We’re going old school today. Originally, I had it on my mind to attempt some sort of intricate apple tart in my new mini tart pan or some spice cupcakes, but after writing my previous post I got inspired to get my hands dirty and get back to the basics.
Let me reintroduce an old favorite of mine—beginner’s rolls.
This was one of the very first recipes that I ever posted on Eat, Live, Run, back in the winter of 2008. When I posted this recipe I was in the middle of meat fabrication class and had no idea what I was doing in terms of bread baking.
Somehow, they still turned out. (And let it be known that I still don’t really know what I’m doing.)
These rolls are perfect for someone who has never tried their hand at baking bread before. They’re made with half whole wheat flour and half regular flour because usually, one hundred percent whole wheat bread is as hard as a rock because there’s not enough gluten in the flour to make the bread fluffy and soft. Plus, I don’t hate on white flour. I actually rather like it and so do my baked goods.
Baking bread is the most therapeutic thing I know of—it’s literally like yoga in the kitchen for me. There’s just something so satisfying about baking your own bread from scratch. Try it! It’s perfect for tempeh & jam sandwiches (which I’m currently enjoying as I type) or just plain snackin’ with a little peanut butter.
Here’s what you need for success:
Another reason I love baking bread? Short and simple ingredient lists!
Start by heating up one cup of milk. You don’t want the milk so hot that it boils, but it should be about one hundred degrees—so think of the temperature of a nice warm bath….that’s how you want the milk.
I’m using whole milk here because that’s the type that I personally prefer to bake with. You could use skim, too. I just have found that whole milk makes baked goods a little extra delicious…but what do I know?
When the milk is warm, take it off the stove and add one packet of dry yeast.
And a pinch of sugar. The sugar feeds the yeast!
And now let the milk/sugar/yeast combo sit for about five minutes so the yeast can dissolve. Meanwhile, measure out your flours. You’ll need one and one fourth cup of each (whole wheat and white), plus a half teaspoon of salt.
Add the flours and salt to the milk mixture and then stir to combine. Form a shaggy ball of dough but don’t actually knead it yet.
Cover the shaggy ball with plastic wrap and let it rest for thirty minutes. After thirty minutes, it should be about double in size and really light and spongy. Now is the time to knead!
No need to a KitchenAid or fancy mixer here—think of it as an upper body workout and you’ll be just fine. Also, there’s no one right way to knead. I just simply throw my hands in there and work it, pushing the dough against the counter and folding it over itself about ten times or until it has a smooth elastic feel. Maybe a video how-to post will be in the works?
You want the end result to be really, really smooth. When you press your finger in it, the dough should instantly bounce back. That’s when you know it’s done! Now, divide the big dough ball into four equal parts:
And divide those four parts in half to form eight little balls.
Roll each ball under your palm to smooth it out and then place each on a lined baking sheet.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for another thirty minutes. This is the exciting part!
The rolls will double in size again and that’s how you know they are ready for the oven!
Right when these bad boys came out from the oven, I just couldn’t help myself. I had to make sure the recipe was okay for you all, you know?
Okay, yeah. You can eat them!
Enjoy!
Tina
September 21, 2010 at 11:42 amBeginner recipes + bread are just what I need. These look great!
Maria
September 21, 2010 at 11:44 amThe rolls look perfect. I have homemade jam to go with! I can’t wait to make them!
Heather (Heather's Dish)
September 21, 2010 at 11:46 amdo you know what would need to be done to make these turn out perfectly at altitude? i would love to start doing homemade bread but it always turns out flat!
jenna
September 21, 2010 at 11:54 amoh gosh–I don’t know because I never have done that and don’t want to give you wrong advice. I would google it!
eatmovelove
September 21, 2010 at 3:50 pmLOL – is there anything Google can’t do? 😉
Michelle (The Runner's Plate)
September 21, 2010 at 11:47 amI love making my own bread from scratch!
Estela @ Weekly Bite
September 21, 2010 at 11:48 amI’m so intimidated by yeast bread. I’m made them once before… but its packet of yeast that scares me. Yours do seem super easy though 🙂
Rocio
September 21, 2010 at 11:51 amYou made it look so easy! I’ve never made bread before… a “how to” video would be very appreciated!
Erin @ Travel Eat Repeat
September 21, 2010 at 11:53 amI am so nervous making yeast bread but this looks so easy that maybe even *I* can do it! 😀
shannon (the daily balance)
September 21, 2010 at 11:55 ami have been wanting to try my hand at homemade bread and this looks like the perfect recipe to start! Thanks, girl 😉
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is
September 21, 2010 at 11:55 amI have never made my own bread, besides quick breads! This is awesome.
