These whole wheat rolls are fluffy, stay soft for days, and make excellent sandwiches! A must-have for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. With a dairy-free option. Check out the reviews if you need convincing!
Continuing on with healthier Easter recipes, I give you the gift of fluffy whole wheat dinner rolls! For me, no holiday meal is complete without dinner rolls.
I have to admit that I really love the frozen ones you can bake in the oven, but homemade and whole wheat is always better, right?
If you’re like me and don’t like your whole wheat recipes to actually taste of whole wheat, then try my whole wheat chocolate cupcakes! They’re every bit as delicious as cupcakes made with all-purpose flour.
The same is true of this whole wheat healthy carrot cake. And this whole wheat banana bread!
Your whole wheat roll search is over!
But back to today’s recipe. These whole wheat rolls could also be called Miracles of Fluff. Because they are. :D I’m so happy I found this recipe on An Oregon Cottage!
I can’t tell you how many 100% whole wheat roll recipes I tried before finding a good one. I even tried 50% whole wheat and couldn’t find a really amazing recipe. But these?! 100% and so ridiculously fluffy and tasty!
One of the best parts about this recipe is that the rolls stay soft for longer than just a few hours after baking. The rolls that other recipes I tried yield rolls that are good out of the oven, but later that night, they’re crumbly and not that appetizing. Or they’re just plain bad.
What to serve them with
Whenever I make brisket or pulled pork, I make these. I don’t know what it is about this recipe, but these always stay soft for days after making them! These rolls would also be great alongside this Paleo Pot Roast from Noshtastic! And if you’ve got an Instant Pot, try this Instant Pot chuck roast. These pork chops with apples also look wonderful.
My favorite way of enjoying these whole wheat rolls is with honey. Just a little is enough. These rolls are already slightly sweetened with honey, but they’re not that sweet. Totally acceptable for sandwiches!
Got leftover turkey? Put it in here and rejoice. :D Turkey leftovers won’t be that boring anymore!
I’ve also made these into cinnamon buns. That recipe is hopefully coming soon! They’re pretty naughty. But at least they’re still whole grain!
I’ve halved the recipe before but I always regret it. Since these wheat rolls stay good for so long, there’s no need to halve the recipe. And you can always pop them in the fridge and reheat in the microwave if needed.
You could also freeze half of the dough and make them into cinnamon buns later, which I highly recommend doing. They’ll no doubt be the fluffiest 100% whole grain cinnamon rolls you ever have.
And just like the dinner rolls, I’ve tried loads of whole wheat cinnamon bun recipes. This is the base you want to use!
I’m also excited to try the leftover rolls in these pizza sliders for a fun treat.
Other flours?
I’ve tried these with whole spelt flour and that didn’t work out. If you adjusted the liquid, it’d work, but none of the formulas for converting whole to spelt recipes have worked for me. Not yet, anyway.
I’m quite confident using a gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour wouldn’t work for this recipe. So for a gluten-free version, try these gluten-free dinner rolls.
Dairy-free whole wheat rolls
For a dairy-free version, use coconut oil instead of butter and homemade buttermilk. Use any dairy-free milk (except canned coconut milk) and 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice.
Pour the vinegar into a 1 cup measuring cup. Fill with milk. Give it a few stirs. Let sit for 5 minutes while preparing the dry ingredients. There you have dairy-free buttermilk!
If you give these rolls a try, let me know how they come out. I love feedback. :)
Photos updated 3/2020. Here’s an old one.
Whole Wheat Rolls - Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls!
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 24 rolls
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) warm water
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter or coconut oil1, softened + additional butter for brushing on top, if desired
- 1/4 cup (80 grams) honey
- 3 large eggs (50 gram each, out of shell), room temperature
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) room temperature or slightly warm buttermilk or homemade dairy-free buttermilk2
- 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten (optional)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 4 1/2 to 5 cups (563-625 grams) whole wheat flour
Directions
- In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the 1/2 cup of warm water. Set this aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and honey until well combined.
- Add the eggs, buttermilk, and yeasty water and beat until well combined.
- Add in the vital wheat gluten and the salt and switch to the dough hook.
- Add in 2 cups of the flour and mix.
- Then add in enough of the remaining flour so that the dough just comes together. Depending on the day, you may need quite a bit.
- Knead for only 2 minutes.
- Once the dough is no longer tacky, cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour. I like to turn the oven to the lowest setting for 1 minute, then turn it off and let the dough rise in there.
- Turn the dough out onto a slightly floured surface and knead it a few times, then let the dough rest for 3 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 24 balls and place these in a buttered 13" x 9" baking pan (the pieces will touch).
- Let the rolls rise for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Bake the rolls for 13 – 25 minutes or until golden brown. It's very important not to overbake the rolls!
- Remove from the oven, rub some butter over the top of the rolls, and serve immediately or let cool completely and then cover and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Anything past that, I'd stick them in the fridge (to prevent mold).
Notes
- For the dairy-free version, use coconut oil. It should about as firm as softened butter and not melted! If you don't want any coconut taste, use refined coconut oil instead of unrefined.
- Use any dairy-free milk (except canned coconut milk) and 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Pour the vinegar into a 1 cup measuring cup. Fill with milk. Stir and ket sit for 5 minutes.
Adapted from Soft 100% Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls from An Oregon Cottage
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274 comments on “Whole Wheat Rolls (soft and ultra fluffy!)” — Add one!
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I make these rolls for Thanksgiving and Christmas every year and EVERYONE raves about them and constantly talks about them throughout the year! The best wheat rolls EVER!!!
Oh, yay! That’s awesome to hear. Thanks a bunch for your feedback! I love that you’ve been making them for years. Happy Thanksgiving! :)
Hi Erin,
Ever tried making this recipe into a loaf (possibly 2 with the amount of flour used) with success?
Deb
I have a question on freezing 1/2 of the dough for later use. Do I allow the dough to rise before freezing or do I divide the dough and freeze immediately and rise after I thaw ?
I haven’t tried it but I found this: “After preparing and kneading the dough, shape into rolls or flatten into a disk and wrap airtight. The dough can be frozen up to four weeks. When ready to use, thaw at room temperature or slowly in the refrigerator. Once thawed, shape, let rise, and bake as directed.” I hope that helps! :)
I need to do low sodium. Can I leave out the salt?
You can but I don’t think they’d be very tasty. But if you’re used to bread without any salt at all, I guess it’d be fine. :)
Hi Erin,
Your recipe doesn’t say if the buttermilk should be cold, room temperature or warm?
Deb
Hi Deb! Thanks for pointing that out. I’ve always used cold buttermilk with success but room temperature or just slightly warm would actually be better. I’ve updated the recipe. Thanks again!
Hi Erin,
Cool.
