Can I use regular whole wheat flour instead of white whole wheat in these healthy dinner rolls?

Yes, and the rolls will still work, but the flavor turns earthier and the crumb a touch denser. If regular whole wheat is what you have, replace half a cup of it with all purpose flour to keep the texture soft, and give the dough the full 10 minute rest before kneading.

My Greek yogurt dough barely rose after an hour. What went wrong?

Check the three usual causes: milk that was hotter than about 115°F when the yeast went in, yogurt and egg added cold from the fridge, or an expired yeast packet. Move the bowl to a warmer spot and give it 30 more minutes before deciding the batch is lost; cool kitchens often just need time.

Can I make these rolls without a stand mixer?

Absolutely. Knead by hand on a lightly floured counter for the full 8 to 10 minutes, pushing the dough away with the heel of your palm, folding it back and turning it a quarter turn each time. The dough starts sticky and becomes smooth and elastic; that change in feel is your signal that the gluten is built.

How do I bake the rolls straight from the freezer on Thanksgiving Day?

Thaw the shaped, frozen rolls in the refrigerator overnight, then let the dish sit on the counter for 45 to 60 minutes so the rolls finish rising and look puffy and touching. Bake at 375°F exactly as written, adding 2 to 3 minutes if the centers still look pale.

Can I swap the Greek yogurt for sour cream or buttermilk?

Buttermilk works cup for cup in volume if you reduce the milk by 2 tablespoons, since it is thinner than yogurt. Sour cream also works, but it removes the point of the recipe: a cup of sour cream adds back roughly 300 calories to the batch that the yogurt had saved.

Healthy Dinner Rolls, Soft and Pull Apart at About 145 Calories Each

Ingredients

Scale

3/4 cup milk, 2 percent, warmed to about 110°F
2 tablespoons honey, plus 1 teaspoon more for brushing
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast, one standard packet
3 cups white whole wheat flour, 360 grams, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, 2 percent, at room temperature
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus a little more for the dish
2 tablespoons rolled oats, optional, for the tops

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Instructions

Stir the warm milk, honey and yeast together in a large bowl and let the mixture stand for 5 minutes, until foamy. If nothing happens, the milk was too hot or the yeast is old; start over now.
Whisk the flour and salt in a second bowl. Pour the yeast mixture over the flour, then add the yogurt, egg and melted butter.
Stir until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains. Cover and rest the dough for 10 minutes so the whole wheat flour hydrates.
Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, by hand or with a dough hook, until the dough is smooth, elastic and springs back slowly when poked.
Place the dough in a lightly buttered bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, until doubled.
Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each under a cupped palm into a smooth ball, seams tucked underneath.
Arrange the balls in the dish in four rows of three, cover, and let them rise again for 30 to 40 minutes, until puffy and touching. Heat the oven to 375°F.
Stir the remaining teaspoon of honey into a tablespoon of warm milk and brush it gently over the tops. Scatter the rolled oats over the rolls if using.
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the tops are deep golden and the center roll reads 190°F on an instant thermometer.
Rest the rolls in the dish for 5 minutes, then serve warm, straight from the pan.

Author: Nora Ellis
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1
Calories: 145
Sugar: 6
Sodium: 200
Fat: 4
Saturated Fat: 2
Unsaturated Fat: 2
Trans Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 24
Fiber: 3
Protein: 6
Cholesterol: 22