Whole Wheat Molasses Rolls are rich and chewy homemade rolls with a touch of sweetness. Sprinkled with oats and sunflower seeds, these rolls have a wonderful depth of flavor.
The earthy sweetness of these Whole Wheat Molasses Rolls makes them a natural to pair with fall flavors. They make an incredible addition to a Thanksgiving meal. A combination of honey, molasses, and light brown sugar gives a little sweetness to these rolls.
Note: These rolls are not nearly as sweet as you would think they would be given the amount of sweet ingredients added. They are much less sweet than Hawaiian rolls. In fact, I think they taste delicious served with honey butter to up the sweetness more.
For extra flavor, these rolls also contain cocoa powder, but don’t worry. The addition of cocoa does not make them taste chocolatey.
Two Rises
These rolls are really easy to make and you hardly need to knead the dough at all (no pun attended). The dough will need to rise 2 times. The first one will take about 1 1/2 hours and the second one about 1 hour, but can vary based on your room temperature.
Tips For Making Whole Wheat Molasses Rolls
- Use regular molasses, NOT Blackstrap molasses for this recipe.
- As with any yeast bread making, be careful that the warm water that you add to the yeast is not above 110 degrees. It will kill the yeast and the dough will not rise.
More Homemade Roll Recipes
- Pocketbook Rolls
- The Best Yeast Rolls
- Sweet Potato Cloverleaf Rolls
- Buttery Herb Yeast Rolls
- Buttery Pan Rolls
Whole Wheat Molasses Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water (105 to 110 degrees)
- 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour, divided
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon old-fashioned oats
- 2 teaspoons sunflower seeds
Instructions
- Place the warm water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.Let stand 10 minutes, or until foamy.
- Add the all-purpose flour and turn mixer to medium speed. Add light brown sugar, molasses, honey, cocoa powder, butter, egg and salt and beat for 2 minutes.
- Switch to the dough hook. Add 1 cup of whole wheat flour and beat for 2 minutes.
- Add remaining 1 1/4 cups of whole wheat flour and beat until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 4 to 5 times.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape into balls and place on a greased baking sheet. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with oats ansd sesame seeds.Cover and let rise for 1 hour.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls for 20 to 22 minutes.
Notes
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Recipe Source: Taste of the South
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