I use powdered buttermilk because I don’t use buttermilk often. The buttermilk powder gets combined with the first portion of flour to be added to the bowl. Whatever amount of buttermilk the recipe calls for is substituted with water. I made these rolls (for the second time) yesterday. I make them large to use as sandwich rolls. Anyway, as I am waiting for the dough to rise I realized I forgot the buttermilk powder. OMG!!!!!! I was calling myself all kinds of derogatory names and I thought, you have just wasted all of these ingredients. They looked great coming out of the oven and AMAZINGLY enough they tasted great too. WHO NEW? So for all of your followers out there that may not have, or use, buttermilk these come out great with just plain tepid water.
Deb
Thanks for the tip on using water! Was there any difference at all in the final product? And it’s great to know that the powder method works well, too. Thanks a ton for your feedback!
Hi Erin,
Nope. They looked just like the previous batch that had the buttermilk powder added.
Frohe Weihnachten und ein gutes neues Jahr!
Deb
So interesting! Thanks for the reply and the feedback. Ein gutes Neues Jahr for you, too! :)
I am interested in making a batch of these rolls, but splitting the dough for 1/2 batch of rolla and 1 batch of your orange cinnamon rolls. The only difference between the two is that the cinnamon rolls have orange zest. When would I would be the best time to add it in?
Hi! For the orange rolls, you’d usually beat it with the honey and butter and then add the yeast mixture. This ensures you get out all the good orange flavor. But if you’re dividing up the dough for cinnamon buns, I’d personally just add it after the dough has been split in half and before you knead it. It’d save a ton of time and I don’t think it’ll make a huge difference. I hope you’ll enjoy them!
Can instant yeast be used in this recipe?
I haven’t tried it but I’d assume so. Just adjust the directions according to what it says on the package.
Have you ever tried soaking the flour in the buttermilk overnight before continuing with the recipe? I have a good recipe for soaked wheat bread, but not rolls, and these sound delicious.
I haven’t, sorry! I’ve never soaked flour (only whole grains and nuts) so I have no idea. Sorry about that. :(
These sound great. 2 questions: Can you use Egg Beater egg substitute instead of whole eggs? Also can you substitute olive oil for the softened 1/2 cup butter or does the substitute have to be semi solid?
I’m sorry for just now seeing your question! I’ve only ever used chia and flax seed eggs as egg replacements so I’m not sure. We don’t have Egg Beater here in Germany so I’ve never gotten to try it. So I’m super hesitant to recommend it. One commenter used olive oil but I haven’t tried it myself, so I really can’t say for sure. I’d just hate for you to waste time and ingredients by telling you the wrong thing. Sorry that I can’t be more helpful!
Thanks….I went ahead and tried it using 1/2 cup light olive oil and 3/4 cup EggBeaters (commercial liquid egg substitute made from egg whites).
It took a bit more than 5 cups of flour…maybe because the oil was more of a liquid than softened butter. But they came out great and taste terrific!
Oh, wow! I’m so glad that they came out well. Thanks a ton for coming back to let us know how it worked. I’m sure that’ll help someone else out. :)
Hi Erin,
I love these rolls. Do you have any suggestions for making this into a loaf of bread?
Hello! I’m sorry to say that I don’t. I’ve never tried converting a roll recipe to a loaf pan so I really have no idea if it’d work. Sorry I can’t be more of a help. I’m glad that you enjoyed them in roll form!
I made and LOVE these. Any idea approximately how many calories is each bun?
I’m so sorry for just now seeing this! I just found it with a ton of comments mixed in with the spam. :( I don’t have that info but you could use this recipe analyzer for the nutritional profile. I’m glad you enjoyed the rolls! Sorry again.
I live at 7000 ft. Sometimes a problem with baking bread. Thesecame out great. I just followed you directions. Very delicious. Thank you
I’m so glad that they came out well! Thanks for your feedback. :) It’s great to know that they work well at high-altitude!
CANI REPLACE THE BUTTER WITH OLIVE OIL – HALF CUP ?
I haven’t tried it but I think it’d work. But it’s just a guess. Sorry I can’t give you a definite answer!
Thks for replying j
2 TBS of AD yeast seems like a lot. Did you mean 2 packets?
Nope. That’s how I and all the commenters made it.
Hi, may i know if i halve the loaf, do i halve the time for proofing as well? Because i let itvrise for 1 hour, but it seems to be overproofed.
I’m sorry for just now seeing your question! The bread still needs the full rising time. I hope they worked out!
Hi. Any substitute for eggs? My kid is allergic to eggs.
I do mostly egg-free baking these days but haven’t found a good sub in bread recipes. :( Sorry about that.
That’s ok. Thank you
Hi, Erin, Can I use wholemeal bread flour if I don’t have wholewheat flour?
Hi! Do you maybe live outside of the US? We don’t have wholemeal bread flour in the US so I’ve never used it and have no idea how it’d work in this recipe. Sorry about that! Maybe do a test half batch? :)
I made them , my husband just loved them 👍
Yay! I’m glad to hear that. I hope you did, too! Thanks for your comment.
I TRIED THESE ON THE FIRST DAY OF CORONA VIRUS LOCK DOWN IN SOUTH AFRICA 27 MARCH 2020.
THEY WERE SO DELICIOUS, I HAD TO HIDE THEM AWAY FOR SUPPER, BEFORE WE ATE THEM ALL. LOVELY LIGHT AND TASTY.
I USED THE YEAST AS SUGGESTED, BUT WE HAVE DRY YEAST SO WILL ADD THAT TO THE FLOUR MIXTURE NEXT TIME.
I ALSO MADE THEM AS LONG ROLLS TO HAVE A PREGGO ROLL. THEY REALLY ARE A WINNER.
I’m so glad that you enjoyed them! I can understand needing to hide them away. ;) They’re addictive! Thanks a ton for your feedback.
Can I mix bread flour instead of wheat gluten and if so what proportion of wheat and bread flour should I use
You can omit the vital wheat gluten. Don’t use bread flour, though. If you want to use that, it’s best to find a different recipe.
These are really delicious rolls! Thank you so much for this recipe!
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your comment! It landed in spam for some weird reason. I’m so glad you liked the rolls! Thanks for your feedback. :)
Do you have to use dairy free milk in this recipe or can I use low fat milk?
I’m sorry for just now seeing this! You can use whatever milk you’d like.
I made these this evening to go with pot roast. They were amazing!! I can’t believe how soft they turned out using 100% whole wheat! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m so glad that you liked them. :) Thank you for your comment!
What changes do I need to make for living at 5,000 feet altitude?
I have zero experience with high-altitude baking but found this and hope it helps: high altitude baking. There’s a section for yeast breads.
Made these today with a mix of fresh home milled Turkey Red wheat and a local organic wheat flour called DuPage. Taste and texture are so good I’ll be making for family Thanksgiving. Only issue I had is I needed a bit more wheat flour than in recipe, taking care not to make a stiff dough. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe. I told the local mill about it. Now they want to make it for Thanksgiving too!
