Soft 100% Whole Wheat Rolls

So what's the secret to soft 100% whole wheat rolls?? Fat! That's right, a stick of softened butter, plus more brushed on top is the key. And probably the buttermilk and 3 eggs as well. But wow, these are yummy whole wheat rolls. And the fact that they are 100% whole wheat cancels out the stick of butter, right? I say yes. My family loved these rolls, warm from the oven, spread with butter and jam. It doesn't get much better than that!

Soft 100% Whole Wheat Rolls

4 1/2 - 5 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons instant yeast (SAF)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup hot tap water

In the bowl of a mixer combine 4 cups flour, 2 tablespoons yeast, and salt. Mix to combine. Add butter, honey, eggs, and buttermilk and give it a quick mix. Add hot tap water and knead with dough hook for 1 minute. Add enough additional flour to make a firm dough that pulls away from sides of the bowl (for me it was just under 1 cup, for almost 5 cups total). Knead with dough hook on high speed for 5 minutes. Remove dough, knead into a ball, and place in a large greased bowl. Cover with non-stick sprayed plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled, 45 minutes - 1 hour.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead a couple of times. Let rest for 3 minutes. Divide dough into 24 equal pieces and shape each of these pieces into a ball. Place dough balls in a greased 9x13 pan or a greased jelly roll pan if you don't want them quite so squished together. Cover with non-stick sprayed plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, 30-45 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top and bottom. Take out of oven and brush with melted butter if desired.