Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

This is one of my favorite recipes!  I love them because they are so easy--even a caveman could do it! :)

Mmm! On the recipe I have written: "Moist and chubby...Excellent!"

If you have never used yeast before, or have had troubles with it, this is a great recipe to try because your bread machine does all the work! You can still make them even if you don't have a bread machine...

Dinner Rolls.....STEP BY STEP!

Step 1:  Locate your bread machine and pull it from its dust gathering spot in your cupboard :)

Step 2:  Make sure you have this yeast on hand! (And remember to store it in the refrigerator after opening)

Step 3:  In the bread machine pan, add wet ingredients first.  Then add dry ingredients, adding flour last.  Make a well with your finger, and put yeast in the well.  Some machines have a separate yeast drop on the top of machine.  If yours doesn't, do the well.

Step 4:  Choose the dough cycle on your bread machine.  Mine takes an hour and a half.  During the first ten minutes of mixing, you may want to take a peek inside the lid and scrape any flour that remains in the corners of the pan.  After that, I don't recommend lifting the lid of the machine.  It may interfere with the rising of the dough.

Step 5:  Dough should look like this when the timer goes off and you lift the lid.  Punch down dough, and place on a lighty floured area.  Cover and let rise 10 more minutes.

Step 6:  Shape the dough into a rectangle and cut the dough into 15 equal pieces.  I like to use my pizza cutter!

Step 7:  Shape the pieces into round balls and place on greased baking sheet.

Step 8:  Brush lightly with melted butter.

Step 9:  Cover loosely with 1 piece of plastic wrap.  Let rise for 30 minutes in a draft free area.  In a warm oven (heat oven to 350 degrees for exactly 1 minute then shut off) or on top of the oven is usually my normal spot!

Step 10:  This is what they should look like after 30 minutes of rising.

Step 11:  After 12-15 minutes in the oven, remove when they are golden brown.

Step 12:  I always brush them with a little more melted butter when the rolls are still warm.  It just makes them look shinier and more appealing! (Compare with picture right before this one)  They go from dull and drab to shiny and fab!

Step 13:  If you aren't going to eat them right away, cool them on a wire rack so the bottoms don't get soggy.

Step 14:  Put them in a basket or bowl and give yourself a pat on the back for accomplishing the art of yeast!

WHOLE WHEAT DINNER ROLLS

1 cup warm water

2 T. butter, softened

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 cups bread flour or all purpose flour

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 T. bread machine yeast

melted butter

Put ingredients into bread pan in the order listed.  Select dough/manual cycle.  Do not use delay cycle.  Remove dough from pan using lightly floured hands.  Cover and let rest 10 minutes on lightly floured surface.  Grease a jelly roll pan.  Divide dough into 15 equal pieces.  Shape each piece into a ball; place in pan.  Brush with melted butter.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise int warm place about 30 minutes or until double. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.)  Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm or cool.

If you do not have a bread machine:

Dissolve yeast (either active dry or rapid rise) in warm water with a pinch of sugar for 10 minutes.  Yeast should puff up if rising properly.  In a Kitchen Aid mixer, mix butter, egg, sugar, and salt on speed 2.  Add in dissolved yeast mixture.  Mix until blended.  Slowly add flours, 1 cup at a time, never going above speed 2.  "Knead" in Kitchen Aid mixer for 8 minutes on speed 2.  Place dough in a greased bowl and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until double in size.  Punch down and let rest on floured board for 10 minutes.  Follow original recipe from this point on.

In my experience using bread flour results in a higher, fluffier roll.