Easy Peasy Dinner Rolls

This is quite an easy dinner roll recipe that is rich from the oil, sugar, and all white flour. The recipe can also be made in stages to accommodate your schedule. These have a bit of a different look to them, as instead of one smooth roll they are individual pull-apart rolls with three or four pieces. Baking them in muffin tins makes the recipe even easier and helps give the rolls an even appearance.

Easy Peasy Dinner Rolls

 2 cups milk

½ cup oil

½ cup granulated (white) sugar

4 cups all-purpose (plain) flour

1 package instant rise yeast

½ cup all-purpose (plain) flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ Tablespoon salt

In a medium saucepan, scald the milk, oil, and sugar. Cool to 90-110◦F.

Stir together the 4 cups of flour and the yeast. Stir in the milk mixture. Cover and let rise for one hour. (Alternately you can place the bowl of dough in the fridge and let rise for a few hours if you would like to prep the dough ahead of time).

Punch dough down and stir in the remaining ingredients, working it in with your hands until mixed in.

Grease or oil two 12-hole muffin tins. Pinch off walnut-sized pieces of dough and roll into smooth balls. Place three or four in each muffin cup (depending on size, how many rolls you would like, and whether you want a strict cloverleaf design). Cover and allow to rise for about an hour. If dough was cold, it may require a bit of additional time to rise. (Alternately you could put dough in the fridge to rise again, if you want to bake the rolls later and enjoy them warm).

Once doubled in size, bake the rolls at 375◦F for 10-15 minutes until golden. Loosen from their trays and serve hot.

No Touch Multigrain Biscuits

These are just like the {No Touch Biscuits}, except this is a whole grain, healthier version I devised. The trick is to handle the dough as little as possible. Of course whole grain biscuits don't tend to be as fluffy and light, however, they are still tasty and hearty with whatever spread you like best. I made these more hearty biscuits, but if you prefer them sweet, add up to three Tablespoons of granulated sugar along with the dry ingredients. 

No Touch Multigrain Biscuits
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons each: ground flaxseed, oat bran, wheat germ, natural wheat bran
1 HEAPING Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup plain yogurt 
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 425◦F. Line a baking sheet.
In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Cut in the yogurt like you would butter until crumbly. Mix together the applesauce, milk, and water, and stir in to form a soft dough. Stir just until dough comes together, adding a little extra water or flour if needed. Dough should be slightly sticky. Gently pat dough into a shape about 1/2 inch thick, DO NOT KNEAD, then cut into biscuits of any shape. Place on prepared baking sheet, spacing apart for crisp sides or placing together for soft sides. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden. 

Soft Molasses Wheat Bread

This is a really soft, moist, and flavorful bread. It is not very sturdy, so not ideal for sandwiches, but is is great to enjoy as is - and barely requires and butter or jam. 

Soft Molasses Wheat Bread
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup each: ground flaxseed, natural wheat bran, oat bran, wheat germ
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup applesauce

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, stir together all dry ingredients. Make a well in the center. 
In a small bowl, mix together the milk, molasses, and applesauce. Pour into well, stir just to combine. Bake for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Grainy Flatbread

This is an incredibly easy and versatile bread recipe. Make it any shape you like! It contains a variety of great grains, but if you do not have one of them on hand, simply add in ore of another or substitute something different - even seeds or ground nuts would work. It doesn't rise a lot, which is why it is a flatbread. 

Grainy Flatbread
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup each ground flaxseed, wheat germ natural wheat bran, oat bran, old-fashioned oats
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon oil

Preheat oven to 350◦F. 
In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add the milk and oil. Stir well, dough will be dry. Dough can be shaped any way you like - in pans or simply on a baking sheet. Make it as thick or thin as you like, I made mine fairly thick flatbread. Baking times will vary accordingly. 

Quick Seedy Bread

Quick Seedy Bread
2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup oil

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, stir together the first eight dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add the milk, egg, and oil. Stir well and spread in prepared pan. Bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

This is a hearty, healthy loaf with lots of texture. The seeds could easily be varied - poppy seeds or pumpkin seeds would be nice, or even ground nuts such as almonds could be substituted. I guess it is more of a loaf than a sandwich bread, so it is delicious spread with butter, honey, jam, or peanut butter. But it could be used as a sandwich base as well, especially if the sugar content is reduced. 

Honey Yogurt Quick Bread

This must be one of the quickest bread recipes, with no kneading or rising times. It also has a very nice soft texture, yet is sturdy enough for sandwiches. It is a bit sweeter with more flavor.

