Soft Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

When planning the healthier thanksgiving dinner, I looked back in my google reader and came across these whole wheat dinner rolls on Cate's World Kitchen. I thought they sounded perfect because they use white whole wheat flour so they wouldn't be so wheaty. The flavor was great & not too heavy. They actually remind me of the wheat Sister Shubert rolls. My rolls came out just a tad dense, but I am guessing that is because I left out the gluten in the recipe. Wheat gluten is hard to find where I live and pretty pricey, so I was trying to see if they would turn out without using it. I googled and found methods to use without gluten and even spooned out my flour instead of dipping in the measuring cup to incorporate more air into the mixture. To no avail...I will definitely use the gluten next time, and there will be a next time because the flavor was delicious & Adam loved them!

Soft Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
Source: Cate's World Kitchen adapted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:
3/4 cup warm water (around 110 F)
1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
1 tbsp sugar
3 cups white whole wheat flour (if you can't find this try using 2 cups whole wheat flour & 1 cup AP flour)
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk, warmed up a little
2 tbsp softened butter
1 tbsp. honey (optional)

Directions:
Add warm water, sugar & yeast in a small bowl. Stir to combine & let stand for 5 minutes, until frothy.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in flour, salt & gluten. Stir together. Add all remaining ingredients, including the yeast mixture. Using the dough hook attachment, knead dough on low to medium speed for approximately 10 minutes, until dough is pliable but won't tear.

Lightly oil or spray large bowl with cooking spray. Shape dough into a ball and place in oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.

Meanwhile, grease two 9 inch round cake pans. Fold dough over a few times & divide into 16 to 18 equal pieces & gently roll into balls. Arrange evenly in the pans & cover with plastic wrap & let rise for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls for 25 minutes until golden brown.