I’m so glad that it worked out well! Thanks for sharing the recipe with your local mill and for your feedback. :) I hope your Thanksgiving guests will enjoy them, too!
Can I use an Egg replacer for this recipe? If so, is there one you recommend?
I’ve never tried so I really don’t know. I use chia eggs in baking but doubt that that’d work here. Sorry about that!
I’m going to try these, but I’d like to make them into sandwich buns (eg burger buns). Should they be shaped differently and/or spaced out on a cookie sheet instead of touching? Thanks.
You would just make them bigger (and adjust the bake time accordingly) and spaced out and not touching is correct! Hope you’ll enjoy them. :)
How long is the baking time for burger buns?
It depends on exactly how big you make them. Once they reach an internal temp of 200 °F, I’d take them out.
Is there a point at sometime you can make the rolls before they rise and freeze them
Hi! I haven’t tried it but I found this article, which I thought was helpful and gives you some options when it comes to freezing. :)
Can you use the dough to make loaves of bread instead of rolls??
I haven’t tried it but I don’t think it’d work. But I could be wrong! Sorry I’m not more helpful.
This look amazing! I try to avoid enriched wheat AND sugar, which isn’t ready, ssdi I’m going to start making my own baked goods again. Would this work as hamburger/sandwich rolls? They look so soft and yummy. Thanks for this recipe, I am booing to try it real soon!
You’re welcome! I hope that you’ll enjoy them. I love them as buns and sandwich rolls! I’d love to hear what you think of them. :)
I LOVE these rolls!!! Addicted to them. However, I am wondering if you have tried using Instant dry yeast instead of active dry yeast. I can get the instant dry yeast WAAAAAAY cheaper at Sam’s. Any thoughts?
Sorry for just now seeing your question! I haven’t tried it but I’m pretty sure it’d work. :)
I’ve bread lots of times, but never have I ever had such fluffy whole wheat bread. Oh my goodness!! These are scruptious. Followed the recipe (minus the gluten because I didn’t have any on hand) and they were a hit. It’s super cold here today in (typically) sunny Arizona. I made potato soup and these rolls with wheat I ground myself. Thank you!! ❤️
I’m really glad that they came out well and especially without the gluten! Potato soup and these rolls sounds like a super tasty meal. :) Thanks for your feedback!
Hi from sunny England. Just wanted to ask you all, did you find that 350 was hot enough to bake your rolls? I usually bake bread at a higher temperature but guessing by your positive comments all was well.
Hi! Sorry for just now seeing this, Yes, 350F is what I and the reviewers baked the rolls at and it was the right temperature. :)
Don’t try to store your bread in the fridge to make it keep longer….it won’t. Either eat it or freeze it.
I tried this and omitted vital wheat glutten. The buns were amazing. I did all my kneading in the breadmaker and then shaped them and baked. thank you.
HELP! I’m still trying to master the art of bread making and I think I made some mistakes with these rolls! :/
I added ww flour to the dough as it mixed in the Bosh mixer until it cleaned the sides of the machine. (what I do for bread) Then I mixed it another 2 minutes. Should the dough be stickier than bread dough? Or could I have over mixed? The dough was tearing and I couldn’t put them into nicely shaped rolls. They are rising in the oven now. ANY times would be MUCH appreciated!!! <3 THANK YOU!
Hi there! Sorry for my slow reply. The dough might be a little stickier than some bread doughs but not overly sticky. I have to admit that I’m more of a sweets baker and not really a bread expert so I looked it up and found this thread which is all about bread dough tearing. I hope you’ll find it useful! I learned a lot. :) How did they end up? I hope they were at least delicious!
Can you make these without the honey? I’d rather have them without any sweetness.
I’m actually not sure. A little bit of sugar might be necessary for the yeast. I’d recommend using at least 1 tablespoon. It won’t make the rolls sweet.
Bread is full of carbs/starch that breaks down to sugars. If you are worried about sugars, then why are you eating breed? We all need calories for energy to function, but some of us have to severely limit carbs due to health requirements. Hope that you find a way to balance what you can eat with what you can not eat.
Sugar or honey is essential to feed the yeast to make it rise
I’ve tried this recipe and it’s tastes great!! But since I do not have the vital wheat gluten, Would it be possible to substitute part of the whole wheat flour for all purpose flour that way it won’t be so dense? If so, what ratio should it be and would it affect the measurements of the other ingredients? Thank you
I’m happy you like them! I think you could use up to half AP flour without any issue. And it shouldn’t affect the other measurements. They’ll just taste a little less wheaty. :)
I made these rolls today and they are fabulous! So light and fluffy, delicious with a pat of salted butter. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy that you liked it. :)
Is it possible to make these without the vital wheat gluten. Just realized I don’t have this ingredient. Thank you.
It is! Hope you’ll enjoy them. :)
I have never rated a recipe before, but this is by far the best whole wheat yeast roll recipe I have ever made.
I so appreciate you taking the time to rate them! So happy you liked them. :) Thanks for your comment!
Hi the rolls look so good I can’t wait to try them – well I want to fill the rolls with a mince filling do you think it will hold up
Also if Im using instant yeast how much should I use
Hi! I’ve never tried filling these (and don’t know anything at all about mince filling) so I unfortunately don’t know. I believe you’d use the same amount of instant yeast.
I tried this recipe and it got rave reviews. I am use to making homemade rolls for years,trying different recipes. I was looking fora wheat rolls recipe that was light and fluffy. I used my bread machine on the dough setting and worked from there. Making them in to ball,and they rosed perfectly,they came out fabulous ! Thank you soooo much.
That’s great that they came out well with the help of a bread machine! I’m very happy to hear that you finally found a good whole wheat roll recipe. :) Thanks a bunch for your feedback!
At what point would be a good time to freeze these so that I can make ahead and then cook and serve later? Thanks!
I haven’t tried it but this website tells you how to do it. I hope that helps! Enjoy. :)
Hello!
I’m going to attempt these delicious sounding rolls for thanksgiving but unfortunately I don’t have a stand mixer. Would I be able to get away with using the old fashion mixers? The electric one with the two removeable beaters?
Thanks!
Hi! I think you would but haven’t tried it. Make sure to use the dough hooks. You could also do it by hand!
THANK YOU so much for the best whole wheat recipe I have ever come across! All my kids love it!
The recipe has a typo- it should be 2 tsp of yeast- not 2 tbsp
Also for anyone who wants to make it in The bread machine: I make the whole recipe on the dough cycle. Then I take out half the dough and shape it into rolls, and I let the other half do a full rise and bake cycle. Both the rolls and the loaf come out incredible!
