Go beyond the traditional dinner rolls and try this easy whole wheat dinner rolls recipe. They're hearty, pillow-soft and have that beautiful delicate sweetness that you'll love.
Once you give this easy recipe a try, you won't go back to buying packaged dinner rolls ever again- it's a promise!
For years, I've been experimenting with bread sides and desserts; over time, I have ended up with my list of favorites. My cheesy garlic dinner rolls have been a total crowd-pleaser, and I recently tried making pumpkin-shaped dinner rolls while I was hosting Thanksgiving dinner. This time, I thought of putting a slightly healthier spin, and ended up making these!
If you like a simple homemade bread, then try this cotton soft milk bread
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What I Love About this Recipe
Whole wheat flour adds fiber, vitamins, and minerals, making the rolls a nutritious alternative to white bread. It’s a great way to incorporate more whole grains into your diet!
You can customize the recipe with add-ins like seeds (sunflower, flax, sesame), herbs (rosemary, thyme), or even dried fruits (raisins, cranberries). It’s easy to make them your own!
This quick and easy recipe is a total game changer, and is perfect for anyone who's making homemade bread for the first time.
You can experiment with different mix-in and toppings to customize the bread to your liking.
The rolls turn out, soft, fluffy and hearty, and are versatile enough to be paired with a lot of different foods.
Recipe Ingredients
Flour: I used a mix of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour; this proportion yields the best texture.
Butter: To add moisture and richness to the dinner rolls. Swap this for any neutral-flavored cooking oil if you want to.
Sweetener: To sweeten the rolls, I used both honey and sugar.
Yeast: Use the best instant dry yeast you can get. This is what will help the rolls rise and get nice and fluffy.
Salt: To season.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- Add some dried herbs like thyme, rosemary and oregano along with a dash of garlic powder to the dough to make Italian style herb dinner rolls.
- To lend the dinner rolls a kick of heat, add some red pepper flakes and garlic powder to melted butter and brush this over the rolls once they're out of the oven.
- Incorporating cheese like cheddar, parmesan, or feta can create a savory twist.
- For a vegan version, swap butter for olive oil or coconut oil.
- To make these rolls gluten-free, you need to replace the whole wheat flour with a gluten-free flour blend. Be sure to add xanthan gum or guar gum if it's not included in your blend to help with texture. The rolls might not rise quite the same as with wheat flour, but they can still be delicious!
How to Make Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
To make these dinner rolls, start by getting all your ingredients ready. You'll also want to preheat your oven at 350 degrees at around 30 minutes after the dough balls have been resting.
- In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, warm water, and dry yeast. Mix well and let it bloom for 5-7 minutes.
- Once it is frothy, add butter, flour, salt, and honey.
- Whisk the mixture on low for a few minutes until everything is combined. Then, increase the speed and knead for 6-8 minutes.
- Once the dough comes together, get it out and transfer it to a greased bowl. Cover and let it rise until it doubles in size.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it to remove the air and portion it out into 12 pieces.
- Shape them into rounds and transfer them to a greased baking dish.
- Cover and let them proof again for 30-45 minutes, transfer them to a preheated oven and bake.
- Get the rolls out and brush them with some butter for extra flavor. Let them cool down slightly, and then serve.
Storing Leftovers
Store your leftover dinner rolls at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
You can also batch make and freeze the rolls for up to a month if you want to. Just allow them to cool down completely and transfer them to a freezer safe container or bag before you pop them in. Then, when you want to enjoy them, just allow them to thaw completely, wrap them up in foil and reheat them in a preheated oven.
Tips & Tricks to Make the Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
- Avoid overmixing the dough. Just 4-6 minutes should be just fine. Mixing it too much will cause the rolls to turn chewy and dense instead of being soft and fluffy.
- Make sure you allow the dough balls to rise nicely before you pop them in the oven. They should ideally be puffed up and touching each other. This will help them get to the nice pull-apart consistency once they're baked.
- Remember not to add too much flour into the dough. The dough may be sticky, but adding extra flour will cause them to become hard and brick-like once they're baked.
- Use warm water to help the yeast bloom. Using hot water will end up killing the yeast, and if it is not warm enough, the yeast won't bloom properly.
- Make sure the butter is at room temperature before you add it into the mix. This is another instance where temperature plays an important role.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Enjoy these soft dinner rolls as a side dish with any hearty curry or stew. I love the idea of pairing them with my coconut beef curry and Doro Wat (an Ethiopian spicy chicken stew). I think it'll also taste great with my Mediterranean baked cod- the rolls will be perfect to mop up all that delicious sauce.
You can also use these dinner rolls to make your favorite homemade sliders. And of course, you can feature them on your holiday dinner table too.
Recipe FAQs
Using old, inactive yeast may cause the dinner rolls to not rise enough. Check if the yeast has turned frothy when you bloom it. If it does, it means it is good to use.
You can, but they won't end up having the same soft and fluffy texture. Whole wheat flour doesn't have as much gluten as all purpose flour does, and you may need to add some vital wheat gluten into the mix to compensate.
If you don't have a dough mixer, you can knead the dough with your hands too. You may need to add a couple of extra minutes into kneading the dough though, to get it to combine nicely.
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Easy Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 1½ cup Warm water
- ½ tablespoon Yeast I used instant dry yeast
- 2 cups All purpose flour
- 1½ cup Whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoon Softened butter
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ⅓ cup Honey
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
Instructions
- Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir to dissolve, then let it sit for about 5-10 minutes until it becomes frothy.
- Add the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, softened butter, honey and salt to the activated yeast mixture.
- Start the mixer on a low speed (usually speed 2) to combine the ingredients. This prevents flour from flying out of the bowl and helps everything come together without splattering.
- Once the dough starts to come together, increase the mixer speed to medium (usually speed 4). Let the mixer knead the dough for about 6-8 minutes. The dough will start to pull away from the sides of the bowl and form a smooth, ball
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover it with a cloth or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in size, usually about 1 to 1.5 hours.
- Punch down the dough to release the air. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and shape them into rolls. Place them in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish, arranging them close together for soft, pull-apart rolls.
- Cover the rolls with a towel and let them rise for another 30-45 minutes, or until they puff up. 5-10 minutes before proofing time is over, preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Bake the rolls for 30 minutes, or until they are golden brown on top.
- Brush the warm rolls with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven for extra flavor.
- Let the rolls cool slightly before serving. Enjoy them warm with butter, or as a side for your favorite meal!
Notes
- Avoid overmixing the dough. Just 4-6 minutes should be just fine. Mixing it too much will cause the rolls to turn chewy and dense instead of being soft and fluffy.
- Make sure you allow the dough balls to rise nicely before you pop them in the oven. They should ideally be puffed up and touching each other. This will help them get to the nice pull-apart consistency once they're baked.
- Remember not to add too much flour into the dough. The dough may be sticky, but adding extra flour will cause them to become hard and brick-like once they're baked.
- Use warm water to help the yeast bloom. Using hot water will end up killing the yeast, and if it is not warm enough, the yeast won't bloom properly.
- Make sure the butter is at room temperature before you add it into the mix. This is another instance where temperature plays an important role.
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Bilikis says
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Bilikis says
It looks nice and fluffy
Bilikis says
Thanks for the recipe ma
Hello Everyone,
These rolls were easy to make, and I love that they’re healthier than regular white rolls while still being so tasty. make this your go to recipe and you wont regret it.