I got this recipe idea here. Then, I experimented and remade it with more wholesome ingredients.
Here are all of my Real Food Recipe Makeovers so far.
You know all those excuses we use for not making homemade rolls very often? This recipe smacks them all down. Here, witness the smacking:
Homemade Roll Excuse #1 – It takes too long.
Not with this recipe. These take one hour – from the time you get out the bowl until the time you serve these fresh out of the oven. I didn’t believe it myself. But now I do. Because I proved it. {Smack.}
Homemade Roll Excuse #2 – It makes a huge mess.
Not these. You mix everything in one bowl, don’t have to knead the dough, grab the dough straight from the bowl to form rolls, then put them directly onto the pan. I shed not a single tear over the fact that I didn’t have to spend several minutes after kneading dough to scrape crusty flour paste off of my countertop.
Homemade Roll Excuse #3 – I’ll eat too many.
This recipe only makes 12-16 rolls, just enough for a meal or two. Plus, the rolls freeze well if you have leftovers.
Homemade Roll Excuse #4 – It’s hard to make homemade yeast breads.
Oh please. My eleven year old could make these. Measure, stir, wait, stir, wait, stir, wait, roll dough into balls, wait, bake, wait, eat. The hardest part is waiting (and trying to figure out if you already added the salt before the phone rang and distracted you).
Are you now ready to get out a bowl and have hot, fresh rolls ready to go with your dinner? Here’s how to make it happen:
One Hour Whole Wheat Yeast Rolls
1 cup warm water
2 Tablespoons yeast (I use dry active)
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup melted butter, coconut oil, or palm shortening (make sure it isn’t too hot)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 egg
3 – 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground hard white wheat)
1. In a large bowl, mix together water, yeast, and honey. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes.
2. Add melted butter, salt, and egg.
3. Gradually stir in the flour. The dough will be sticky but manageable. Cover the bowl of dough with a towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.
4. With your hands, shape dough into 12-16 balls. Place the balls so that they don’t touch each other on a buttered cookie sheet. Cover and let rise for 20 minutes.
5. Bake rolls in a 375° oven for 10-15 minutes.
6. If you like (and I do recommend it), brush tops of rolls with a mixture of 4 Tablespoons of butter and 1 Tablespoon honey. Perfection.
Why am I featuring these during the week of the Getting Ahead Dinner Challenge? Can you make these ahead of time to go with your dinner? Sure, if you want. But here’s where I really think it comes in handy: If I have a simple dinner already prepared and ready to cook, but I want a quick dinner roll to go with it, these rolls are perfect! Plus, since the rest of my dinner is already prepared, I actually now have time to surprise my family with fresh rolls too!
OR, what if you need some buns to go with Sloppy Joe Meat or Barbecue Chicken that you have prepared in your freezer? These rolls are perfect.
So what are you waiting for? You have one hour to make delicious, homemade rolls….GO!
