Poppy Seed Wheat Dinner Rolls (Clean)

If there is one item I skip at a big, high-calorie, holiday meal it’s the rolls. It’s not because I don’t love rolls. After all, who doesn’t love a hot, fluffy roll slathered with butter? The problem is that they are usually white rolls and not nutritious. While it’s okay to indulge occasionally for health’s sake the whole wheat flour needs to replace white flour as the norm. Flour in general gets a bad rap, but whole wheat is a different story. Whole wheat has lots of fiber and nutrients making it an excellent part of a daily diet. Regular wheat flour is good, but it is also dense which doesn’t tend to make fluffy dinner rolls. Today’s poppy seed wheat dinner rolls are made from white wheat flour that is nutritionally the same as traditional whole wheat yet creates a fluffy wheat roll that is both yummy and clean!

Today’s recipe is one that has been adapted from a White Dinner Rolls recipe from the Stay at Home Chef blog. You can find the original recipe here. While the original is delicious, my goal is to make an equally delicious wheat roll, so I changed a few things. Most importantly, I use finely ground white wheat flour such as Bob Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. This flour is a staple in my pantry because its texture and quality produce a superior wheat product that is similar to white flour while still retaining all the same nutrients. White wheat is just as wholesome as regular wheat flour and a great alternative if you are looking for something lighter.

Other changes I made to clean the recipe up were to use raw honey over white sugar and buttermilk instead of regular milk. Buttermilk is my go-to liquid for cakes, breads, rolls, etc. because of the moistness it creates. The result of the changes is a flavorful roll that is yummy for any meal and makes a good roll sandwich later. These rolls can be frozen after baking for later.

Important to note, white wheat flour can take longer to rise, so be patient :). Additionally, take the time to proof your yeast, so that the rolls do rise. Proofing explained in recipe below.

poppy seed Wheat Dinner Rolls

Makes approx. 24 rolls

2 tbsps. rapid rise yeast

1/4 cup of raw honey

2 tsps. sea salt

2 cups organic buttermilk warmed (not scorching hot)

6 tbsps. grass-fed, organic butter softened

2 organic eggs

5 1/2 – 6 cups Bob’s Red Mill organic whole Wheat Pastry Flour (this flour creates a fluffy texture, but if not available substitute with white wheat flour.

2 tbsps. of grass-fed, organic melted butter

1 tbsp. of poppy seeds

Add yeast to warm buttermilk and raw honey in stand mixer. Using whisk attachment mix until incorporated and let yeast mixture sit for 10 minutes and proof. If the yeast doesn’t start foaming up, then get new yeast- it’s not active. Once your yeast has “proofed” then add salt, butter, 1 cup of flour, and both eggs. Mix until combined. While mixing add 3 more cups of flour. When combined turn off mixer and switch to dough hook. Continue adding remaining the flour until dough pulls away from mixer bowl but is sticky to touch. (I ended up using 5 1/2 cups of flour.) Knead for 1-2 minutes. Put dough into a greased bowl and let rise in a warm place until double (about 2 hours).

After dough has doubled remove from bowl and divide into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place into 2 greased 13 x 9-inch pans- 12 rolls in each pan. Cover these and let rise until rolls are touching (1-2 hours). Brush the tops of rolls with melted butter and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 12-14 minutes or until lightly browning.