Whole Wheat Makeover #4: Fluffy White Wheat Rolls

Last week I ran out of time for cooking several times because of all the crazy things going on in life (middle of the semester, applying for summer clerkships, etc.) so now I realize that when I have ANY available time I need to be making sure we got some food around this here house! Rolls are great because they last for several days and you can even make a big recipe and freeze them for later. Plus they go with almost any meal. This is another family recipe, just adjusted to be whole wheat (I added wheat gluten and a little more liquid to keep it soft and fluffy).

Fluffy White Wheat Rolls

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 c. warm water
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. oil, plus 1 T.
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 1/2 t. salt
• 3 cups 100% white whole wheat flour
• 1/4 c. vital wheat gluten flour
• 1/4 c. warm milk

-Dissolve the yeast, water, and 1 t. of the sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes to proof, until the yeast is foamy.

-Whish the egg, oil, salt, and the rest of the sugar into the yeast. The liquid should be frothy.

-Put the flour and wheat gluten into a mixer or food processor fitted with a dough blade.

-Add the liquid and mix until the dough starts to form. Slowly add in the warm milk and mix until the dough forms into a soft and stretchy ball. Remove the ball to a large bowl and coat with the 1 T. of oil.

-Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in size like this:

-Punch down the dough and knead it gently until the dough is very soft and elastic. Divide and form into about 10 rolls (I can only fit 7 into my pan). Place the rolls into a greased pan, leaving a lot of room in between the rolls for them to rise.

-Cover with a damp towel and let rise for another hour, until the rolls about double in bulk like this:

-Heat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the rolls for 20 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Brush with 1 T. melted butter.

-Let cool a few minutes and serve warm!

Delicious! It doesn’t get much better. My mom used to call the “the roll queen” when I was little because I would eat so many any time she made them.

And while the dough was rising I had time to make this SCRUMPTIOUS Rustic Chocolate Chip Banana Oat Cake with PB Glaze from Angela Liddon’s blog Oh She Glows. I made it as soon as she posted it (a couple weeks ago) and it was sooo good that I had to make it again. Healthy, hearty, and satisfying. She is so talented.

Thanks for reading!!!