Soft Honey Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls (2024)

Skip to primary navigation
Skip to main content
Skip to primary sidebar

Whipped Buttercream Frosting

I Heart Eating

Delicious recipes made easy.

Home » Yeast Breads » Soft Honey Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

Total Time 1 hour hour 27 minutes minutes

Updated on November 1, 2023|By Kate|9 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links.

Soft honey whole wheat dinner rolls are 100% whole wheat dinner rolls. This easy recipe makes soft wheat rolls in about half the time of a traditional dinner roll recipe.

Dinner rolls are probably my family’s favorite part of dinner! Homemade bread is just one of those things that can’t be beat.

The smell alone is enough to bring even my pickiest kid to the table. A lot of people find working with yeast and making homemade dinner rolls intimidating.

But it doesn’t have to be! I’ve included step-by-step photos, tips, and plenty of notes to help you make soft whole wheat dinner rolls.

How to make soft honey whole wheat dinner rolls

Step 1: Grease a rimmed 9×13-inch baking dish. Set aside.

Step 2: Combine 2 cups of flour, yeast, honey, salt, warm milk, 6 tablespoons butter, and egg in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Step 3: Mix on low using the dough hook until the ingredients are combined.

Step 4: Continue adding flour, ¼ cup at a time, until the dough clears the sides of the bowl and clings to the dough hook. The dough should feel smooth and slightly sticky but shouldn’t come off on your fingers if you pinch it.

Step 5: Knead on low for 2 minutes.

Step 6: Cover the bowl. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes in a warm, draft-free spot.

Step 7: Uncover, and deflate the dough by punching down.

Step 8: Divide dough to form 24 rolls. Place rolls into prepared baking pan.

Step 9: Cover, and let rolls rise for an additional 30 minutes in a warm draft-free place.

Step 10: Toward the end of the rising time, preheat oven to 375 F.

Step 11: Bake the rolls for 12-15 minutes, or until light golden brown.

Step 12: Remove rolls and brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter.

Temperature: Temperature is important when working with yeast. The milk should be warm, but it shouldn’t be hot. If it’s too hot, it can kill the yeast.
Using a kitchen thermometer is the best way to check the temperature of the milk. There’re about $10, and you can use a kitchen thermometer for a variety of cooking and baking tasks.
Butter and eggs: the butter and egg should be at room temperature. Otherwise, if they’re cold, they can bring down the temp of the dough and cause the rolls to rise more slowly.
Yeast: Using fresh yeast is key! Old yeast can lead to a dough that doesn’t rise.
Flour: A range in flour measurements is given. You only need to use enough flour to form a smooth, slightly sticky dough. Using too much flour will give you dense, heavy rolls.

Recipe FAQs

What if I don’t have a stand mixer?

You can make the dough by hand. I recommend adding an additional minute or two to the kneading time if mixing by hand.

Can I use active dry yeast?

You can! If using active dry yeast, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm milk in a small bowl. Let it stand for 5 minutes, or until foamy. If the yeast doesn’t foam, start over, or the rolls won’t rise.

Can I freeze the rolls?

You can! Make the rolls through step 9. Place them in a freezer-safe container, and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Let the rolls thaw and rise through the second rise before baking. I recommend increasing the amount of yeast by 20% to help with the yeast die-off in the freezer.

What type of whole wheat flour is best?

I use 100% whole wheat flour in these rolls. I like Prairie Gold whole wheat flour because it’s finely ground and works well.

Soft Honey Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls (10)

Storage

The rolls are best eaten when fresh. Store any leftover wheat rolls in an airtight container at room temperature. The rolls will keep for 2-3 days when properly stored.

More roll recipes!

Hawaiian Rolls
Dinner Rolls
30 Minute Honey Butter Rolls
60 Minute Dinner Rolls

If you’ve tried this soft honey whole wheat dinner roll recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!

You cansubscribeto receive my latest recipe newsletters orfollow meonFacebook,InstagramandPinterestfor even more delicious food.

5 from 15 votes

Soft Honey Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

Author Kate @ I Heart Eating

Course bread

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Rising time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 27 minutes minutes

Soft honey wheat dinner rolls are the 100% whole wheat dinner rolls.

Equipment

9×13 pan

Ingredients

▢ 3 ½ – 4 ½ cups whole wheat flour divided
▢ 2 tablespoons instant yeast
▢ ¼ cup honey
▢ 1 teaspoon salt
▢ 1 ½ cups warm milk about 105-110 F
▢ 6 tablespoons butter at room temperature
▢ 1 large egg at room temperature
▢ 2 tablespoons butter melted

Instructions

Grease a rimmed 9×13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
Combine 2 cups of flour, yeast, honey, salt, warm milk, 6 tablespoons butter, and egg in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Mix on low using the dough hook until the ingredients are combined.
Continue adding flour, ¼ cup at a time, until the dough clears the sides of the bowl and clings to the dough hook. The dough should feel smooth and slightly sticky but shouldn’t come off on your fingers if you pinch it.
Knead on low for 2 minutes.
Cover the bowl.
Let the dough rise for 30 minutes in a warm, draft-free spot.
Uncover, and deflate the dough by punching down.
Divide dough to form 24 rolls.
Place rolls into prepared baking pan.
Cover, and let rolls rise for an additional 30 minutes in a warm draft-free place.
Toward the end of the rising time, preheat oven to 375 F.
Bake the rolls for 12-15 minutes, or until light golden brown.
Remove rolls and brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter.

Notes

Milk: Anything from skim to whole milk will work. Whole milk will give you a richer, softer rolls.
Butter: I use salted butter.
I divide the dough in half. Then, I divide each half in half to form 4 pieces. I then divide each of the 4 pieces in half again to form 8 equal pieces. Each of those pieces I divide into 3 rolls to form 24 rolls.
If the rolls are browning too quickly, tent the rolls with foil.
Nutrition values are estimates.

Nutrition

Did You Make This Recipe?

Share it with me on Instagram @i_heart_eating and follow on Youtube @katedean and Pinterest @katedean for more!

New Recipes In Your Inbox!

Subscribe to the newsletter for more delicious recipes!

Created by Kate

Kate got her first cookbook when she was five years old, and she hasn't stopped cooking since then! Her delicious recipes have been featured on Food Network, MSN, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, and more. When she's not cooking or baking, she can be found on her mini farm with her husband and her five kids.