There’s no typo! I and all the reviewers below have used 2 tablespoons and not 2 teaspoons of yeast. I’m happy 2 tsp worked for you, though! :) Although I’m really curious how since it’s only 1/3 the amount. Was it rapid rise or something like that? And thanks for the tip of the bread machine! That’s great to know.
I made these last year for Thanksgiving, and they were such a hit then that my mom has asked me to do them again! I looooove how soft and delicious they are. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe with us.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy that you enjoyed them and that your mom liked them enough to request again. :) Thanks for your comment!
These are the best buns I have made. Unfortunately where I am, I am limited with some of the ingredients. I used half white flour and half sorghum flour. I also didn’t have vital wheat gluten. Everything else I followed to the T. These came out great. Will definitely make these regularly.
I’m so happy that they came out well! And awesome that they came out well with your subs. I never would have figured that that’d work! Thanks for your comment. :)
Wow! The comments have made me SO EXCITED to try this recipe! It is so unique from other bread recipes! My mom recently gave us five gallons of wheat and we have a blendtec that grinds it beautifully so we have been trying to find uses for it.
My question is about sugar. I’m allergic to honey…most whole wheat recipes I’ve tried I’ve just used sugar instead, but usually it’s only 1/8-1/4 cup, not 1/2, and I don’t really want to use that much sugar. Suggestions for substitutes? Or do you think I could just cut it to 1/4 cup? I can’t go to the store because babies are napping.
I also only have 2 eggs so one will be replaced with 1/4 c applesauce. I’ll let y’all know how that goes!
Hi there! Where do you see 1/2 cup? The recipe calls for 1/4 cup honey so I definitely wouldn’t sub 1/2 cup sugar for that! I’d go with 1/4 cup sugar and add a little more milk since you’re reducing the liquid by omitting the honey. The problem is I have no idea how much liquid to add since I’ve never tried it in this recipe. I also haven’t tried subbing applesauce for eggs so I’m not sure how that’ll work here. I hope the rolls will still come out well! I’d love to hear how it goes. :)
Oh man I’m crazy!! Haha I think I saw the 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup sugar and got them confused. I will try with 1/4 cup white sugar and probably add about 2Tbsp more liquid (I’m in Utah so it’s very dry, so maybe it will end up being more.) I’m excited!
Haha. It happens to us all! :D Good luck with the rolls!
I made these with 2 eggs and 1/4 c applesauce and white sugar instead of honey. They were amazing! So soft and fluffy. My husband wants them every day for his lunches now and my 2-year-old who generally doesn’t like bread was scarfing them down! We will definitely be making them again!
I’m so happy you and your family liked them! I have trouble not scarfing them down, too. ;) Thanks for sharing your sub and for your comment!
I made your recipe. Added some homemade dough enhancer and the dough rose very quickly. I did have to bake for 20 minutes because the insides were raw at 14 minutes
good, but still said he prefers my white rolls, lol. He’s a very picky eater, so I didn’t tell him they were wheat…he figured it out lol. I will be making again. Thanks!
Dough enhancer sounds like a good addition! And I think it’s pretty much impossible to make 100% whole wheat rolls not taste whole wheaty. ;) You can hide the whole wheat taste in brownies, cookies and cakes where there are some other flavors but nothing but wheat is hard to mask. :) Thanks for your comment and so sorry I just now saw it!
hello!
Erin, how can we make these into cinnamon rolls ? Could you please give me some guidance for the ingredients? (e.g 1 t.s cinnamon? extra sugar??)
I m planning to split the dough! half for dinner rolls, half for cinnamon rolls!!
thank you!
Hi there! I haven’t made them in years so I honestly have no idea. I posted this healthier orange sweet rolls recipe based on the dinner rolls so maybe that’ll help! Or you could just look at other cinnamon bun recipes to see how much sugar, cinnamon and butter they used for the filling. Good luck! :)
thank you! yes, I m gonna use that one!!
I made them today, and they are very nice! soft and fluffy!! Half of the dough iis n the freezer though and cinnamon rolls to be made soon!
I have to say I didnt use the wheat gluten and I cut down a bit the butter using olive oil instead! They still turned out very tasty and I m gonna try the recipe in my bread maker in order to make a proper bread loaf… I believe is gonna be sooo fluffy!!!
thank you!
I hope the buns will come out well! Great that they worked well without the vital wheat gluten. :) Good luck with trying it in a bread maker and thanks so much for your feedback! :)
2nd part of the dough in the oven with cinnamon filling from orange rolls recipe…. smell is amazing!!!!
may I ask if you have a recipe for brioche??
I was thinking to use this one and try it, adding vanila and some orange/lemon zest!!
I unfortunately don’t have a brioche recipe! I’ve tried several and never found one I like. Sorry about that! Hope you can find something that works well. :)
Has anyone tried freezing the dough and then taking them out to rise and then bake them? I love the frozen non-baked rolls in the freezer section but I rarely find whole wheat!
I haven’t but if you try it out, I’d love to hear how it goes. :) Good luck!
I did
All good !!! Still tasted great
Awesome! So happy to hear that. :) Thanks for your comment and sorry for the slow reply! I’m in the process of moving and haven’t had internet since Sunday.
I made these today and I can say is WOW!!! I halved the dough and made 12 dinner rolls and 8 Cinnamon rolls. The cinnamon are just to darn delicious. The rolls did not rise as much as the cinnamon rolls, because I over kneaded them, but they were still good. The taste is phenomenal!!! I added 1/2 cup of honey instead of quarter, next time I will add 1/3 cup. The cream cheese icing I made for the cinnamon rolls, I used Swerve sweetner, (I’m diabetic) and it was soooo good. I use Zing Baking Blend and Swerve for all of my baking needs. You absolutely do not miss that poisonous white sugar, and white flour. My Mom is addicted to sugar and she could not tell the difference. I am so happy I can have rolls again. This will be made often. Thank You for this wonderful recipe. I am going to use this base to make Cheese Danish! Yum!!! Jennifer V
Oooh! It’s been way too long since I’ve made these as cinnamon buns! It’s great to know that they work well with Swerve and Zing. Thanks a ton for your feedback! I’m so happy that you found a way to have rolls again. I can’t wait to hear how your danishes come out! Thanks again. :)
I was a bit nervous about making these because I never usually use egg / butter / milk in bread recipes but Oh. My. God. So fluffy! New favourite roll recipe ❤️
Woohoo! So happy that they came out well. Thanks a ton for your comment! :)
Hi
The recipe says you require 4.5v to 5 cups of flour. But we add in only 2 cups of flour . Is that correct?
Hi! You add in 2 cups of flour in Step #5 and then in Step #6, you add in enough of the remaining flour so that the dough is no longer sticky.
Can I add rapid rise instant yeast instead of active dry yeast?
I’m pretty sure that’d work fine! Make sure to follow the directions on the back of the package. Hope you’ll enjoy them!
