Thanksgiving 2010 - Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

Now I know making your own rolls sounds like a lot of work, but they are completely worth it. Buying rolls leaves a big question mark on your plate. Unless you buy your rolls from a bakery, it is likely that they have been plumped up the preservatives. Being a chemist, I will be the last person to tell you not to eat chemicals, I just think fresh tastes better! The rule of “Don’t eat anything you can pronounce” doesn’t really apply to someone who got their PhD in organic chemistry. Not only can I pronounce it, I can also draw you a picture of it.

So I made you some rolls, which I suppose could classify under the Cupcake 24-7 project. Although I can’t take credit for these rolls being in the shape of cupcakes, the recipe made the suggestion. I digress! You’ll see I’ve prepared you some traditional pull-apart rolls as well as the clover-leaf rolls. Rolls are really my favorite part of the meal. I think that everything on the plate marries well with rolls. Dunk them in gravy, use them to corral some cranberries, even use them to clean your plate. Rolls are multi-purpose food entities!

By making your rolls, you control the health quotient. I’ve modified a classic dinner roll recipe to be higher in fiber and lower in fat. Except the butter, you can’t replace the butter in the babies. They just wouldn’t be the same! Now you can prepare the dough in the morning and stop before the second rise. Cover your rolls and put them in the oven to hold them until baking. Just be sure to bring them out about two hours before dinnertime. You need to give them time to warm to room temperature and complete their second rise before baking.

Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

Adapted from Essentials of Baking

1 pkg active dry yeast (2 ½ tsp)

¼ c warm water

1 c milk (I went with skim, but use whatever you have on hand)

2 tbsp sugar
2 eggs
6 tbsp butter
2 c Whole wheat flour
2 ½ c all-purpose flour (plus extra as needed)
2 tsp salt

Combine warm water and yeast in a small bowl and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Once the yeast is awake and foamy, add remaining ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough forms a mass. Dump out onto a floured surface and knead for 5-7 minutes. Your dough with be soft and tacky, but not sticky.

Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Turn to coat the dough in oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm spot for 1 ½-2 hours, or until doubled in size (It took me about 1h 45m).

While you are waiting, spray a 9-inch round cake pan and a 12-cup muffin pan generously with spray oil.

Punch down the dough and turn out onto the counter. Cut dough in half. For the clover-leaf rolls cut dough into 12 equal portions. Then cut each piece into 3 pieces. Roll these small pieces into little balls. Place 3 balls into each muffin cup. Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside.

For the pull-apart rolls, cut dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll the dough into balls. Place 7 pieces around the edge of the cake pan and one in the middle. Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise for about 30-45 minutes. They should be puffy!

If you would like shiny rolls, take one egg. Beat said egg. Brush tops of the rolls with beaten egg. Heat your oven to 400 F and bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes. They should be golden brown and delicious looking. Serve as soon as you can!