Honey Yogurt Quick Bread
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup each oat bran, natural wheat bran, wheat germ, ground flaxseed
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup honey

Preheat oven to 375◦F. Grease or line a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, flour, grains, soda, and salt. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Spread in prepared pan. Bake for about 40 minutes.

Oatmeal Quick Bread

Oatmeal Quick Bread
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup mixed whole grains (bran, wheat germ, oat bran, flax, etc.)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-2 Tablespoons sugar, honey, or molasses
2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 large eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, flour, grains, baking powder, and sugar, if using. In a separate bowl, mix the milk and soda, wait until it foams up (be sure to use a larger bowl). Beat in the eggs and honey or molasses, if using. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Bake for about 50 minutes. 

This is a really quick bread! No kneading or rising times, it goes together in 10 minutes and finished baking within the hour. It has a nice taste and texture, and makes a nice high loaf. 

Four Grain Batter Bread

Four Grain Batter Bread
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons granulated (white) sugar
2 packages instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups warm milk
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup natural wheat bran
1/2 cup ground flaxseed

Grease or line two 9x5 inch loaf pans. 
In a large bowl, mix together the first five dry ingredients. Add the milk and water and beat at medium speed for three minutes. Stir the remaining ingredients together and add gradually to the mixture. Do not knead. Spoon batter into prepared pans. Allow to rise for about an hour. Bake at 400◦F for 25 minutes. 

This is another quick, no-knead, whole grain batter bread. It isn't the best one I have made, but it certainly isn't bad. Mixing with an electric mixer helps work the dough without having to knead it. A dough hook is the best option for this, if you have one. 

Mix It Up Batter Bread

Mix It Up Batter Bread
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 teaspoon granulated (white) sugar
2 packages instant yeast
1 cup warm milk
1 large egg, beaten
3 Tablespoons molasses
2 Tablespoons oil or butter
1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup natural wheat bran
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, divided
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in the water. Sprinkle the yeast over top and let stand for ten minutes until bubbly. Stir to dissolve yeast.
Stir in remaining ingredients except for the flour and seeds. Stir in two cups of flour, then the seeds. Add another cup of flour.
Allow dough to rise for an hour.
Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour. Divide batter between two greased or lined 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for another hour.
Bake at 375◦F for about 30 minutes. 

I call this mix it up batter bread, because it really is that simple, no kneading in this simple homemade bread recipe! Also because it contains a nice mix of healthy grains. 

Complete Wheat Batter Bread

Complete Wheat Batter Bread 
4 cups warm water
2 packages active dry instant yeast
2 Tablespoons granulated (white) sugar
2 Tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup each: natural wheat bran, ground flaxseed, oat bran, wheat germ
6 cups (approximately) whole wheat flour

In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the water, then the sugar on top. Stir, then let stand ten minutes until frothy. Stir to dissolve yeast. Stir in molasses and salt. Gradually stir in the grains and flour until a sticky, but stiff, dough forms. 
Cover bowl and let rise for 45 minutes.
Stir dough down for twenty seconds. Divide between two greased or lined 9x5 inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise for an hour, until doubled in bulk.
Bake at 400◦F for about 35 minutes. 

This bread recipe doesn't require too many ingredients, yet it very nutrient-dense. It is easy to do - no kneading required, although you do need to wait for two rising times. It also rises very nicely, and makes a light, wheaty bread. 

Nutty Seed Quick Bread

This is my first time baking in over five weeks! Naturally, I began with something simple, but something I love, a quick bread chock-full of delicious whole grains. I hadn't eaten homemade bread for five weeks. The only bread I ate was whole wheat toast every morning for breakfast. Before my trip, I cannot remember the last time I had eaten toast. I am not a toast fan, I prefer my homemade biscuits and quick breads for breakfast. The only time I had whole grain bread here was my brunch at the restaurant, and that was delicious - Mon Brunch  So I really missed my whole grain breads!

Nutty Seed Quick Bread
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup ground nuts (I used almonds)
1/8 cup each: natural wheat bran, oat bran, ground flaxseed, wheat germ, sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 olive oil
2 Tablespoons molasses
1 large egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. 
In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Mix the liquid ingredients together and add, stir thoroughly. Spread batter in prepared pan and bake for approximately 40 minutes. 