I am making these today and am out of eggs. I have unsweetened applesauce, ground flax and chick pea brine that I could use in place. Are these more savory or a sweet roll? Is Xmas Eve and I don’t want to battle a crowd for eggs. Thanks for your help! Happy Holidays
They’re slightly sweet due to the honey. I’ve never used applesauce or chickpea brine as a sub in bread so I’m not sure how well it’d work. I’m thinking a flax egg or chia egg might work, though. Good luck and happy holidays! :)
Used flax (3.5 eggs worth) for half and the brine (3 tablespoons) for the other for experiments sake. Both turned out so beautiful and tasty. I’m going to try applesauce next time, I think even though naturally sweet, theyd still turn out delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe. It’s a good’un.
Wow! That’s great that that worked out well. Thanks for coming back to let me know what you tried! I really appreciate it. :)
Can you tell me how to make this without a mixer? Also can I make these and keep in fridge until next day?mary
Do you have a hand mixer? If not, then just do everything by hand. I think the only thing that will be different is that you’ll probably need to knead it longer in Step 7. I have no idea how much longer but once it’s no longer tacky, it’s ready. I’m guessing it may be difficult to make these by hand. The dough is quite sticky! I’d use a spoon to mix in the flour until it’s manageable. You can make them and even keep them at room temp for a day. :)
I do have a hand mixer. This is my first try at homemade rolls so EEEEK! I hope they turn out well. Thanks so much.
Ah, okay! Then just use that. There’s probably a dough hook attachment that came with the mixer. :) Good luck!
Why did you add vital wheat gluten? It was not in the Oregon recipe.
It improves the elasticity and rise of the raw dough and the crumb and chewiness in the final loaves. It’s especially effective when baking with low-protein flours like whole wheat (which has trouble developing enough gluten). You can just omit it if you want.
Erin, I love a nice fluffy dinner roll, and these look terrific!
Thanks so much, Jean! :)
Where is the recipe????? Yak yak talk talk yakity yak!! NO RECIPE!!!!!!!!!!😠😠😠😠😠
If you’re on desktop, just scroll down the page past all the “yak yak talk talk” and if you’re on mobile, click on the big, bright pink button that says, “Get Recipe HERE.” Hope you’re able to find it now. :)
Hi, I just wanted to say these are incredible!! Thank you so much for posting the recipe. I normally exclusively bake gluten free & pack in as much fiber as possible, but my daughter has been swapping her pack lunch sandwiches for the worst refined white bread you can imagine. Whats the point of making optimally nutritious buns if she can’t stand the taste… These buns seem to be the answer, she loved them! :D
I didn’t have all the ingredients at hand, so used coconut oil instead of butter & coconut milk/lemon juice instead of muttermilk, nutritional yeast instead of vital gluten. They still turned out so light & fluffy… I couldn’t resiste trying them too (paying for it now) Delicious! Thank you :)
You mean she swaps it at school? Haha. That sounds like something I would’ve liked to do. ;) The nutritional yeast sub is interesting! I’ll have to try that, too. I’m so happy that you both enjoyed them and I hope you feel better soon! Thanks a bunch for your comment. :)
Hi. I see your bread so fluffy and soft. I have make whole wheat bread but it looks so different because it is very very heavy an has literaly the whole grain. The flour that you use has the bran??? Or is it unprocesed flour but without the bran???
I use literally the whole grain. I even mill it myself sometimes and it’s never a problem in this recipe! This recipe really just is special. Other whole grain dinner rolls I’ve tried have been very heavy and dense like you mentioned. I think you should try these. :)
Hi again. It is realy great! Thank you for shering… I love love love this bread!
Woohoo! I’m so happy to hear that. Thanks for letting me know how it went!
I made these rolls and after putting them in the oven, they collapsed. I used whole milk and I didn’t use vital wheat. Can you tell me what went wrong and what brand name wheat flour do you use. And I also used Rapid Rise Yeast.
I use Bob’s Red Mill but all the brands I’ve tried in these have worked. I’ve had bread collapse, too and know how frustrating that is! Did you shorten the rising time according to the Rapid Rise Yeast packet instructions? If dough rises too long, it collapses. So if you used that yeast without shortening the rising time, then that explains why it collapsed. There are some other ideas in this thread. I hope your next try will go better. :)
I’m just about to make these. So glad I read the string about reducing rise time.
I am soooooo happy that you shared this recipe! I make breads frequently, and this recipe is now my favorite for honey wheat rolls! I would love to try your favorite roll recipe for honey white rolls, if you have one. Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m thrilled that you enjoyed them so much! I don’t have a favorite recipe for honey white rolls but here’s my favorite dinner roll recipe. They’re so perfectly fluffy. :) Thanks for your feedback!
Just wanted to thank you for the recipe…we made these and loved them! I didn’t even have vital wheat gluten and ran out of milk (oops!), so I had to use 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup water…they still turned out great! Kids and adults thought they were awesome! :)
Haha. I love that they worked with half milk and half water and without vital wheat gluten! I’m so happy that everyone enjoyed them. Thanks a ton for your feedback! :)
These were amazing! I just wanted to say that for anyone reading this blog. Seriously, make them. You won’t be disappointed.
Thanks for the nice feedback. :) I’m really happy that you liked them so much!
Hi, I’ve never made rolls before but would like to try this recipe. I’ve heard a lot in the media about gluten and its getting a pretty bad rep. Can you make these rolls without the wheat gluten? Is this the same gluten that the media is trying to steer everyone away from? Just curious. Thanks Teresa
Hi, Teresa! You can leave out the vital wheat gluten but it’d be a little pointless since there’s gluten in all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and most other types of grains. People who have gluten sensitivities definitely shouldn’t ever eat gluten, but for those of us who don’t have any issues with gluten, there’s no need to avoid it (see this article and this one – be sure to read both pages of the second one!) If you want to leave out the vital wheat gluten just because you don’t have it, the rolls will still work. :)
Could I make the dough using my bread machine?
I haven’t tried but I’m pretty sure that’d work!
Sorry i post my question again as i just seen ur reply after putting another post.. sorry once again…. Got ur reply and i will try with water and butter milk.. Thanks..
No problem! I’ll just delete it. I hope you’ll enjoy the rolls! :)
Hi, Can I use milk instead of water or butter milk?
The yeast is proofed in the water and I’m not so sure about letting yeast proof in milk. I’d recommend sticking with water, just to be safe. And if you don’t have buttermilk, add a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a 1-cup measuring cup, fill it up with milk, let it sit for 5 minutes and then you have buttermilk. I hope that’ll work for you!
hello, do you think I could freeze these rolls?
Hi! Yes, I think that’d be fine but I’m not positive as I haven’t tried it. Hope you’ll like them!
Thanks for providing a 100% whole wheat flour recipe!