Rachel@Fit Fun and Fabulous
September 21, 2010 at 11:57 amMMmmm letting things rise and yeast and all of that scares me. Maybe this is what I need to bake to get over the fear.
Beth @ Beth's Journey to Thin
September 21, 2010 at 11:57 amWow I feel inspired to make these and I never bake!!
Monique@She's Going The Distance
September 21, 2010 at 11:59 amThat looks so easy!! I’ve always had it in my head that I can’t make bread because I don’t have a machine. Um, lies!! 🙂 Thanks for sharing
Therese
September 21, 2010 at 12:01 pmBREAD!!!
*faints*
Tracey @ I'm Not Superhuman
September 21, 2010 at 12:09 pmOh Jenna, how I love these how-to recipes. I need all the instruction I can get.
Stacey (The Habit of Healthy)
September 21, 2010 at 12:10 pmYou make it look so easy! 🙂
Camille
September 21, 2010 at 12:16 pmI have never made bread but always wanted to! Thanks so much for the beginners recipe!
Heather @ Side of Sneakers
September 21, 2010 at 12:17 pmI love baking bread- once you give into fear and try it, it’s really not that hard to mess up!
Mary (What's Cookin' with Mary
September 21, 2010 at 12:20 pmThis recipe had been in my ‘make me!’ pile for AGES. I really need to stop waiting and just make them 😉
I, personally, would like/ need to see a how to video… specifically on how knead it properly. I tried making ‘simple’ WW bread once and it was a TOTAL fail. It did not rise. 🙁 And I know it was 100% operator error, just not sure what I did wrong.
Brittany (A Healthy Slice of Life)
September 21, 2010 at 12:29 pmI really look forward to getting into bread baking this fall! & those look great! Now c’mon weather… cool off! 🙂
Lisa
September 21, 2010 at 12:31 pmThanks for the tips! I am saving this link for future use. 🙂
Maria
September 21, 2010 at 12:32 pmYour rolls are so cute and perfect! They look like little brown eggs
Carolyn @ lovinlosing
September 21, 2010 at 12:32 pmLooks fantastic! Definitely need to try making those rolls. 🙂
Amber K
September 21, 2010 at 12:34 pmYum!! That looks so good!
Tabitha (From Single to Married)
September 21, 2010 at 12:38 pmOld school is right! I’ve only made bread using a bread maker… I’ll have to try your way next time!
R @ Learning As I Chop
September 21, 2010 at 12:48 pmThis looks good and might be my first foray into bread
Kelly
September 21, 2010 at 12:53 pmBaking bread intimidates me but this made it sound like something I could do!! Thanks for the tutorial!
Angharad
September 21, 2010 at 12:56 pmI’m just getting into baking bread. My man bought me a bread baking book for christmas and we dabbled but I was recently given a sourdough starter (best.gift.ever….what.a.nerd) and now I am all over that business! Home baked bread is like nothing else on the planet!
Sharon
September 21, 2010 at 1:10 pmBreads have always scared me a little (the whole yeast/rising thing!) But this looks so easy and doable! Thanks for posting all these baking recipes lately-I’ve been totally into baking of late for some unknown reason-So far in the last 3 weeks or so I’ve made the “perfect” Chocolate Chip cookies and Blondies from your blog, Petite Vanilla Bean Scones (PW blog) Peach/Blueberry Crumble (Ina Garten-love her!) and I fully intend to make your Peach Pie very soon-like this week or weekend…wish me luck on that crust!
Rachel @Balance and Blueberries
September 21, 2010 at 1:14 pmAnyone out there have any recommendations for homemade loaf bread? I’d love a good one and haven’t had much luck with what I’ve tried…
Ashley
September 21, 2010 at 1:39 pmThose look great!
Annie@stronghealthyfit
September 21, 2010 at 1:48 pmVery cute! Great recipe. I really want to get good at bread baking. Just started a new job at a fabulous all-natural bakery so I’ve been getting bread from work and hope that doesn’t stop me from making my own!
Ally
September 21, 2010 at 1:56 pmThese rolls look great. I have never made bread from scratch before. Made scones for the first time a couple of days ago. These will be next 🙂
Denise (the apple hill adventurer)
September 21, 2010 at 1:59 pmthey look lovely. i miss that smell.
Amanda
September 21, 2010 at 2:11 pmNot on the topic of the bread at all (which looks yummy, btw). But what in the world is “Meat Fabrication”? 🙂
Lisa (bakebikeblog)
September 21, 2010 at 2:15 pmoh I bet these made your house smell divine!
