Before I was born, Dad began the tradition of baking bred on Thanksgiving morning. He developed his whole wheat rolls recipe while in grad school, but that sweet moist bread quickly became every person’s favorite dish on the holiday table.
As I grew, I started following Dad into the kitchen, asking to help measure flour or shape the dough. A year or two later, Dad allowed me to stir and knead the dough—no easy task for a seven-year-old girl’s tiny muscles!
The last two years, Dad named himself the Thanksgiving sous chef and handed me the title of head chef and breadmaker. While he chopped and cooked just as many ingredients and dishes as I did, it meant a lot that he would put me in charge of his recipe.
Although I don’t feel right sharing the official Thanksgiving rolls recipe we’ll make tomorrow morning (it is my dad’s, after all!), I will give you my second favorite. They turn out just as moist, and they disappear just as quickly!
modified from this recipe
These taste delicious warm out of the oven, or even at room temperature as a post-feast snack before bed! Store in an airtight container on the counter for 4-5 days.
- Mix the yeast and warm water together in a small bowl, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1½ cups of flour and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the yeast mixture and remaining ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon, adding more flour as necessary, until a dough forms and is only slightly tacky.
- Turn the dough out onto a well-floured dry surface, and flour your hands. Knead in more of the remaining flour until the dough is no longer sticky. It should bounce back when you press your finger into it.
- Shape the dough into a ball. Coat a bowl with nonstick cooking spray, and place the dough inside, rolling it around to coat all of the sides with the oil. Cover the top with a clean towel, and set in a warm place to rise for 30-45 minutes until doubled in size.
- Lightly coat a 9” round baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. On a clean, floured surface, punch the dough down until it’s approximately the same size as before it rose. Divide the dough into 12 equal balls, and place in the prepared pan. Cover the top with the towel, and let the rolls rise in a warm place for 30 min or until doubled in size.
- While the rolls rise, preheat the oven to 350°. Uncover the rolls, and bake at 350° for 25-30 min or until the tops are golden and the rolls sound hollow when tapped. Cool in the pan for 5 min before turning out onto a wire rack. Serve warm or cold.
Hi, I love your site and recipes! Do these rolls taste sweet? In comparison to a butter dinner roll?
Thanks! These rolls are not sweet; they taste similar to regular whole wheat bread. I hope you enjoy them if you try them!
What could be a possible replacement for molasses? I don’t have any of this on hand, but I would love to try out the recipe!
If you can find molasses at the store, I highly recommend it! You won’t get the same flavor with anything else. In a pinch, you can try substituting pure maple syrup or honey. I hope you enjoy the rolls Elizabeth!
Hello Amy, I would love to make these however I have never made bread before When you punch the dough down and shape into balls, do you roll it like you do when you are making cookies or just kinda pull it apart in ball shapes?
I’m so excited for you that you’re trying to bake bread for the first time! It’s something that scares many people, so good for you Danielle! 🙂 To shape the dough into balls, it’s the latter — just pull it apart and gently roll it, if needed, into a rounder shape. I hope you enjoy the rolls!
Are there nutrition facts for these rolls?
This is the Nutrition Calculator that I use Victoria! 🙂
Thank you for this recipe. It was my first time making something with yeast as well as whole wheat. They may not have been pretty (I’ll get better at that part), but they tasted wonderful. Definitely kid approved too. All 5 of the kids loved them.
I’m so glad you and your children liked the rolls Kristin! 🙂
I always thought yeast needed sugar to “come alive”… But this recipe says just warm water & yeast. Would the result be different if I added the honey to the yeast whilr it blooms?
You can do that if you prefer Brenlyn! But it isn’t necessary. The most traditional breads, like French baguettes or sourdough loaves, don’t include any sugar or sweetener at all! They only include flour, salt, yeast, and water, and the yeast still works just fine. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these rolls!
These just came out of my oven. I was almost tired of whole wheat bread recipes. But this taste awesome. Thank you for this amazing recipe. Will definitely keep making these… 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe Dunya! That means a lot to me. 🙂
Is there some sort of substitute I can use for the molasses? Maybe add extra honey? Looking forward to try this recipe!
Yes, additional honey will work! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the rolls Cassandra!
I loved the receipe Amy and your story. Going to try baking bread for the first time!
Thank you so much Smitha! That means a lot to me. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the rolls!
I don’t see the olive oil added tithe recipe is that for coating where the cooking spray is mentioned.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Paul! See Step 2 — it says to add the remaining ingredients, which includes the olive oil. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these!