This might be helpful info for people who having trouble getting the rolls to turn out fluffy.
I live at high elevation (about 4,500 ft above sea level) and making high elevation baking adjustments always improves my bread.
The King Arthur flour website has a great guide to high elevation baking adjustments:
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe/high-altitude-baking.html
Basically, decrease yeast amount, decrease honey/sweetener amount, increase liquid amount, and increase flour amount. The rising time will also be shorter.
You could also increase the oven temperature, but I hesitate to do that with recipes that contain honey, because honey tends to deteriorate/burn at higher temperatures.
Thanks so much for the tips! Luckily, I don’t think many people have had issues with this recipe not coming out fluffy, but if someone does, I’ll be prepared with some answers. :) Thanks again!
Hi there! I am planning to make these for Thanksgiving and have a few quick questions. 1) Could I make the dough this weekend and freeze it until I’m ready to bake them on Thursday afternoon? I would basically follow the recipe until the end except freeze the dough instead of baking it correct? Also, how should I store the dough?
2) You mentioned in your recipe to initially add 2 cups of flour and then add more flour until the dough comes together. What do you mean by “comes together?” This is my first time making bread and I’m not sure I would know if I added too much flour or not enough. Is it likely that I’ll be using about 4.5 cups? Thank you so much, and please accept my apologies for so many questions! I’m EXTREMELY excited to make these rolls! You have NO idea!
I’ve never frozen dough before so I can’t say for sure if it’d work or not! This tells you how to do it (I’d choose the second option – freezing after shaping). And you should add the 2 cups of flour and if after kneading for 2 minutes, it still sticks to your finger when you touch it, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it no longer sticks to your finger. It’ll still stick to the bowl and that’s fine! I hope that helps and good luck with the rolls. :)
Awesome! Awesome! Thank you so much. I’m going to make a small batch tonight to try out the recipe and then make a big batch on Thanksgiving Day. I much rather make it fresh and look forward to the aroma that these bad boys will bring
No problem! And I think it’s very smart to make a trial batch. The recipe definitely works but if you’ve never made bread before, it’s always a good idea to practice before Thanksgiving. :) Let me know how it comes out! Good luck. :)
Hello,can I omit the honey to make a not-sweet roll?
thank you
I wouldn’t risk it because the texture would be affected. These rolls really aren’t sweet so I think you’ll be fine with the honey! They’re great for sandwiches and savory dishes. :) If you want, I think halving the honey might work. And here’s the response to your other cornbread question: There’s no honey in the cornbread but regular sugar. I think if you omit the sugar, the texture may be affected. But I think you could only add half the sugar! That would probably work and it wouldn’t be very sweet at all.
Thank you very much!I’ ve made your carrot cake, muffins and today your whole wheat pizza.
Everything was great.
I was looking for dinner rolls made with oil but I’ll try them anyways…I’ll also try the corn bread soon…
Wow! You’ve made so much. I’m happy you’ve liked it all. :) And if you want 100% whole grain dinner rolls, definitely try these! They’re so much fluffier than all other recipes I’ve ever tried. I hope you’ll enjoy them!
I want to bake these buns for my husband because he is a sugar patient. But I didnot find find vital wheat gluten in Saudi arabia. Please tell me it’s substitute or I can omit this from the recipe.please answer me as soon as possible.
You can just omit it. Hope you’ll like them!
I can’t thank you enough for this wonderful recipe. I have tired many wheat bun recipes before but nothing can beat this.
I like it sweeter so added 50 gm honey and omitted 1 egg. Made 12 buns and the rest as a loaf… Everything was just perfect !! Thank you again!!
I’m so happy to hear that you liked them! And I’m with you… I had tried so many whole wheat dinner roll recipes before and nothing comes close to these! Added honey sounds great. :) Thanks so much for your feedback!
Where is the Cinnamon bun recipe?
I never got around to taking pictures and posting it. Sorry about that!
I made these rolls today and the taste seemed right on. The rolls did seem very dense, is this normal or did I do something wrong?
I’m happy that they tasted good but they definitely shouldn’t be dense! Did you use whole wheat flour or make any subs? This page lists a few possibilities that could have caused that problem. Check under “Bread is dense and gummy” and “Bread is solid and compact.” If you followed the recipe exactly, I’m guessing perhaps the dough didn’t rise long enough or in a warm enough place. I hope that helps!
I tried your rolls last night. I used Splenda for the sugar, almond unsweetened silk milk but left everything else and they came out great. I used my bread machine. My husband had a major heart attack so we are going vegan and plant based so I am looking for all vegan ways to keep the meals well balanced and
delicious. Thank you!
I’m happy to hear that they came out well and especially that your subs worked. :) Thanks for the feedback!
Hi Erin,
I made your rolls tonight. I must have done something wrong. When they rose the second time they were very fluffy but when I baked them and took them out of the oven, they had fallen. Any ideas? They still tasted great and I want to try them again. I love that they are whole wheat. Thanks for the great Web site!
Cindy
Hi, Cindy! Thanks for your comment. :) I think it could be that they rose too long. When you do that, bread can collapse in the oven (and here are some other causes). I used to let stuff rise longer than I was supposed to, just to make sure that it had actually risen enough, but then it collapsed in the oven. I hope that helps and the next try will go better! :)
What would be tge difference if I will use an instant dry yeast?
There wouldn’t! I often make these with instant yeast, following the instructions exactly. You don’t normally need to dissolve instant yeast before adding it in with the other ingredients, but I do it anyway. I hope you’ll enjoy them. :)
These look incredibly amazing and worth the try! I was curious, though, if it is some how possible to subsitute the milk and buttermilk for something with no lactose? Is coconut milk/cream doable?
You can use any kind of dairy-free milk (almond milk, soy milk, etc.) but I probably wouldn’t use coconut milk / cream just because the consistency is different. And for the buttermilk, you can make your own with lemon juice or vinegar. :) Here’s a recipe. I hope you’ll enjoy them!
Can I use a bread machine for this? Can I just throw everything in the bread machine and let it do it’s job? Thanks and these look amazing! Do you know how many calories is a roll?
You only mean and mixing and kneading, right? Just making sure you don’t want to bake it into bread form! I haven’t used a bread machine in 15 years so I’m not much help but I don’t see why the mixing and kneading can’t be done in the bread machine. :) And I have no idea how many calories are in each roll but you can copy and paste the recipe here for that info, if you like. I hope you’ll enjoy them! :)
Excellent recepie dear..just awesome! Baked them today so plz tell me how long they would stay fresh at room temperature as milk is there in it..Thanks ☺
Yay! I’m happy to hear that you liked them. :) They’ll stay for 3-4 days at room temperature. Since the rolls are baked, you don’t need to worry about the milk that’s in the rolls. Thanks for the feedback! :)
These were really good. I made them to take to a family celebration and they were a real hit. Soft, tender with just a hint of sweetness. Family members asked to take the rest home. I came home empty handed, lol!
