Ah, the 7 PM family dinner. A place to gather, catch up, connect and enjoy perfectly cooked meals. At least that’s what the sitcoms of the 70’s showed us all. Whether this is how your family dinner looks, or a bit more rushed and sporadic, having a tried-and-true dinner roll recipe is great on hand for those ideal tables. The best part of this one is we use whole wheat for that bit of a health kick.
From hotels to restaurants to your table
Classic dinner rolls became trendy as early as the 1850’s when they debuted in a hotel in Boston. A baker decided to make use of his extra dough and simply threw it in the oven and voila! Light and buttery bread rolls were created and placed in baskets for decades to come. We all love when we sit down to dine and see a complimentary breadbasket at a restaurant. Big thank you to Parker House Hotel for this. Dinner rolls of course have been used for centuries before being defined in this way and mass produced but a history that’s more tangible is what we will share here!
Pro tips
- Let your dough rise near your warming oven or a warm window if you can but if you do not have a warm place for them to rise, simply allow more time. They will rise it just takes a bit longer.
- Consider freezing some of your dough before baking if you do not need as many. They will still taste great and just let them thaw and rise pre-bake.
- I use instant dry yeast, rather than active, meaning it is ready to use right away. There are misconceptions about baking with yeast and there is no need to fret as you will see with this recipe, it is quite simple.
- To get my rolls the same size, I use a scale and weight them. This is the best way to ensure consistency.
- Do not attempt to make a loaf with these. If you are looking for a whole wheat loaf recipe, check out this Whole Wheat Bread.
Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole wheat flour
- 3 cups of bread flour
- 2 tbsp instant yeast
- 1–3/4 cup milk
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 eggs (beaten)
Instructions
- Combine hot milk, water, butter, sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm.
- Add 1 cup of whole wheat flour and 1 cup of white flour; beat well.
- Add beaten eggs and mix.
- Whisk together yeast with remaining flour and gradually add to the mixture to make soft dough. Place in a greased bowl; turn once to grease surface; cover and place in refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Knead lightly on floured surface; form in rolls and place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Let rise in a warm place for about 1-1/2 hours.
- Bake in a hot oven (400F) for 15 minutes.
- Brush with melted butter.