High altitude, soft and fluffy whole wheat dinner rolls, lightly sweetened with cinnamon and honey, filled with butter and rolled into spirals. While these may look like cinnamon rolls with their cute spiral shape, don’t be fooled! These soft dinner rolls with whole wheat flour are perfect for serving alongside the baked ham and roast turkey at your next holiday dinner.
You might also love these high altitude recipes for potato rolls, Parker House rolls with maple butter, and fluffy milk buns.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Soft for Days. With the tangzhong starter, a simple paste made of flour, water and milk that’s added to the dough, these whole wheat rolls stay soft for days after baking.
Perfect for Holidays. It’s just not Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner without a side of fluffy homemade bread rolls or buns. These whole wheat dinner rolls have a lovely flavor with a hint of cinnamon and honey, and a wholesome, hearty texture from the whole wheat flour. They’re delicious slathered with soft butter and served with dinner, or warmed up later for leftover ham and turkey sandwiches.
Make at Night, Bake the Next Day. If you want to get ahead of your holiday meal prep, you can make the dough and shape the rolls at night. Then refrigerate them overnight, and let them warm up before baking so you can enjoy hot, freshly baked rolls with dinner.
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude. That said, most of my yeast dough recipes for rolls, buns and bread can be made at any altitude without adjusting the ingredients. The main difference will simply be on how long it takes your dough to rise, since dough tends to rise faster at higher elevations.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Tangzhong
The tangzhong starter is a simple mixture of water, milk and flour. Added to the dough, it keeps the buns soft and pillowy, and helps them rise higher and fluffier.
Dough
- Butter. Unsalted butter adds moisture, richness and flavor to the buns. You’ll also be using butter to grease the baking dish, as well as to spread inside the dough before rolling the dough up into spirals.
- Milk. Be sure to use whole milk for the best flavor and texture.
- Yeast. The yeast is the leavening agent which makes the buns rise.
- Honey. Adds sweetness, and helps to activate the yeast. You can also use granulated sugar, or any other sweetener of your choice.
- Flour. A combination of bread flour and whole wheat flour adds extra protein to the rolls for a chewy texture.
- Salt. Flavor.
- Cinnamon. This is optional, but it adds a nice hint of spice to complement the honey.
- Egg. Gives the dough structure, moisture and a richer flavor. You’ll also need an egg to brush over the rolls before baking, giving them a golden brown shine.
Instructions
Make the Tangzhong
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the water, milk and flour. Cook over medium heat for several minutes, whisking constantly, until it thickens into a paste.
- Remove from the heat, scrape the tangzhong into a small bowl, and refrigerate to cool it down while you make the dough.
Make the Dough
- In the same saucepan you used to make the tangzhong (no need to wash the pan first), melt 4 tablespoons of the butter (reserving 4 tablespoons for later) over medium heat. Stir in the milk, and warm the mixture just until it reaches between 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove from the heat. Stir in the yeast and 1 tablespoon of honey. Let sit for a few minutes until it starts to get bubbly.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the bread flour, whole wheat flour, salt and cinnamon with the remainder of the honey, the warm yeast mixture, the cooled tangzhong, and egg.
- With the dough hook, knead the dough for 10 minutes on low speed. The dough should be soft and smooth, and will wrap around the dough hook, but may still stick to the bottom of the bowl. Don’t be tempted to add more flour, though, or the rolls will be dense.
- Scrape the dough into a greased bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size. This could take anywhere from 45-90 minutes, depending on the freshness/brand of yeast, and how warm your kitchen is. If your oven has a bread proof setting, you can use that. Otherwise, preheat your oven to the lowest setting, turn it off, then set the dough inside to rise.
Baker’s Note: If you don’t want your rolls to look like cinnamon rolls, place the coiled strips on their sides, instead of with the spiral facing up, as demonstrated in these Parker House rolls. Or, for a more traditional look to your dinner rolls shaped as smooth, rounded buns, see the steps demonstrated for shaping these potato rolls.
Shape the Rolls
- Use 1 tablespoon of butter to grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and flour the top of the dough, too. Gently roll the dough out into a square, about 14×14 inches. Spread the dough with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.
- Cut the dough in half down the center, then cut into strips, so that you have 12 strips of dough. Roll up each strip of dough into a coil, then place the coils of dough in the greased baking dish.
Baker’s Note: If you want to make the dough and shape the rolls the night before a holiday, complete all the steps up to this point, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, proceed to the next step. The buns may need an hour or longer to come to room temperature and warm up before they start to puff and fill the pan. Once they do, they’re ready to bake.
