*Roll 'Em, Roll 'Em, Roll 'Em!!! (Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls)

WHOLE WHEAT DINNER ROLLS

(SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM FOR THE RECIPE)

Good golly, Miss Molly, we have a bunch of rolls here.  And I was seriously NOT going to make this many today. I burned up a Kitchen Aid mixer the last time I used Jamie Willes' recipe. It calls for SEVENTEEN cups of flour. Now I am not one to read an owner's manual, but APPARENTLY, one is never to put more than ten cups of flour in a Professional KitchenAid. How professional can it be, if I, who am no pro, can give it more than it can handle? Who knew?  Not I, that's for sure.

About this time last year, I wanted to make a big batch of rolls. I had a beautiful red Kitchen Aid that had worked splendidly. And then it met its match in Jamie's roll recipe. By the time I had the seventeenth cup of flour in the machine, it was grinding very slowly, and smoke began billowing out of its motor. The kitchen filled with a foul, burnt engine smell. And then the KitchenAid simply stopped. I had to knead that colossal amount of dough by hand. That was the last time I used that KitchenAid.

Now that our Thanksgiving leftovers are dwindling, and there is not a single piece of bread left, I've been craving some homemade rolls myself, but I just couldn't muster up any enthusiasm to work in the kitchen. I was enjoying my role as a sloth, sitting in my recliner, while we were watching a recording of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, when all of a sudden, who should appear on our screen, but the Pillsbury Dough Boy, a huge floating balloon. Apparently, that's all it took for motivation to wash over me, and I went directly to the kitchen to make some rolls.

Now surely I know better than to make a big batch of rolls. I know this. I grabbed Jamie's recipe, my go-to recipe for rolls, and I only looked at the first four ingredients. I have two versions of my favorite rolls recipe, one that will challenge the best of mixers, and one that is safe under any conditions. I figured I was good to go. I was wrong.  

I accidentally started on the BIG DOG recipe, the gargantuan one...the SEVENTEEN CUPPA one. Oh. My. Word. What's a girl to do?  I already had yeast rising and six eggs whipped up. So I did what any adventurous old gal would do: I went for it.

Since my beautiful red mixer was at the other house, I retrieved my ancient Bosch from the pantry. The old Bosch mixer had a heck of a time, but it survived the experience. I kept whispering, "You can do it. You can do it." You might want to try that if you're ever caught in a similar circumstance.  I don't think  it helped the Bosch, but I felt a little calmer.

While I let the dough rise under a festive tea towel, I ruminated about the possibilities of what I could make with this awe-inspiring amount of dough. Basic rolls. Sweet rolls. Croissants. 

It's still the season for pumpkin, if you ask me, so I decided to adapt my sweet rolls to include a pumpkin filling.  

Doesn't that sound AWESOME?  Trust me; it is.  Here is the recipe for Pumpkin Sweet Rolls; just click the link.

Here's how we make Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls...

Keep in mind, if you use the recipe posted here, you will not have to rely on the biggest Tupperware bowl known to man
to hold your rising dough.  (The House of the Rising...Dough.  Sorry, that song just came into my head.)

Once the dough has risen, it's time to form the rolls.  I spray my hands with Pam or grease them with butter to make the dough easy to handle. To make round rolls, simply pinch off a handful, and keep smoothing the top under until you have tucked the edges underneath to form a ball.

To make CROISSANTS, or CRESCENTS, pull off a large section of dough, and in your buttered hands, form a large ball. Smooth some butter on the clean (do I need to say this?) counter, and then using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a circle. 

Roll the triangles starting with the wide end, and ending with the point.  Tuck the point under, and curve the roll when placing on the pan.

Okay, mine are always gigantic, about which NO ONE complains. If you like dainty crescents, flatten the dough more, and make your triangles skinnier.

Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls 

(adapted from Jamie Willes' Recipe)

This is HALF of her recipe, which is what I recommend you do unless you have a COMMERCIAL mixer, and if you have one of those, let me know so I can feel absolute jealousy.

Mix the following ingredients together and let sit for 10-15 minutes while the yeast begins to rise.

2 1/2 c. warm water
2 T. yeast
2 T. sugar
1/2 c. stevia

Mix the following in separate bowl and add to the first bowl after the yeast has risen:

1/4 c. potato flakes 
3 beaten eggs
1/2 c. oil
1 T. salt.

Combine first two bowls, and stir.  Then add in 6-7 cups of flour.  I like to use 3 1/2 cups of whole wheat with 3 1/2 cups of Better for Bread flour.   

Knead for 5 minutes. (A Kitchenaid or Bosch will do the work for you, but you can certainly do it by hand, if you have the strength, energy and inclination.) Add a small amount of flour to make the texture not too sticky. (HINT: having the dough a little on the sticky side usually lends itself to having the lightest, fluffiest rolls EVER.)

Let rise in oiled, covered bowl 1 hour.  Cut/shape the dough into rolls.  Let rise 15 minutes while oven preheats to 400 degrees.

Bake 10-12 minutes, depending on your oven, until the rolls are golden brown. Brush tops with melted butter.

The folks in my family tend to have the same reaction to these rolls every time: their eyes roll back in their heads, and they moan gently as they eat these. So yes, the effort is worth it. I dare you to try them. They are THE BOMB!  : )

Click the link for the PUMPKIN SWEET ROLL RECIPE.