These Honey Whole Wheat Buttermilk Rolls are soft and fluffy with just a hint of honey! And they are only 50 calories each! Hearty, healthy dinner rolls that will complete any meal!
Heat buttermilk, butter, honey and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is 110°, stirring frequently.
While your milk mixture is warming, proof your yeast. Add ¼ cup of warm water (100 ° - 110° F) to the yeast and stir to mix. Then added 1 t of sugar to the yeast/water mixture. Wait 10 minutes and if the mixture has tripled in size then the yeast is healthy & ready to use.
Pour the milk mixture into the bowl of a stand mixture fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the proofed yeast to the milk mixture and stir to mix. Swap out the paddle attachment for the hook attachment.
Add the whole wheat flour one cup at a time; mix and continue adding flour until you have a stiff dough.
I then set my Kitchen Aid mixer with the bread-hook attachment on speed 2, and let it work it’s magic until the dough climbs up the hook and cleans the sides of the bowl, about two minutes. Then knead on speed 2 for an additional two minutes.
If you are doing the kneading by hand Ruth of The American Woman’s Cookbook explains, “Press the dough away with the palms of your hand. Stretch the dough from the edge, folding back edge over to the center. Press the dough away with the palms of your hands, exerting sufficient force to cause the part folded over to adhere to the mass under it, and repeat folding. Turn dough one-quarter around and repeat kneading. Continue turning, folding and kneading until dough is smooth and elastic and will not stick to an unfloured board.”
FIRST RISING – Grease large bowl with vegetable oil. I pour a little oil in my hands and then spread the oil over the insides of the bowl with my hands like fingerpainting. I find this more efficient and rather fun! Place dough in bowl and turn the dough in the bowl to cover all sides of the dough with oil. Cover with damp towel and place in a warm place (80 ° - 85°) for an hour, or until the dough is triple its size. There is no warm place in my condo at this time of year, so I pre-heated the oven for 10 minutes and then let it cool down to a comfortable temperature. An oven thermometer would be very helpful here.
Sometime during the second rising, you will want to grease your 48 muffin tins for spiral rolls or cake pans or a regular baking dish will also work for standard round rolls.
SHAPING THE ROLLS – Divide your dough into 48 equal pieces. Roll into balls and place about an inch apart in whatever baking dish you chose. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume.
SHAPING SPIRAL ROLLS – I rolled out the dough into a rectangle and then, using a pastry wheel or pizza cutter, cut the dough into strips about 2-inches wide. I folded each strip in half and then rolled them up. To make the large ones I actually rolled up one strip and then continued rolling with another doubled over strip. Place each spiral into each greased muffin tin. Working quickly, repeat this step until all the dough is gone. Cover pans with a damp cloth and set aside to rise.
SECOND RISING -Let the dough rise for another hour.
Cook rolls for 8 minutes at 400° and then decrease the temperature to 350° for the remaining 10-20 minutes. I would start checking these after 10 minutes. I use the toothpick test for rolls. The others are too unreliable.