Sunday morning thoughts: I feel like my blog has no rhyme or reason. Right now, it’s not very organized. My brother recently suggested for me to organize my recipes into your typical categories i.e. apps, salads, entrées, desserts, etc, and I think it’s a great idea that I’ll do once I have enough recipes! For now, I’m just going to keep posting until I really build this up.
Today’s post is another baking post – we are going to be making Honey Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls with a touch of rosemary (rosemary is optional)!
As soon as September rolls around each year, I get so excited. It’s really my favorite time of the year because we’re getting closer and closer to the Holidays! I’m one of those crazy people that really get into family & friend gatherings from football watch parties to making up random occasions from September through December to cook & eat a lot of food.
It’s also exciting for me to cook for a larger group of people since it’s just me and my husband at home, most of what I cook is just enough for the both of us with little-to-no leftovers. While most recipes can be cut down in half or 1/4ths, there’s just some that don’t make sense to and this is my chance to make those group-friendly recipes, and one of those is dinner rolls.

My little excerpt about stand mixers: I was hesitant at first to post this recipe, because it’s meant to be made with a stand mixer. While I do HIGHLY recommend owning a stand mixer (if you’re serious about baking), this recipe can be achieved with a hand-held mixer and/or your own hands if you don’t own one. The stand mixer simply cuts down time and effort. This is the one I own: KitchenAid KSM150 Artisan Series in Majestic Yellow. This often goes on sale either at Target or Best Buy. I don’t think it’s worth it to purchase it when it’s not on sale. Also, don’t ever purchase it at Williams Sonoma or Sur la Table – it’s always more expensive there.

One more note about rosemary: I LOVE rosemary. However, I have discovered that it is polarizing to a lot of people. This recipe only has a HINT of it. I promise it’s not overwhelming at all. It just gives that touch of herbal flavor that I crave. If you totally despise rosemary, it can easily be removed from the entire thing.
Don’t be discouraged by the number of steps below. These rolls are really simple to make. While waiting for the dough to rise, you can use that time to make your main dish.
Alright, enough talking.

HONEY WHOLE WHEAT DINNER ROLLS WITH A TOUCH OF ROSEMARY
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup warm whole milk (105 – 100 degrees F)
- 1 (1/4 oz) packet active dry yeast
- 4 tablespoons honey, divided
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- 3-4 sprigs rosemary, optional
- 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes, optional (Maldon is my fav)
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
- Stand mixer
- Basting brush
- Food scale, optional
- Food thermometer, optional
DIRECTIONS
- Combine milk, yeast and 1 tablespoon honey in a small bowl; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and remaining 3 tablespoons honey on medium speed until well combined, about 1-2 minutes. Beat in egg until well combined. Beat in yeast mixture, all-purpose flour and salt until a smooth batter forms.
- Using the dough hook, gradually add whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft, smooth ball of dough is formed. The dough should feel elastic and slightly tacky to the touch. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 3 minutes.
- Lightly oil a large bowl or coat with nonstick spray; place dough in bowl, turning to coat. Cover with a clean dishtowel and let stand in a warm spot until dough has doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Gently deflate dough by punching down. Roll into a 15-inch rope; cut into 15 1-inch pieces, pressing each piece into a disk, then shaping into a ball.
- Lightly oil a 9×13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray. Place dough balls into the prepared baking dish; brush tops with butter. Cover with a clean dishtowel and let stand in a warm spot until dough has doubled in size, about 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place into oven and bake until golden brown, about 18-22 minutes.