Stacey
September 21, 2010 at 2:44 pmYou seem like a pro 😀 The one time I tried to bake bread, it turned out terribly, terribly wrong. The dough was sticking everywhere and my yeast did not rise. And it was a huge mess to clean up! The recipe I was following was really difficult to understand. Thank you for sharing a simple recipe 🙂 I actually feel like I can make these!
rebecca lustig
September 21, 2010 at 2:58 pmive never made actual rolls. yours look so perfessionally delicious, though!
kate
September 21, 2010 at 3:07 pmthese look easy enough for even a non-baker like myself to master!
Sarah @ BikingNBaking
September 21, 2010 at 3:18 pmYes! I’ve wanted a simple bread recipe to try for awhile! Im gonna have to make these.. tonight.
Natalia - a side of simple
September 21, 2010 at 3:23 pmIf I weren’t allergic to gluten I would probably be rolling in flour right now. Just sayin’
Paige @ Running Around Normal
September 21, 2010 at 3:51 pmThose look good – and sound pretty easy to make! Yum 🙂
eatmovelove
September 21, 2010 at 3:51 pmBread?
Uh, sign me up for that. TOTALLY agree with you – I just grab it randomnly and smear just jam and butter on that sucker.
Gets dangerous though. Who am I kidding? It’s beyond that and into War Zone with me….
I like how you put the recipe in a separate post as well. It makes the post more concise and not as long – allowing more time just for your writing and witticism 🙂
The Wife of a Dairyman
September 21, 2010 at 4:01 pmWhat type of jam are you eating them with? Looks so good!
jenna
September 21, 2010 at 5:09 pmthat’s just Trader Joe’s raspberry! So good!
alana
September 21, 2010 at 4:15 pmi was just looking at this recipe of yours today! but can you make them with non-dairy milk? i made chili earlier for tonight and was going to bake these rolls but i wasn’t sure if you could use soy/almond milk…
jenna
September 21, 2010 at 5:09 pmI’ve never tried so I can’t promise…it should work but I’m not 100%
sarah k. @ the pajama chef
September 21, 2010 at 4:41 pmnormally i use a breadmaker…. but now i might try my hand at the real thing!
Kati @ Living Well
September 21, 2010 at 5:10 pmOh my gosh. This has just convinced me that I can bake bread! Will def have to try these :> Thanks for the simple step-by-step instructions!
Rebecca @ How the Cookies Crumble
September 21, 2010 at 5:21 pmYummy warm bread! Now I want to bake but I need to clean out my fridge because I’m going out of town!
Laura (Starloz)
September 21, 2010 at 5:33 pmoohhh, this seems simple enough. i might even try it out.
Morgan @ Healthy Happy Place
September 21, 2010 at 5:43 pmI’m really loving all the recipe posts!!!
Jil @ Peace, Love & Munchies
September 21, 2010 at 6:17 pmI have to try these…that picture with the jam sealed the deal. haha
Nora@LifeLifeEatRight
September 21, 2010 at 6:17 pmThis reminds me of my Bakery days! Now–I didn’t actually bake the bread but I stocked the shelves, nibbled and learned. Is it strange that I love the smell of yeast? I can’t even comprehend the taste of fresh bread from the oven. Warm Italian was always my favorite. I loved the tender inside and the crunchy exterior. Oh man. I might need to bake this haha!
Jessica @ The Process of Healing
September 21, 2010 at 7:10 pmThose look incredible! Bread baking intimidates me but you make it look (sound?) so easy!
Cyndi
September 21, 2010 at 7:10 pmYour blog is addictive – I never know what you will come up with next! It is 100 times better than it used to be – glad you found your way.
MoniMeals
September 21, 2010 at 8:05 pmFantastic!! perfect for all the holidays coming up too. 🙂
Amanda@thegrainsofparadise
September 21, 2010 at 8:40 pmSimply beautiful! Just love fresh baked bread rolls! Aloha….
Lizz @ Leading the Good Life
September 21, 2010 at 9:11 pmYay! I’ll be carbo-loading this weekend for my upcoming marathon. I think homemade rolls would go quite nicely with my pasta dinner!
Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga)
September 21, 2010 at 11:13 pmNothing to do with the post, but just wanted to say your blackish or really deep nail polish shade = awesome! I love bold. I just got a half sleeve. I am all about bold 🙂
But I am gluten free and vegan and so bread making from scratch is not gonna happen in my lifetime…
Sarah (Running to Slow Things Down)
September 22, 2010 at 3:57 amI don’t know why, but this post made me instantly get excited for Thanksgiving. Maybe because these rolls would be oh so perfect for a turkey feast with family. 😀
Can’t wait to try them out!