- Cover the pan loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside until the buns are starting to puff up, about 20-30 minutes.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
- For the egg wash, whisk together the egg and milk, and brush the egg wash over the buns. This will give them a beautiful golden brown shine as they bake.
- Bake the rolls for about 25-30 minutes, until golden brown on top and a digital instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the rolls reads 195 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Let cool for a few minutes, then pull the rolls apart and serve warm with soft butter.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is tangzhong?
Tangzhong or tang zhong is a simple roux or paste made of water, milk and flour. The tangzhong method is quick and easy. Just cook the ingredients in a saucepan for a minute or two until the mixture thickens into a paste. When this paste is added to yeast dough, it plays a very important role in improving the texture of the dough and the baked bread.
- It helps the starches in the flour absorb more liquid, which in turn makes the dough less sticky and easier to knead and shape into buns.
- It can help the bread rise higher and fluffier as it bakes.
- The baked bread, rolls or buns will stay soft and fresh for longer.
Can I use just whole wheat flour instead of bread flour?
I don’t recommend using 100% whole wheat flour, as that could make the dough a little too coarse. By using 50% whole wheat flour and 50% bread flour, you get the flavor and heartiness of the whole wheat, but a better structure from the use of bread flour.
How should I store the leftover rolls?
Store leftover whole wheat dinner rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Can these rolls be frozen?
Yes. Cool the baked rolls completely, then freeze in a freezer storage bag for up to 3-6 months.
What’s the best way to reheat rolls?
To reheat, place the rolls in the oven and warm them at 300 degrees F for about 5-7 minutes, or in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds at 50% power.
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High Altitude Cinnamon Honey Whole Wheat Soft Dinner Rolls
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Dough Hook
- Small Saucepan
- Medium-Sized Bowl
- 9×13 Baking Dish
Ingredients
Tangzhong
- 3 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp whole milk
- 2 tbsp bread flour
Dough
- 8 tbsp softened unsalted butter, divided
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry or instant/rapid rise yeast
- ¼ cup honey, divided
- 1 ½ cups bread flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 large egg, room temperature
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp whole milk
Instructions
Make the Tangzhong
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the water, milk and flour. Cook over medium heat for several minutes, whisking constantly, until it thickens into a paste.
- Remove from the heat, scrape the tangzhong into a small bowl, and refrigerate to cool it down while you make the dough.
Make the Dough
- In the same saucepan you used to make the tangzhong (no need to wash the pan first), melt 4 tablespoons of the butter (reserving 4 tablespoons for later) over medium heat. Stir in the milk, and warm the mixture just until it reaches between 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove from the heat. Stir in the yeast and 1 tablespoon of honey. Let sit for a few minutes until it starts to get bubbly.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the bread flour, whole wheat flour, salt and cinnamon with the remainder of the honey, the warm yeast mixture, the cooled tangzhong, and egg.
- With the dough hook, knead the dough for 10 minutes on low speed. The dough should be soft and smooth, and will wrap around the dough hook, but may still stick to the bottom of the bowl. Don't be tempted to add more flour, though, or the rolls will be dense.
- Scrape the dough into a greased bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size. This could take anywhere from 45-90 minutes, depending on the freshness/brand of yeast, and how warm your kitchen is.If your oven has a bread proof setting, you can use that. Otherwise, preheat your oven to the lowest setting, turn it off, then set the dough inside to rise.
Shape the Rolls
- Use 1 tablespoon of butter to grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Baker's Note: If you don't want your rolls to look like cinnamon rolls, place the coiled strips on their sides, instead of with the spiral facing up, as demonstrated in these Parker House rolls. For a more traditional look to your dinner rolls shaped as smooth, rounded buns, see the steps demonstrated for shaping these potato rolls.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and flour the top of the dough, too. Gently roll the dough out into a square, about 14×14 inches. Spread the dough with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.
- Cut the dough in half down the center, then cut into strips, so that you have 12 strips of dough. Roll up each strip of dough into a coil, then place the coils of dough in the greased baking dish.Baker's Note: If you want to make the dough and shape the rolls the night before a holiday, complete all the steps up to this point, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, proceed to the next step. The buns may need an hour or longer to come to room temperature and warm up before they start to puff and fill the pan. Once they do, they're ready to bake.
- Cover the pan loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside until the buns are starting to puff up, about 20-30 minutes.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
- For the egg wash, whisk together the egg and milk, and brush the egg wash over the buns. This will give them a beautiful golden brown shine as they bake.
- Bake the rolls for about 25-30 minutes, until golden brown on top and a digital instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the rolls reads 195 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Let cool for a few minutes, then pull the rolls apart and serve warm with soft butter.
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