Soft Honey Wheat Dinner Buns

There is nothing more comforting than the no beat aroma of fresh bread baking.  This soft and moist recipe is made mostly of whole wheat flour.  The addition of honey gives them a natural sweetness and the buttermilk keeps them nice and soft. No hockey puck texture here, these buns are the perfect accompaniment to soups and stews.

 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons instant yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup honey

3 eggs (warm to room temperature)

1 cup warm buttermilk

3 ½ cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

1-1  ½ cups unbleached all- purpose flour

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl dissolve yeast in water.

Add the honey, eggs and milk.  Mix well.

Add the whole wheat flour and salt. Beat until smooth.

Add enough all-purpose flour to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. 

Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.

Place in a greased bowl; turn once to grease top.

Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and place in a warm draft-free area until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, punch down and leave it rest for 2-3 minutes.

Shape the dough into a rectangle and divide it into 15 equal pieces for buns, or 24 pieces for dinner rolls.

Shape the dough into buns or rolls and place on a lightly greased 10x15 cookie sheet. 

For buns place 3 across and 5 down.  For dinner rolls place 4 across and 6 down.

Cover shaped rolls with kitchen towel and let rise in warm draft-free area until rolls have almost doubled in volume and have expanded enough to touch each other, about 1 hour.

Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes rotating the pan halfway through bake time.

For a nice soft top brush the warm buns with butter.

Cool on wire racks.

Note:  For 100% whole wheat buns use all whole wheat flour.  Buns will be slightly heavier.