Can't Believe It's Quick Bread

This bread is so sturdy, hearty, and easy to slice, you won't believe that it only takes about five minutes to whip up! Its texture and taste is just like that of a traditional yeast bread, yet this bread requires no kneading, rising, or yeast. It is one of the easiest and least crumbly quick breads I have ever made. 

Can't Believe It's Quick Bread
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup wheat bran
2 Tablespoons oats
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 Tablespoon molasses
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup water

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Beat the liquid ingredients together and add them, stir until combined. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Oat Batter Bread

Oat Batter Bread
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 packages instant yeast
1 Tablespoon granulated (white) sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 cup warm milk
1 Tablespoon molasses or honey
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup ground flaxseed

In a large bowl, mix the first five dry ingredients. Add the water, milk, and molasses. Stir in the oats, oat bran, and flax. Divide batter among two greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 45-60 minutes. Bake at 400◦F for about 25 minutes.

This is another no-knead batter bread, and is quicker than most as it only requires one shorter rising time, and the yeast does not need to be proofed beforehand. 

Enriched Whole Wheat Batter Bread

It has been a little while since I've made bread. I was down to the last two slices from my emergency stash when I made this bread. I decided to ease back into it with something simple - a batter bread. It has a nice, hearty mix of whole grains I love, and doesn't require kneading. This loaf slices very nicely. 

Enriched Whole Wheat Batter Bread
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 teaspoon granulated (white) sugar
1 package instant yeast
1 cup warm milk
1 large egg, beaten
3 Tablespoons molasses
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup natural wheat bran
3 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in the water. Sprinkle the yeast over top and let stand for ten minutes until frothy. Stir to dissolve yeast. Add remaining ingredients except for the flour. Stir in 1 1/2 of flour, then 3/4 cup more flour. Allow the bread to rise for an hour. Stir in the remaining one cup flour. Divide the batter among two greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for another hour. Bake at 375◦F for about 30 minutes.

Can you tell I'm running out of ideas for photographing bread?

Multigrain Batter Bread

Multigrain Batter Bread
1 1/4 cup warm water
2 teaspoons granulated (white) sugar
1 package instant yeast
1 cup warm milk
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons molasses
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup natural wheat bran
1/4 cup oat bran
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
3 cups whole wheat flour, divided

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in the water. Sprinkle the yeast over top and let stand for about ten minutes, until frothy. Stir to dissolve yeast.
Stir in the next four ingredients. Add the next five ingredients, mix well. Stir in one cup of flour, then another cup.
Allow the dough to rise in the bowl for approximately one hour.
Stir in the remaining one cup of flour. Divide the dough evenly among two greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for another hour.
Bake at 375◦F for 30 minutes. 

This is another quick batter bread recipe, that requires no kneading and seems to rise better than my traditional breads. It also contains a nice mix of healthy, hearty grains. I developed this recipe from looking at several other whole wheat batter bread recipes.

Oat Nutri Bread

This is an easy bread recipe I developed myself from looking at other recipes. It is an easier recipe to make than most traditional breads because it is a batter bread - meaning the dough is fairly wet and therefore does not need to be kneaded, just stirred down and spooned into pans. This saves time and effort. I also find these breads tend to rise better, or at least more often, than some traditional yeast breads I make, so I like it for that as well. This is a hearty, healthy bread with the goodness of both oats and oat bran.

Oat Nutri Bread
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 teaspoon granulated (white) sugar
1 package quick rise yeast
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup oat bran
1/2 cup natural bran
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons molasses
1 cup boiling water
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar in the water. Sprinkle the yeast over top and let stand for ten minutes until frothy.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, put the next eight ingredients. Pour the water over top and mix well. Let cool to room temperature while yeast mixture stands.
Pour yeast mixture into bowl and mix. Add 2 cups flour and beat. Add another cup of flour and beat well. Cover bowl with a piece of greased waxed paper and a tea towel and set aside to rise for 45 minutes.
Stir dough down. Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, mix well. Divide dough among two greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Cover with greased waxed paper and a tea towel and let rise for about 30 minutes.
Bake at 350◦F for 30 minutes. 

No-Touch Biscuits

This is a super easy, basic, but delicious biscuit recipe. The directions seem lengthy, but only because I added hints and comments to it. If you are an experienced baker, you won't even need the instructions. The key to awesome biscuits here is to handle them as little as humanly possible to produce the most tender and flaky product. That's right, no kneading!

