Dinner rolls with savory seed topping are a perfect accompaniment to any delicious dinner. They’re easy to make and even easier to devour.
I don’t even remember where I was, but I know I was with my cute mother. We were eating dinner together at a restaurant here in NYC and they brought out some whole wheat rolls with seeds on top – we each tried one.
Oh my goodness! They were light, soft and savory. The seed topping was not only delicious but quite pretty. We were in love!
We noted all the different seeds and I was determined to make them at home.
How to make light and fluffy whole wheat rolls:
I wanted these heavenly dinner rolls to be just as light and soft as the restaurant’s, and knew whole wheat often makes bread heavy.
I opted for a mix of whole wheat flour and all-purpose. That gives it that nutty, grain hit, but keeps it from being heavy and dense like full whole wheat rolls.
There was no need for bread flour since the whole wheat flour increased my gluten and protein needs for the dough.
A little vegetable shortening and eggs make the crumb soft and the taste rich.
A mix of whole-wheat and all-purpose flours give these dinner rolls a whole grain taste but a light texture.
Make ahead dinner rolls:
The best part is, this is a side dish that can be made a day ahead, so the oven can be free for the turkey on Thanksgiving!
I bake the soft whole wheat dinner rolls and leave them in the pans. The next day, just before serving, cover the pans with foil and heat in the oven for just a few minutes!
Fluffy dinner rolls with seed topping for flavor:
These homemade dinner rolls are fluffy and light, even with the addition of whole wheat flour. That’s just one step to their amazing depth of flavor.
Adding a flavorful topping is easy and takes these rolls from simple to spectacular.
- Fennel Seeds, crush them a little first to release the flavor.
- Black Sesame Seeds are colorful and unexpected.
- Poppy Seeds are a classic bread topping and look pretty.
- Sesame Seeds are a standard and great in this mix.
- Flax Seeds add delightful crunch and color.
- Sunflower Seeds are hearty and buttery.
All of these seeds add something to the mix and the super soft dinner rolls are better for it. The perfect side dish for Thanksgiving dinner.
Try some new sides for your holiday meals!
Green Beans and Artichokes can be make in under 15 minutes. The perfect stove-top side dish.
Honey and Spice Sweet Potatoes have just the right amount of sweet with chili flakes and savory herbs. A healthy alternative to the traditional.
Everyone loves rolls, and these half whole-wheat half white dinner rolls are addictive.
- 2 tsp fennel seeds crushed
- 1 tsp black sesame seeds
- 2 tsp poppy seeds
- 2 tsp regular sesame seeds
- 2 tsp flax seeds
- 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 2 pkgs active dry yeast
- 2¼ cups warm water 110F° to 115F°
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- ¼ cup shortening
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups whole-wheat flour
- 3½ to 4 cups all-purpose flour
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Combine all seeds; set aside. In a mixing bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, salt, shortening, eggs and whole-wheat flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in all-purpose flour to form a soft dough; add the extra ½ cup if dough is very sticky.
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Mix until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 min; or knead by hand 6 to 8 min. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hr.
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Heat oven to 375F°. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into four pieces. Divide each piece into 12 and roll into balls. Place ½ inch apart in greased baking pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 min. Brush with egg wash (a extra egg and 1 tbsp water whisked together) and sprinkle with seed mixture. Bake until golden brown, 11 to 15 min.
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Rolls can be made ahead, up to a day, and left in pans. Before serving, cover with foil and warm in oven
Make ahead!
I bake the dinner rolls and leave them in the pans. The next day, just before serving, cover the pans with foil and heat in the oven for just a few minutes!
Don’t miss other Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Get more bread and baking recipes!
Recipe Tara Bench and Megan Weiss
Photography Raymond Hom
Food stylist Sara Neumeier
Prop Stylist Penelope Bouklas
Originally published LHJ 11/11
Mary Bench says
July 16, 2018 at 7:09 pmThis is the most amazing combination of flavors in the topping! Love it!
Brittany Smart says
July 19, 2018 at 2:49 pmRolls make every meal better!
Kushigalu says
November 14, 2019 at 8:32 pmDinner rolls are our favorite and the toppings used here is the best! Pinned.
Tara Teaspoon says
November 15, 2019 at 10:51 amThank you for the lovely comment AND the pin! Who doesn’t love a good dinner roll, right?! I’m right there with you. The little extras just make the recipe more special. Enjoy! Tara
Amanda says
November 15, 2019 at 10:14 amLove making my own dinner rolls and this is such a great recipe!
Tara Teaspoon says
November 15, 2019 at 10:49 amCouldn’t agree more Amanda, thanks for commenting! I love how easily a few extra ingredients take a recipe from plain to restaurant quality! Tara
Jenni LeBaron says
November 16, 2019 at 3:41 pmThese dinner rolls look so delicious! I love a good pull-apart roll like this and the savory seed topping is the perfect way to make these even more spectacular. Great roll option for Thanksgiving!
Tara Teaspoon says
November 18, 2019 at 10:43 amThanks Jenni! It’s all about the little touches that make a meal special. Happy Holidays! Tara
Leslie says
November 16, 2019 at 3:56 pmI love this recipe! It’s so perfect for Thanksgiving and it’s one more thing I can make ahead, which I appreciate as well!
Tara Teaspoon says
November 18, 2019 at 10:45 amYes! Anything we can do to save time on the day of our Thanksgiving feasts is a winner. Thank you, Tara
Tammy says
November 17, 2019 at 11:48 amI love the seed topping! That extra bit of crunch and texture is perfect and these rolls look heavenly!
Tara Teaspoon says
November 18, 2019 at 10:47 amThank you Tammy for your lovely comment. Add a little butter and these rolls are perfection! Tara
Rebecca Blackwell says
November 17, 2019 at 5:54 pmThis is such a great recipe! The rolls themselves are fantastic – soft and delicious! But, the seeds on top add so much flavor and crunch. These are going to get made at my house over and over again.
Tara Teaspoon says
November 18, 2019 at 10:50 amI’m thrilled you enjoyed these rolls. The seeds do add flavor and crunch and are even good for you! Tara
Natalie says
November 18, 2019 at 8:19 amThese rolls look perfect. I love the addition of seeds. It’s so healthy too. I can’t wait to make this for me and my family. I bet they will love it!
Tara Teaspoon says
November 18, 2019 at 10:51 amThanks Natalie, I just mentioned the healthy aspect to another reader, so true! Hope your family enjoys them as much as mine. Tara
Anne says
December 14, 2019 at 6:13 pmWhat size pan do you use and how many rolls per pan? Can’t wait to try this!
Tara says
December 16, 2019 at 9:24 amHi Anne, that’s actually up to you. I give you a total yield on the rolls and suggest placing them 1/2 inch apart so they have room to rise and bake. As you see in my image, I fit 20 into a 9×13 inch pan. I used a smaller pan for any remaining rolls. You can also bake them in a half sheet pan all at once.