I’m so happy that everyone enjoyed them! And awesome that they liked the rolls enough to take them off your hands. ;) Thanks a bunch for the feedback!
I want to make these but do not have a stand mixer. Hmmm?
Will mixing with a hand mixer and then by hand work?
Yes! That’ll definitely work. Hope you’ll enjoy them! :)
After reading all of the comments I can’t wait to make these for the first time for Mother’s Day! I have to make them on Friday but need to keep them fresh until Sunday. What process would you suggest for this (storing and reheating)? I’m so afraid of loosing the softness everyone has been raving about…
These really do stay fresh for days. I would say that there’s almost no difference between these rolls on the first day and on the third day. There is a difference between the rolls straight from the oven and later in the day (and third day), though. Nothing beats straight from the oven but these come pretty close! :) You can also lightly reheat them in the microwave, if you like. I put mine on a plate, lightly wet a paper towel, place the paper towel on top of the rolls and heat them up in the microwave for 20 seconds or so. I haven’t tried using the oven but my fear would be that they dry out a little. I hope you and your mother will enjoy the rolls! :)
Hi ..I don’t have a mixer..can I do the kneading by hand?
Yes! That would be fine. :)
I never take the time the review a recipe, but I wanted to thank you for this amazing recipe! Miracles of fluff is completely accurate! I have only attempted yeast bread once before, but it resulted in hard biscuit-like discs. This was several years ago, and despite being a fairly seasoned home cook and baker, I was afraid to attempt yeast bread again. I have made these twice, once for Easter and then yesterday afternoon :) Both times I got fantastic results! The recipe is very forgiving. I forgot to set my butter out to soften, so I just melted it, and I left out vital wheat gluten. The second time around I used blackstrap molasses instead of honey. I also made the rolls larger the second time. They are fluffy, moist, flavorful and incredible! Thanks again!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Angie! Molasses instead of honey sounds yummy. :) I’ll have to try that! And I’m with you on the biscuit-like discs. No more of those for me… ever again! Thanks a bunch for taking the time to leave your review. I really appreciate it!
Can I let this dough rise in the refrigerator?
I tried that once and the result was super yeasty but someone else has tried it with good results! So I guess I need to try again. I’m thinking the problem was my yeast.
Can you substitute with lactose free milk and lemon juice for buttermilk?
Yes, that would be fine. :)
This is the BEST recipe I have ever tried. So much so that I have bookmarked it so that I can always find it when I need it. Of course now I’m going to experiment with loads more of your recipes. Quite a wonderful blog you have Erin, thanks for sharing!
Ooh… the best recipe?! What a compliment. Thank you! I’m so happy that you enjoyed the dinner rolls. I hope you’ll like the other recipes just as much. :) Thank you so much for the feedback!
I have attempted to make dinner rolls several times, both times resulting in hockey puck disasters. I followed this recipe exactly (other than omitting vital wheat gluten) and the result was the most tender whole wheat dinner roll I’ve ever had. I was so happy with results and proud to have finally made bread successfully. Thanks for the great recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that they came out well for you, Angie! And I agree on the hockey puck disaster thing. I’ve had way too many of those! Thanks a bunch for your feedback and the rating. :)
hi there! i made these last night for us to have today and didn’t realize until the morning that i underbaked them (many of them were golden brown, and they seemed pretty set, and i was SOAFRAID of overbaking!) — when i uncovered them i saw that they’d sunk down quite a bit in the middle.
now i’d much rather have a slightly doughy roll than a dry overbaked one, but i was wondering if i could stick them back in a 350 oven for a few minutes? would that mess them up, do you think? maybe i should leave the top covered with foil?
thanks!!!
Hi Amanda! Sorry for the slow reply. And I’m sorry that the rolls came out underbaked. :( If the underbaked rolls sat out overnight, I don’t know how good they’d be to eat from a safety standpoint. I’d personally do it (after baking for a few more minutes like you said) but it’s probably not the wisest thing to do. But hopefully I’m wrong! If this happens again, do cover them and immediately put them back in the oven. And if you have a thermometer, you can test them first! They should be 180-190F when done. :)
thanks! the temperature thing is very helpful for next time! they looked great when they came out of the oven so i didn’t realize til much later that they were under baked. alas, i am committed to my carbs and so we ate them anyway (a bit better after re-heating) and no sickness or anything ;) super tasty also — love that they are 100% whole wheat. thanks!!
Haha. I love that you ate them anyway! And even better that you didn’t get sick. ;) Thanks so much for coming back to let me know that it worked out in the end!
Thank you so much for posting this recipe. I have been trying different whole wheat recipes for ages and am never satisfied but these are great. My whole family loves them, my niece had 3 when she was over for lunch the other day.
Thank you! And I agree. A good 100% whole grain dinner roll isn’t easy to find! So happy that you and your niece enjoyed these. Thanks for the feedback! :)
Hi,
Thank you for this recipe – I haven’t made it yet, but the reviews have tempted me :-). I just had a quick question though, I wanted to make it for burgers (i.e. as burger buns) – however, I’m wondering considering they have honey in them, would they be sweet? Or would they be okay as burger buns? Do you have any tips as to what would make them more burger-bun-ny? :-) Thank you so much in advance!
Hi, Sabrina! These are already perfect as burger buns. :) At least for us. I find normal buns totally lacking in any kind of flavor, so I love these (they’re not too sweet!) I use them as buns for pulled pork, ham sandwiches, burgers, and everything else. :) I hope you’ll enjoy them!
Thank you Erin for your response! I’m excited to make them tomorrow. I’m SURE we’ll enjoy them…!
No problem! I hope they worked out. :)
I am german but live on Tenerife, spanish ( Canarian ) island…. pls tell me what I am looking for on my search for ” vital wheat gluten “. I am VERYlimited here.. ty so much for helping, i relly would love to make these !!!!!!!!!!! xxxx Peggy
It’s called Weizenkleber in German but I doubt you’ll find it on Tenerife. :( You can leave it out without a problem!
Just made your recipe yesterday and per your suggestion turned half into cinnamon rolls. Yum, who knew whole wheat cinnamon rolls could taste so good. My girls were in heaven.! These will definitely make it into our wintertime dessert of the week rotation. Though next time, I will make a pan of caramel rolls to enjoy fresh and a pan of cinnamon rolls to freeze (unfrosted) for the next month. We ate WAY too much bread this weekend.
That sounds amazing! Dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls and caramel rolls. Yum! Sorry that this recipe contributed to a huge intake of bread this weekend. At least it was 100% whole grain? ;) Thanks so much for the feedback!
