I’ll be honest: if I lived alone I might mix in some white flour, but one kid in my house insists on whole wheat sandwiches, so this is my go-to. After several tries I perfected these bread-machine whole wheat rolls — they come out soft, tender, and fluffy every time using 100% whole wheat flour.
Bread machine recipes are an easy, low-stress way to make fresh dinner rolls. They freeze well if you like to batch-prep for busy weeks.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need
- How to Make Bread Machine Wheat Rolls
- Storing & Serving
- More Bread Machine Recipes
- Troubleshooting
- Printable Recipe
Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need
Don’t swap out the honey — it helps with rise and browning and keeps the rolls tender and moist. You won’t taste an overt honey flavor, but you will notice a better texture.
Make an extra batch to freeze for later. In the recipe card below you can scale the recipe 2x or 3x if you want to batch make.
Equipment
- Bread machine (or a stand mixer with a dough hook if you don’t have one)
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water (about 110°F)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons softened butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 3 cups whole wheat flour (optional: swap up to 1 cup for rye or spelt)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast (can be mixed with the dry ingredients)
- 3 tablespoons vital wheat gluten (optional — helps make softer rolls)
How to Make Bread Machine Wheat Rolls
If you don’t have a bread machine, use a stand mixer with a dough hook and knead 8–10 minutes until smooth.
Step One: Load Ingredients
Add the ingredients to the bread machine pan in the order recommended by your manufacturer (usually liquids first): warm water, honey, softened butter, salt, whole wheat flour, and yeast. If using vital wheat gluten, sprinkle it on top of the flour.
Step Two: Start the Dough Cycle
Set the machine to the Dough cycle and start. After a few minutes check the dough: it should form a soft, smooth ball. If it’s too dry add water a teaspoon at a time. If it’s too sticky add flour a tablespoon at a time.
Step Three: Rise
Allow the machine to complete the knead-and-rise cycle. At the end the dough should be doubled in size.
Step Four: Shape The Rolls
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball by tucking the edges under and pinching the bottom closed.
Step Five: Second Rise
Place the shaped rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and let rise 30–45 minutes in a warm spot until puffy.
Step Six: Bake
Preheat the oven to 350°F during the last 10 minutes of the second rise. Bake the rolls 15–18 minutes until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.
Storing & Serving
Serve warm with butter for dinner or use the rolls for hearty sandwiches. They pair well with roasted winter squash and soups.
Store rolls in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or in the refrigerator up to 5 days. For longer storage freeze up to 2 months; reheat in the oven or microwave before serving. I often double the batch and freeze half for quick weeknight meals.
More Bread Machine Recipes
- White bread — an easy place to start if you’re new to bread making.
- Honey wheat bread — another great whole-wheat option for kids.
- Sandwich rolls — made the same way but using all-purpose flour for a lighter crumb.
Troubleshooting
Yes. Whole wheat dough typically looks rougher than white flour dough but will smooth out during the rise.
Absolutely. Divide into 8 pieces instead of 12 and shape them oval or round. They may need an extra 2–3 minutes in the oven.
Loosely cover the rolls with foil and continue baking until they sound hollow when tapped.
Printable Recipe
Bread Machine Wheat Rolls
Equipment
- Bread machine or stand mixer with a dough hook
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water (about 110°F)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons softened butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 3 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 3 tablespoons vital wheat gluten (optional)
Instructions
- Load ingredients. Add ingredients to the bread machine pan in the manufacturer’s recommended order (usually liquids first): warm water, honey, softened butter, salt, whole wheat flour, and instant yeast. Add vital wheat gluten on top of the flour if using.
- Select cycle. Set the machine to the Dough cycle and start. After a few minutes check the dough; it should form a soft, smooth ball. If too dry add water a teaspoon at a time; if too sticky add flour a tablespoon at a time.
- First rise. Let the bread machine complete the dough cycle until the dough has doubled.
- Shape. Turn dough onto a clean surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Shape each into a round roll by tucking edges underneath and pinching to seal the bottom.
- Second rise. Place rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and let rise 30–45 minutes until puffy.
- Bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F during the final 10 minutes of rising. Bake 15–18 minutes until golden and hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom.
- Cool. Transfer rolls to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Why add vital wheat gluten? It helps whole wheat dough rise better and keeps the rolls softer. Add 3 tablespoons per 3 cups flour for extra fluff, but the recipe works well without it.