Sending favorite Thanksgiving recipes from our kitchen to yours

The familiar smells of cooking Thanksgiving dinner waft through the air each November, wrapping us all in the shared memories of time spent together. Whether it’s a warm, soft roll on the side of the plate or cutting into a pie with the perfect crust, wheat’s place at our family dinner tables makes it no surprise November is also National Bread Month.

We want to share some of our favorite holiday recipes with you this week as you prep for the coming holiday, recognizing Thanksgiving may look or feel different for many families this year. Whether a tried-and-true roll recipe brings those familiar smells and tastes to the table or you try something new this year like a bread sculpture, making and breaking bread is a long-standing Thanksgiving tradition. Most importantly, we express our gratitude during this month to all those who support Kansas wheat farmers by including wheat products in their family meals—this month and all year round. Visit www.kansaswheat.org for more recipes using wheat products.

No matter how you slice or shape them, dinner rolls are a staple at any holiday meal. This recipe is designed to provide a tasty way to soak up some gravy, be eaten warm and buttered or even frozen for future use.

Dinner Rolls

Ingredients

3 cups white whole wheat flour

2 (1/4 oz.) packages instant yeast

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups 2% low-fat milk

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine or butter

2 large eggs, beaten

5 1/2 to 6 cups bread flour, divided

Instructions

1. In mixer bowl, mix white whole wheat flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt.

2. Heat milk, water and margarine to very warm—120 to 130 degrees F. Note: margarine or butter does not need to melt. For best results, check liquid temperature with a thermometer.

3. Add to dry ingredients and beat 2 minutes at low speed, scraping bowl. Add eggs and 2 cups bread flour; beat 2 minutes, scraping bowl. Gradually mix in enough additional bread flour to make a soft dough.

4. Knead on lightly floured surface or with dough hook 10 to 12 minutes. Cover dough; let rest 10 minutes.

5. Shape dough as desired and place on greased or parchment-lined baking sheets or pans. Cover dough that is not being shaped so it does not dry out. Cover rolls; let rise in a warm (80 to 90 degrees F) place until doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes. To check if dough has doubled, press tip of finger lightly into side of roll. If indention remains, the dough has doubled in size.

6. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Bake rolls 20 to 25 minutes, or until rolls are set and they are just starting to change color. Cool rolls in pans or on baking sheets 10 minutes. Remove rolls to wire rack; cool completely.

7. Place rolls in sealable bags, label and date. Store in refrigerator up to 1 to 2 days or in freezer up to 1 month.

8. To brown and serve: If frozen, defrost rolls at room temperature, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place rolls on cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Nutrition information

One roll provides approximately: 132 calories, 4 g protein, 22 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 3 g fat (1 g saturated), 9 mg cholesterol, 34 mcg folate, 1 mg iron and 551 mg sodium.