and autolyse for 30 minutes, meanwhile grease baking pan
3. Add coconut oil, salt, egg, egg yolk, and yeast
4. Knead for 5 minutes
5. Cover and let dough rise for 30-60 minutes, or until just about doubled
6. Dump dough onto a lightly oiled and cut into 16 pieces
7. Shape dough pieces into balls and place into greased pan
8. Cover and let rise for 15 minutes in a warm area, or until puffed
9. While rising preheat oven to 375 degrees
10. Brush tops of rolls with melted butter
11. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until tops are golden brown and internal temperature is 190 degrees
12. Brush tops with butter again if desired, sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt

Notes:

• You can try lightly flouring the counter for shaping too, I have just found the oil works best for me.
• You can always add in a tsp of your favorite seasonings or herbs like garlic powder, cinnamon, rosemary, dill, etc. to the recipe for a more savory or aromatic roll.
• This recipe can be made without honey (but we recommend using it); you will need to reduce the amount of wheat berries closer to 400g and note the color of the baked rolls will be much lighter.
• This is a very sticky dough due to the hydration %! It will become a little less sticky after the first rise, but will be a little more involved with shaping.

Step-by-step Instructions for Whole Wheat Rolls

Mixing and Kneading: Building the Foundation for Fluffiness

Add warm water, honey, and lemon juice to mixing bowl and grind berries right on top of water. Mix into a shaggy dough and autolyse for 30 minutes, meanwhile grease baking pan.

Add coconut oil, salt, egg, egg yolk, and yeast. Knead for 5 minutes.

Whole wheat doughs can take longer to knead than all-purpose flour dough. You’ll know when your dough is kneaded enough when you can pull some dough up a few inches, and it stretches rather than breaks apart.

First Rise: Patience Pays Off in Pillow-Soft Rolls

You’ll want to make sure your room temperature is between 70-80 degrees for rising. I like to use the oven with the light on to rise my dough if the house is a little cooler.

It can be hard to tell when your dough has doubled in size. Some people will take a photo of the dough to compare, and other like to use a glass container for rising so they can see how high it is getting. You’ll get better at this the more times you do it.

Don’t cut your rises short as they are important for developing the flavor and texture of your bread.

Cover and let dough rise for 30-60 minutes, or until just about doubled.

Shaping Your Whole Wheat Rolls for Maximum Fluffiness

Dump dough onto a lightly oiled and cut into 16 pieces with dough scraper. I eyeball it when it comes to dividing the dough into 16 pieces, but some people prefer to use a kitchen scale.

Shape dough pieces into balls.

• Step 1: stretch each piece out a little into a rectangle
• Step 2: fold over right side, then left side
• Step 3: scrunch the dough together like a dumpling
• Step 4: using your palm, roll the dough in circles on the countertop for about 15 seconds

You want to make sure they have tension, so they don’t flatten into pancakes. I like to lightly oil my counter and hands for shaping.

Place dough balls into greased pan. Spacing is up to you – some people like to have them closer to be able to tear them apart, I generally space them a bit as I often freeze them for sandwiches.

Second Rise: The Secret to Fluffy Texture

Cover and let rise for 15 minutes in a warm area, or until puffed. While rising preheat oven to 375 degrees.

When proofing your whole wheat rolls, make sure again they are placed in a relatively warm environment. The oven with the light is great, or on the stovetop while the oven preheats.

You can tell when your rolls are ready for baking by pressing a knuckle into the dough and seeing if it bounces back into place or not. It is ready when the dough does NOT bounce back and stays depressed. If it still bounces back give them another 5 minutes of rising and check again.

Brush tops of rolls with melted butter. You can alternatively do an egg wash if you’d like.

Bake 18-20 minutes, or until tops are golden brown and internal temperature is at least 190 degrees.

Brush tops with butter again if desired, sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt. Enjoy!

How to Serve Your Dinner Rolls

Now matter how you enjoy your rolls, you will savor the perfect balance of wholesome nutrition and indulgent comfort. We love to eat them warm from the oven plain, and if they last more than an hour, they are also great served with:

• Smear of salted butter
• Nutella
• Jam
• PB&J
• Lunch meat and cheese
• Egg and Sausage
• Burgers
• Soups/salads

Top Your Rolls with Flavor

• Shredded parmesan or asiago cheese before baking for an extra special treat
• Finish rolls off with Garlic bread seasoning mixed with butter for a perfect side with soups and salads
• Cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top for a sweet crunch

I hope you give this whole wheat roll recipe a try. Just the smell alone filling your kitchen will make you want to bake them over and over.

Remember, practice makes perfect, so don’t worry if your first batch isn’t Instagram-worthy. It took me a few times to get it right too (and sometimes I still mess it up!). Each time you bake these rolls, you’ll get a better feel for the dough and the process when baking with whole wheat.

Go ahead, tear into a warm, pillowy roll and spread on that butter thick!

Up for more whole-wheat baking? Try our Sandwich Bread or Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls.

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