Whole Wheat Rolls

These Whole Wheat Rolls are a perfect dinner roll made with whole wheat flour and bread flour. A bit of honey brings in some sweetness, while evaporated milk brings richness to the rolls.

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I can never turn down a homemade roll! These Whole Wheat Rolls are great for a holiday dinner, alongside a bowl of soup, or with a comforting dinner (like this meatloaf recipe).

My mom makes the best rolls. Really.

So for the most part, there is no reason to mess with perfection. But sometimes you need to give mom a break, right? And instead of trying to replicate her yummy rolls, I thought I’d try something different. We are sticking with having fluffy dinner rolls, but these are different because they are made with whole wheat flour, bread flour, and some honey for a little bit of sweetness in the background.

Every time I make these, I’m surprised at how light and fluffy they are. I feel like we always associate whole wheat with heavy and dry. But these are so good that I think they rival my favorite dinner rolls.

Perfect for a holiday or for a Sunday night dinner, these Whole Wheat Rolls are the perfect dinnertime roll!

Ingredients

Warm Water: Because you are using rapid rise yeast, the temperature of the water isn’t super important. You just don’t want to use cold water, and you don’t want to use hot water. Room temperature water should work perfectly.

Yeast: I like using rapid rise yeast in this recipe. Because it is rapid rise, you don’t need to let it bloom in warm water first.

Sugar: You are only using a small amount of sugar. It will help to feed the yeast to get it working.

Evaporated Milk: The evaporated milk is for flavor, but also to help make the perfect crumb. I love the richness that it adds to this dough.

Shortening: I like to use shortening in this recipe to produce a soft, fluffy roll.

Honey: This is for sweetness and helps to bring out the flavors of the whole wheat.

Salt: Salt will balance the flavors.

Whole Wheat Flour and Bread Flour: This is not a 100% whole wheat roll, so I use part whole wheat flour and part bread flour. If needed, you can use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour, but it won’t have the same structure or chew.

Butter: This is just for brushing on top of the rolls when they come out of the oven. You can use salted butter or unsalted butter.

How to Make Whole Wheat Rolls

1: Stir together the water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.

2: Add the milk, shortening, honey, salt, and whole wheat flour.

3: Stir to mix, then let it sit for 15 minutes.

4: Add the bread flour.

5: Mix until it comes together.

6: Switch to the bread hook (or knead by hand) for 10 minutes.

7: Place the dough in a large greased bowl and turn the dough to coat it in the oil.

8: Let it rise until doubled.

9: Divide the dough into 24 portions, then shape into rolls. Spray 2 baking pans with nonstick cooking spray, and place 12 rolls in each pan.

10: Let the rolls rise until doubled.

11: Bake until golden and cooked through.

12: Brush the tops of the hot rolls with the butter.

Substitutions

This recipe uses shortening instead of butter in the dough, which produces a fluffy, soft interior, which is harder to get with whole wheat flour. You can use butter in place of the shortening, but the rolls will not be as soft.

You can also play around with the ratio of whole wheat flour to bread flour. But be aware that the more whole wheat flour you add, the heavier or denser your rolls will be.

Storing and Freezing

TO STORE: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last the longest in a cool, dark place (like a pantry). Avoid storing them in the refrigerator, as they will dry out faster.

TO FREEZE: Rolls can be frozen 2 different ways. First, you can freeze the rolls once they have been formed, before the second rise. I like to place them on a baking sheet, place in the freezer, and allow them to freeze fully. Then they can be transferred to a ziplock bag or a freezer container. When ready to bake, place the frozen rolls in the prepared baking dish, cover, and allow them to un-thaw and rise at room temperature. This can take up 3-5 hours. Then bake as indicated in the recipe.

You can also freeze fully baked rolls. Thaw at room temperature for an hour or two. For best results, wrap the thawed rolls in foil and reheat in the oven at 300ºF for about 10 minutes.

Make Ahead Instructions

You can make the dough up to one day in advance. Simply cover and refrigerate the rolls once they are shaped (before the second rise). The next day, remove from the oven and allow the rolls to continue to rise before baking. This will most likely take more than 30 minutes since they will come to room temperature before rising. Continue to bake as indicated in the recipe.

More Favorite Bread Recipes

Lion House Rolls
Artisan Bread Recipe
Potato Rolls
The Best Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
White Bread Recipe
Sweet Potato Buttermilk Crescent Rolls

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Whole Wheat Rolls

5 from 1 vote

Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Rising Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 rolls

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

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These Whole Wheat Rolls are a perfect dinner roll made with whole wheat flour and bread flour. A bit of honey brings in some sweetness, while evaporated milk brings richness to the rolls.

1x2x3x

Ingredients

• ▢ 3/4 cup warm water divided
• ▢ 0.25 oz package rapid rise yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sugar
• ▢ 12 oz can evaporated milk
• ▢ 1/4 cup melted shortening
• ▢ 1/4 cup honey
• ▢ 2 teaspoons salt
• ▢ 2 cups whole wheat flour
• ▢ 3 cups bread flour
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter at room temperature

Instructions

• Stir together the water, yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl.
• Add the milk, melted shortening, honey, salt and whole wheat flour. Let it all sit for 15 minutes.
• Add in the bread flour. Mix until the dough forms a ball. Switch to the bread hook and knead for 10 minutes.
• Oil a large bowl, then add the dough. Turn the dough to coat it in the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let it rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
• Spray 2 9×13-inch baking pans with nonstick cooking spray.
• Punch the dough down, then divide the mixture into 24 portions. Form into rolls, then place 12 rolls in each pan. Cover with plastic wrap or with a clean kitchen towel, and allow the rolls to rise again until doubled, about 30 minutes.
• Place a small oven safe dish of water on the bottom shelf of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Once preheated, place the rolls in the oven* and bake until the tops are golden, about 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and brush with the butter immediately. Serve warm.

Recipe Notes:

Adapted from allrecipes

*I can fit both pans in my oven on the same rack. If you can’t fit both pans on the same rack, I suggest baking them one at a time.

SUBSTITUTIONS: This recipe uses shortening instead of butter in the dough, which produces a fluffy, soft interior, which is harder to get with whole wheat flour. You can use butter in place of the shortening, but the rolls will not be as soft.

You can also play around with the ratio of whole wheat flour to bread flour. But be aware that the more whole wheat flour you add, the heavier or denser your rolls will be.

MAKE AHEAD: You can make the dough up to one day in advance. Simply cover and refrigerate the rolls once they are shaped (before the second rise). The next day, remove from the oven and allow the rolls to continue to rise before baking. This will most likely take more than 30 minutes since they will come to room temperature before rising.

FREEZE: Rolls can be frozen 2 different ways. First, you can freeze the rolls once they have been formed, before the second rise. You can also freeze fully baked rolls.

STORE: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last the longest in a cool, dark place (like a pantry). Avoid storing them in the refrigerator, as they will dry out faster.

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1roll, Calories: 140kcal (7%), Carbohydrates: 22g (7%), Protein: 4g (8%), Fat: 4g (6%), Saturated Fat: 1g (6%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 5mg (2%), Sodium: 202mg (9%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 4g (4%)

Keywords: whole wheat roll recipe, whole wheat rolls