Honey Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls Recipe

If you've been chosen to bring the dinner rolls to the next gathering, why not make a fresh batch, instead of grabbing a bag at the store? With this easy honey whole wheat dinner roll recipe, you can be the hero walking into the party with warm, freshly-made rolls. Everyone loves fresh bread, right? 

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "One of my favorite things about these rolls is how they pair well with a savory meal like a steak dinner or soup. You can enhance their hint of sweet by spreading [them with] butter and honey, and enjoying them for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. Since there are a few steps, and some waiting time when you prepare these rolls, you can prepare the dough ahead of time, and keep it wrapped in saran wrap until [you are ready to serve them]. Then, divide the dough, and bake when ready." Keep reading to learn how to make these delicious dinner rolls.

To make this recipe, you'll need a short list of ingredients. To start, grab some active dry yeast and milk. Hahn says, "Any type of milk will work here, whether it is cow's milk or any of the dairy-free options available." You'll also need butter, honey, flour, salt, and oil. "If you are going for vegan rolls here, along with the milk swap, you can also sub in dairy-free butter and maple syrup for the honey," Hahn tells us.

Like all bread-making endeavors, the first step is activating the yeast. Warm up the milk; if you have a food thermometer, the temperature should be in between 105 and 115 F. If you don't have a food thermometer, dip your finger into the milk, and if it's comfortable to leave it there for a few seconds, then the temperature should be about right. Pour the milk into a large bowl, and add the yeast. Wait 10 minutes, until the surface starts to bubble.

Chop ½ cup of butter and add it to the bowl, along with the honey. Pull out a hand-held mixer, and mix for a few minutes until combined. Add in the flour and salt mixture a little bit at a time, and mix until combined .

Remove the dough from the bowl, and place it on a large cutting board. Knead the dough for 3 minutes. "The dough will be very dense, and will require some muscle to knead, unlike some breads made with white flour that can be lighter in texture," Hahn remarks.

After kneading the dough, form it into a ball, and place it into a glass bowl that has been coated entirely with oil. Turn the dough inside the bowl to coat it with the oil as well. Cover the bowl with a dishtowel or saran wrap, and place it in a warm location for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size. "You can put the bowl in an oven that is turned off," Hahn says, "That tends to be the warmest spot in the kitchen."

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Once the dough has doubled in size, divide it into 10 sections. Shape each section into a ball, and place in a 9-x12-inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray or coated with oil. Cover the baking dish with a dishtowel, and let the rolls rise again for 30 minutes. 

Then, remove the towel, and bake the rolls for 18 minutes. When they are done, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, and brush it over the tops of the rolls. The delicious honey whole wheat dinner rolls are ready to serve. Hahn says the rolls are best eaten the same day you make them, preferably right after baking.