Looking for a new twist (pun intended) on bread? If you aren’t in the mood for Garlic Knots, try these Whole Wheat Flax Dinner Rolls for a boost of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acid and fiber.
My grandmother made the best yeast rolls. I remember going to her house after church on Sundays and having a feast of fried chicken and rolls. I’m sure there were yucky things like vegetables too, but my memories are of the chicken and rolls. She had a cool square electric skillet where she fried the chicken (in Crisco, of course) and this amazing stand mixer she used to make the dough.
Grandma always baked her rolls in muffin tins. In most of the cups, she’d place two sections of dough so, after the rolls were cooked, you could easily split them in half for buttering purposes. When she knew I was coming, she’d make me a special cloverleaf roll (three sections of dough in a cup).
One night we went to Grandma’s house for dinner. My grandparents from the other side of the family were there too. The rolls were passed and they got to Grandpa before they got to me. I didn’t know it at the time, but he took the cloverleaf. When the roll basket came my way, I frantically searched for my special roll. It wasn’t there! I burst into tears, thinking Grandma had forgotten. All ended well – once Grandpa realized his faux pas, he surrendered the roll. The good news was that, by the time it finally got to me, the roll was already buttered.
These Whole Wheat Flax Dinner Rolls aren’t quite Grandma’s, but they do have more fiber and less fat. They dry out pretty quickly, so freeze whatever you don’t eat the first day. Just let them cool, then wrap in foil and freeze. To serve, let them thaw, then reheat right in the foil at 350°F for about 12 minutes. They will last in your freezer for about a month.
Whole Wheat Flax Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast 1 package
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup whole flax meal
- 1 lRGE egg lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 teaspoons whole flaxseed
Instructions
- Measure milk in glass measuring cup. Warm in microwave to 105-115°F. Add sugar and yeast and let it sit for 10 minutes. (If the mixture doesn’t get foamy, your yeast is no good.)
- In a large bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and flax meal. Add 3 cups of flour mixture, egg, and milk mixture to bowl of stand mixer. Use paddle attachment to mix until smooth, then cover and let stand 15 minutes.
- Replace paddle attachment with dough hook. Add 3/4 cup more of the flour mixture and salt. Mix until smooth. Add remaining flour mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough clings to hook and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead for about 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.
- Coat the inside of a glass bowl with cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, move it around and turn it over to coat all sides with the oil. Cover with a towel and let it rise until doubled in size, about an hour. When you think the dough is ready, press two fingers into it. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough. Punch dough down, cover and let rest 5 minutes.
- Dust a baking sheet with cornmeal. Divide dough into 16 equal portions. Work with one portion at a time and keep remaining dough covered. Roll portion into 8-inch rope, then tie it into a knot and tuck the ends under. Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining portions. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Gently brush rolls with butter and sprinkle with flaxseeds. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned on top and hollow-sounding when you thump them. Serve warm or cool completely on wire rack.
Yeah, Yum!
Such pretty knots!
You’ve got some sexy buns Shelby. 🙂 Seriously, I’d eat that entire basket. Thank heavens I’m not gluten intolerant! Saving this recipe!!
Gorgeous rolls, and I am loving the flax!
Love this roll (actually one of my favorite shapes to form) and they sound delicious but healthier than any other bread! 🙂