Hi, I run a health cafe attahed to a spa in India. I am usually skeptical about sites that are non Indian due to lack of ingredients avaiable. Yours was a master piece and would like to thank you for your excellent steps and methods. This little dinner roll accompanies my omlettes and eggs. Thanks a tonne :)
Wow, thanks so much for your comment, Vidya! I’m so happy to hear that you liked the rolls (and masterpieces?! Thank you. :D) Thanks again for your comment! And by the way, I live in Germany so I understand what it’s like to bake without all the ingredients they have in the US. ;)
Hi Again Erin, Would know a possible way to avoid eggs in this recpie and still have them soft and fluffy? For guests who dont eat egg or are allergic to it is my question for. Please let me know. Thanks in advance.
Hi again! I haven’t tried it but I’m thinking it wouldn’t work out so well. I did some research and didn’t find any other recipes that look fluffy and don’t have eggs. I think the eggs are needed for the texture. :( Sorry I couldn’t help more!
You can use milled flax seeds in place of eggs. 1 tablespoon of flax to 3 tablespoons water equals one egg.just mix and let set for a couple of minutes before adding in.
Have you tried that specifically with this recipe? That’s great! Thanks so much for the tip and for the rating. :)
I want to make these! In list of ingredients it says 4 and one half to 5 cups flour but directions say #5 2 cups flour and #6 up to 1 cup flour How much flour do I use?
Yes, that’s correct! All together, you’ll use 4.5 – 5 cups of flour. In step #5, just add 2 cups, then in step #6, you add just enough additional flour so that it comes together. And I’ve had to add quite a bit of additional flour on some days… it just depends on the weather. Does it make sense now? Let me know if it doesn’t! I hope you’ll like the rolls. :)
Wow these are SO yummy!! This is my first time making anything with whole wheat(I used white whole wheat) and i’m so happy with how they turned out! I also used a cookie sheet and they were amazing! My family ate every single one of them and I cant wait to make them again! Thanks for sharing this recipe :)
Yay! I’m so happy that you liked them! That’s awesome that your family ate them all up. It’s fun to sneak some whole grains into them, right? And great to know that white whole wheat works! Thanks so much for the feedback. :)
We absolutely love these rolls! I first tried them for Thanksgiving and have made them 4x since (4th batch currently rising in the oven as we speak). They are delicious, and freeze perfectly! This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thank you so much for sharing it!!!
Oh, wow. I love that you’ve made them so many times already! :) I had no idea that they freeze well. I do love these rolls but sometimes it’s too much for two people. Thanks for the tip and thanks a ton for your feedback!
I make batches just for the freezer! That way when we need just a few for dinner I can just pull them out. THey are always so good :) Thanks..this recipe is the best. Have you ever tried it as a bread???
I’m so happy that you like them so much! I’ve never tried it as a bread but I like the idea. I wonder if it’d rise properly / cut well, though. Let me know if you try it and thanks so much for the feedback! :)
There’s that vital wheat gluten again. Lol. I see that you said you can skip it, but the final product won’t be as fluffy, right? I wanted to try to make these for Christmas dinner.
Haha. Sorry. I swear… I only have like 3 recipes on here with vital wheat gluten. You just seem to have found them all. ;) You can totally leave the vital wheat gluten out here. I often forget it and they’re still super fluffy! Good luck with the rolls and happy holidays! :)
I’ve made these twice now, and both times everyone loved them. The second time I put them on a cookie sheet, slightly apart, instead of in a 13×9 pan. The first rising in the bowl was for 2 hours and the second rising on the cookie sheet was 1 hour. I think they were better this way – they had more room to rise and did fill the cookie sheet completely. So light and delicious! Another keeper for us!
Oh, wow! Great tip, Karen. I’ll try that next time! Thanks so much for the idea and for the rating. I’m happy that you and your guests enjoyed them! :)
Hi,
I’d like to add a suggestion for anyone who, like me, was not responsible for the main Thanksgiving dishes (dinner hosted at in-laws).
I made up the dough yesterday morning and let it rise in the fridge until this morning. I took it out to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then divided up the dough and shaped into rolls. I let them rise for an hour and then baked per the directions.
They were delicious! I received several compliments.
Thank you!
So sorry for the slow reply! I’ve had a bit of a comment issue. I’m so happy to hear that making the dough the day before worked for you! I’ve tried that once and the dough tasted extremely yeasty and even inedible the next day. Good to know it’ll work with this recipe! Great tip. Thanks so much for the tip, the feedback and the rating! :)
Can these be baked a few days earlier and frozen for thanksgiving day?
Yes, that should be fine! Hope you’ll like them. :)
Why do you need the vital wheat gluten? Is it still necessary if you grind your wheat? TIA
You could make these without it but it’s definitely a good thing. :) “Because it’s almost pure gluten, a little goes a long way to improving the elasticity and rise of the raw dough and the crumb and chewiness in the final loaves.” There’s an article about what it’s good for here.
I can’t stop looking at these rolls! I want to tuck myself inside there :)
Hahaha. I know. Dinner rolls. They’re just evil.
These look like dinner roll perfection! I’ve never made dinner rolls with whole wheat flour before. These look so good!
Thanks, Erin! And I hope you get a chance to try. Sooo good! :)
Goodness these look soooo amazing@ I love my carbs so much I should probably get help. But really these look great :) And I can’t wit to read about these cinnamon rolls you have cooked up ;)
Haha. Same here! It’s kind of scary that I eat mostly carbs. I just can’t stop. :(
These look insanely perfect! Thanks again for letting me feature you.
Haha, miracles of fluff – I like it!! There’s nothing like a soft, fluffy dinner roll and even better if it’s whole grain so I can justify more than one…
I always love a good, super soft roll!! These will be so perfect for my post-Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches!
These rolls look seriously to die for! I cannot wait to make them! I think they need to show up on the Thanksgiving menu! Haha I loved your DITL on Rachel’s site! Your kitchen is tiny!!! And thank you so much for suggesting me at the end! You are the greatest!
I’m such a bread lover, I could easily make a meal out of these rolls! :)
When I started grinding my own wheat a few tears ago I took a class. The instructor told us to never put bread in the fridge. She said the condensation did something to the nutrients. Freezing is fine, but not the fridge. Also, can freeze the wheat but not put it in the fridge either. The longer it is left out the more nutrients it loses too. This was all new to me. The instructor was Sue Becker of Bread Beckers if you want to read about her.
These look so yummy!!! I need to try them.
Ooh my, these rolls look so soft! Soft rolls like these are my favorite, and I’ve never been able to replicate them well whole wheat, either! I’ll definitely have to try out this recipe. :)
These look perfect for Thanksgiving! Or any dinner. or breakfast. They look all around delicious :)
Love these rolls, it’s a must try for sure!
I love a good warm roll slathered with butter. Love these!
These certainly do look scrumptious! Nothing better than a warm bun!