No-Touch Biscuits
5 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1/3 cup granulated (white) sugar
5 heaping teaspoons baking powder (HEAPING, don't worry, it won't be too much)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup margarine (soft tub margarine works fine and is lower in calories & fat)
1 cup milk
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 425◦F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the first four dry ingredients  Cut in the margarine until blended in, using a pastry blender, fork, two knives, or your hands. Add the milk and water and gently stir in until dough is just moistened, but still dry in spots.

Dump the mixture onto a clean counter or board. Mix together with your hands, adding a little more water if necessary. Dough should be sticky. Pat into a rough rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. Do not use a rolling pin. Dough will look scrappy, and not smooth, but it's meant to. Do not knead this dough.

Cut the dough with a biscuit cutter, glass, or just into squares using a knife. Place on prepared baking sheet. They may touch, but place them far apart (bake in two batches) if you want crispy sides. If you cut them into squares, placing the biscuits close together will result in almost a "pan biscuit". The biscuits will form together and need to be pulled apart gently. These are delicious!

Bake for 15-20 minutes until risen and golden. Enjoy warm with any spread you like, or reheated later. 
Large square biscuits are good for sandwich building.

Molasses Wheat Quick Bread

Molasses Wheat Quick Bread
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup natural wheat bran
2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup molasses

Preheat oven to 375◦F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. 
In a large bowl, stir the first six dry ingredients  Pour the wet ingredients into the center and stir until blended. Scrape into prepared pan. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. 

This is just a quick bread recipe to tie me over until I have time to bake a big batch of old-fashioned, slow rising bread that uses yeast and needs to be kneaded. Quick breads tend to be softer and not hold together as well for sandwiches  but some are quite sturdy. They certainly do make a perfectly good substitute when you don't have time for traditional bread making, as they are incredibly quick. This one gets its nice flavor from molasses, but also has a hearty mix of great grains in it! 

Multigrain Drop Biscuits

Multigrain Drop Biscuits
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup natural bran
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons soft margarine 
1/4 cup honey
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425◦F. Stack two baking sheets together and line the top one with parchment paper (this prevents the bottoms from becoming too dark).
In a large bowl, mix the first six dry ingredients. Cut in the margarine until crumbly. Stir in the honey and milk, dough will be wet. Drop by spoonfuls (a medium ice cream scoop works really well). Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden.

This is a quick and easy, moist biscuit recipe for breakfast. There is no kneading, rolling, or cutting involved!

Hovis Bread

It's probably quite obvious by now that I am always searching for new whole wheat sandwich bread recipes to try. This recipe is quite different from others I have tried before, and welcome to a change, I decided to try it. Also, the fact that it is a "no-knead" bread appeals to me, it generally makes the process faster and less labor intensive. That isn't to say I mind kneading bread, it can be quite therapeutic at times, but it does get a bit tedious at times. This recipe still contains yeast though, and is a slow rise bread. The first rising takes ninety minutes, and the second forty minutes. I found this recipe in Company's Coming "Breads". This is my go-to bread book. In fact, I have pretty much worked my way through the majority of recipes for whole wheat breads that do not require the use of a bread machine. I have also made some white breads in here (some using whole wheat flour), and some sweet breads, such as Panettone, Ollie Bollen, and Challah. I have made pita bread, English muffins, and Bannock from this book too. I like to try new recipes a lot, but I don't know what I will do when I complete all the recipes I would like to try in this book. I may be compelled to make some of the breads again.
This no-knead hovis bread is a dark, solid loaf. The book states it is reminiscent of a European bread. I am not sure about that, as the only European bread I have ever tried was white, but this certainly is a hearty and nutritious bread. It contains all whole wheat flour, natural bran, and wheat germ or ground flax seed. It also contains a small amount of cocoa, a touch of ground ginger, and half a teaspoon of gravy browner. I figured since they amount of gravy browner was so small, it wouldn't matter much if I left it out, since I didn't have any on hand. Not sure what the purpose of this is, but it likely adds more flavor, just like the ginger. And the cocoa, there is one quarter cup, but it certainly seemed quite prevalent when I was mixing up the dough. They say a little bit of dark chocolate is good for you, so why not? I like chocolate, even in bread I suppose. The more chocolate, the better. This bread also contains a large proportion of molasses, I suppose to add some sweetness to counter the bitter cocoa, but it is by no means a sweetbread. This bread is heavy, dense, and nutritious. It is good for breakfast or sandwiches, but slice it quite thinly! It does not rise a lot, but that is just the type of bread it is. It may also have something to do with the fact the yeast is added with the dry ingredients and not proofed first, which often works fine, but proofing it initially is generally more successful.