Erika @ Food, Fitness, & Fun
September 22, 2010 at 4:26 amThanks for the recipe…I am a huge fan of any freshly baked bread! <3 🙂
MyThy as in "Mighty"
September 22, 2010 at 4:53 amThose look great! I’ve had some success making a loaf of bread manually w/ no bread maker. These look a lot easier and cute! I’ll def be making these! One question though, can you add a few tbsp of vital wheat gluten to make a whole wheat bread lighter?
Katryn@rampantcuisine
September 22, 2010 at 6:23 amOoooh, thanks for this! You answered a lot of my bread making questions in this post!
Alyse
September 22, 2010 at 6:35 amI’ve been making my bread for awhile now. I adore it. Nothing compares to the smell when you punch down the dough. Not to mention how great fresh baked bread smells. 🙂
Jenny
September 22, 2010 at 7:17 amI LOVE baking bread. Nothing better than the smell of flour and yeast : ) oh, just makes my heart so happy
Tiffany
September 22, 2010 at 7:36 amYour timing on this post is PERFECT. I’ve had a total bread FAIL recently and need to get back in the baking saddle. Thanks!
Betsy
September 22, 2010 at 7:58 amTwo things:
1) Your blog is my favorite, by far. I absolutely love the direction you’ve taken. I’ve really gotten into baking lately and Jenna, I have you to thank for that. I’ve been very stressed recently with relationship issues/family issues/and school and I’ve turned to baking as my therapy, and honestly, it’s helped so much. So, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I know this sound so cheesy, but it needed to be said 🙂
2) I literally was just thinking about trying my hand at baking bread and I couldn’t believe it when I came to your blog and saw this recipe! I am going to try and tackle it this weekend. Wish me luck!
Susan@MomSwimBikeRun
September 22, 2010 at 9:11 amI’ll take old school any day. Looks easy and delicious.
Theresa
September 22, 2010 at 9:30 amYour website is a life saver! See, my 83 yr. old neighbor is battling cancer and I asked her if she had any special food requests and to my dismay she wanted some fresh homemade rolls. I love to cook, but have always feared making bread. Your recipes are easy to follow and delicious. I always know I can count on your site for some awesome yummies.
Diana @ frontyardfoodie
September 22, 2010 at 9:37 amMy mom taught me how to make basic bread when I was probably about six or seven. I’ve been making ever since and seriously think there is NOTHING better than spreading butter on a freshly warm, thick slice of homemade bread. My mom adds sunflower seeds to her whole grain mix and it gives it a nutty, chewy texture that is to die for!
Exmodel
September 22, 2010 at 10:05 amDoes your bread ever not work out? Perhaps I just don’t have the baking gene, but I’ll follow the recipe to a T and it still will come out….wrong.
Becca@ Start Over From Scratch
September 22, 2010 at 12:41 pmHey Jenna, I just finished baking and pastry in culinary school. Make sure you check out my first day of school where I made rolls too! http://www.startoverfromscratch.com/2010/09/first-day.html
kelsey@snackingsquirrel.com
September 22, 2010 at 1:04 pmi will definitely take your word for it and bake some bread. mama wants to make cinnamon buns with me, so we’ll have to do that soon 🙂 LOVE KNEADING THE DOUGH!! haha
Maren
September 22, 2010 at 2:37 pmI’m obsessed with baking breads right now. Rolls, dessert breads, loafs oh they make me happy. I’m toning it down due to my excessive consumption of complex carbs from all the baking. Your rolls look amazing, I’m dieing to try them. I’m really intrigued by the warm milk with the yeast idea.
Lauri (RedHeadRecipes.com
October 25, 2010 at 5:33 pmHi Jenna!! I just baked these rolls and they turned out FABulous!! Thanks for the step-by-step instructions and instilling a renewed faith in my baking abilities!! NO more hockey pucks!!
Here is a link to the post–>
http://redheadrecipes.com/?p=9507
Katie (Sweet Tater)
November 21, 2010 at 7:51 ami’ve tried this twice and failed miserably 🙁
bread is clearly not my thing
Jennifer
February 28, 2011 at 3:30 amI love that you don’t hate on white flour! Neither do I! I’ve never tried bread, believe it or not, but these look so cute and easy that I might pop a batch in the oven today
🙂