Honey Whole Wheat Rolls

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup warm water,
• 1 1/2 Tbsp active dry yeast
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter,
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup milk,
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp vital wheat gluten
• 4 cups white whole wheat flour*,

Directions

1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, whisk the water, yeast, and sugar together, then set the mixture aside for 5 minutes so the yeast can wake up. While that sits, put the eggs in a separate bowl, cover them with warm water, and leave them for 5 minutes to take off the chill. Add the butter, honey, eggs, salt, and milk to the yeast mixture and mix until combined. Mix in the lemon juice, vital wheat gluten, and 2 cups of the wheat flour.
2. Fit the mixer with the dough hook. Add the remaining 2 cups wheat flour, then knead on low, using 2nd speed, for 4 minutes, adding a little more flour only as needed. By the end, the dough should cling to the bottom of the bowl but pull away from the sides, and it should not stick to your fingertip. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 1 hour.
3. Gently punch down the dough, then divide it into 15 equal pieces. A scale makes this easy, or you can pat or roll the dough into a rectangle and cut it into 15 portions. Butter a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, arrange the rolls in it, and cover with plastic wrap, leaving enough space under the wrap for the dough to rise.
4. Let the rolls rise until doubled, about 1 hour. During the last 20 minutes of that rise, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
5. Bake the rolls in the heated oven until the tops are golden and the centers are baked through, about 12 – 15 minutes. The middle of a roll should read 190 degrees. Brush the tops with butter, about 1 Tbsp, or simply glide the stick of butter over the warm rolls. Serve warm, or cool on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container.
6. If you prefer a less pronounced whole wheat flavor, replace 2 cups of the wheat flour with 2 cups all-purpose flour and leave out the vital wheat gluten. If white whole wheat flour is not available, regular whole wheat flour can be used, though the rolls may be a bit less fluffy.