Best 6 Soft Light Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls Recipes

SOFT DINNER ROLLS RECIPE

Steps:

• Whisk the warm milk, yeast, and 1 Tablespoon of sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes. *If you do not own a stand mixer, you can do this in a large mixing bowl and in the next step, mix the dough together with a large wooden spoon/rubber spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle. A hand mixer works, but the sticky dough repeatedly gets stuck in the beaters. Mixing by hand with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula is a better choice.*
• Add the remaining sugar, egg, butter, salt, and 1 cup flour. With a dough hook or paddle attachment, mix/beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add the remaining flour. Beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. If the dough seems too wet to a point where kneading (next step) would be impossible, beat in more flour 1 Tablespoon at a time until you have a workable dough, similar to the photos and video above. Dough should be soft and a little sticky, but still manageable to knead with lightly floured hands.
• Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 3 full minutes or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 3 full minutes. (See video tutorial above if you need a visual of kneading dough by hand.)
• Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1-2 hours or until double in size. (I always let it rise on the counter. Takes about 2 hours. For a tiny reduction in rise time, see my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
• Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan or two 9-inch square or round baking pans. You can also bake the rolls in a cast iron skillet or on a lined baking sheet.*
• When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Divide the dough into 14-16 equal pieces. (Just eyeball it- doesn't need to be perfect!) Shape each piece into a smooth ball. I do this entirely in my hands and you can watch in the video tutorial above. Arrange in prepared baking pan.
• Cover shaped rolls with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise until puffy, about 1 hour.
• Adjust oven rack to a lower position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). (It's best to bake the rolls towards the bottom of the oven so the tops don't burn.)
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top, rotating the pan halfway through. If you notice the tops browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven, brush with optional honey butter topping, and allow rolls to cool for a few minutes before serving.
• Cover leftover rolls tightly and store at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

WHOLE WHEAT DINNER ROLLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, shortening, salt, eggs and whole wheat flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough all-purpose flour to form a soft dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 4 pieces. Shape each into 12 balls. Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes. , Bake at 375° for 11-15 minutes or until browned. Remove from pans to wire racks. Brush with melted butter. Serve warm.

LIGHT WHEAT ROLLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
• Mix sugar, salt, 1/4 cup melted butter, egg, and whole wheat flour into yeast mixture. Stir in all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a well floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough in bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Punch down dough, cover, and let rise in warm place until doubled again, about 30 minutes.
• Grease 2 dozen muffin cups. Punch down dough, and divide into two equal portions. Roll each into a 6x14 inch rectangle, and cut rectangle into twelve 7x1 inch strips. Roll strips up into spirals, and place into muffin cups. Brush tops with melted butter. Let rise uncovered in a warm place 40 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and brush again with melted butter.

SOFT 100% WHOLE WHEAT DINNER ROLLS

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water in a glass measure. Set aside.
• Cream the butter and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the eggs and mix, scraping the sides. Add the warmed milk along with the yeast mixture.
• Add 4½ cups of flour and the salt, mixing until combined. Change to dough hook and knead for 2-3 minutes only, just until no longer tacky, adding a tablespoon or two of flour at a time, if needed. (Do not add too much.)
• Let sit in bowl, covered, to rise for one hour. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead a couple of times, then let rest 3 minutes.
• Divide into 24 equal pieces, shaping each into a ball and placing in a buttered 13x9-inch baking dish with the pieces touching.
• Let rise, covered for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

WHOLE WHEAT ROLLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, sugar, yeast and salt; set aside. In a large saucepan, heat milk, water and butter to 120°-130° add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Add egg; beat until smooth. Stir in enough all-purpose flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl; turn once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch dough down; shape into 12 balls. Place in a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. , Meanwhile, preheat oven 400°. If desired, brush tops of rolls with oil. Bake until golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Cover loosely with foil if top browns too quickly. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.

SOFT LIGHT WHOLE WHEAT DINNER ROLLS

Steps:

• Place all dough ingredients in the bread machine pan in order indicated with your owner's manual.
• Use the DOUGH setting.
• After the cycle is complete, punch down dough and remove from pan.
• On a floured cutting board, shape into rolls and place on two parchment-lined baking pans.
• Let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until double in size.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Topping: Whisk the remaining egg (and a little bit of water about 1 tablespoon) in a small bowl, and brush the tops of the rolls with it; sprinkle with wheat germ.
• Bake the rolls until light brown on top, approximately 20 minutes.
• Prep time does not include preparing the dough in the ABM.