A whole wheat buns that are soft and loaded with herbs and cheese. It’s a good option to introduce a different kind of buns on your table. Let’s welcome this Whole Wheat Cheese Buns on our table 🙂

I don’t make whole wheat bread as much as I make regular bread or rolls. I do however love changing up things from time to time. When it comes to bread, I am always open to trying new variations. I’ve made this bread using regular flour but never tried it with whole wheat, and so I did. 

When I made this bread, I wanted to share it with a friend who prefer whole wheat bread because of health reasons. This gave me more reason to make it and share it. 

I used fresh rosemary from my garden when I made this, of course I know that will not always be the case. Although I buy fresh herbs in the grocery, ever since I planted it, I cannot helped but compare the difference. Store-bought herbs and garden grown herbs, night and day when it comes to freshness and flavor. It makes a huge of difference that you are harvesting it fresh when you need it rather than buying something that has been sitting in the rack for days. In reality, I cannot have fresh grown herbs all year round, but I am just saying that when you have the chance to use fresh or homegrown, go for it.

This dough is very versatile. You can have it plain, you can add herbs and dried fruits, mix-in or stuff it with cheese. You can also shape it however you want to. I like making a twist to make the buns, but a simple round or disk shape buns is good as well. I just love making food prettier than usual 🙂 

I’ve added fresh herbs and cheese, but if you do not like it, skip it and make it a plain whole wheat rolls. However, if you fancy some bits and pieces, add chopped dried cranberry or raisins to make it whole wheat raising or cranberry roll. 

I used 100% whole wheat flour for this bread. The tricky thing with using whole wheat flour is that the bread could easily end up being dry. This one is not that kind of buns. The grated cheese added moisture to the bread, plus cheese on buns always makes it better. 

I do understand that whole wheat bread are not for everyone’s taste. I have to say the first few times I had it, I also was not into it. The texture is definitely different from regular rolls. This is because of the coarse texture of the whole wheat flour. Whole wheat bread has an earthy taste on it, I find that adding generous amount of salt helps to enhance the taste. Generous but not too much to the point that it gets salty. 

I like pairing this with soup & stews, sometimes with pasta or salad, and often times with just a smudge of butter on it, toasted please! 

If you are open to trying whole wheat bread, give this one a try. 

Rosemary is probably one herb that I do not buy fresh quite often unless the recipe specifically calls for it. Mostly, I used it for savory dishes but lately I had been adding it to my bread rolls just because I have quite a lot of it on hand. When I started gardening this year, I decided to plant Rosemary and I was really glad that I did. I have 1 Rosemary plant which I think is more than enough for me. How much Rosemary do you actually need anyway? Even that 1 plant gave me so much to use, and so here we are with this Rosemary bread rolls. I’ve made this twice already with a slight variation every time. One plain and one with cheese and they both turned out lovely.

My Garden Grown Rosemary

I never understand it before whenever people say that garden grown vegetables, herbs or fruits are 100% better than store bought. But after growing quite a few myself, I can attest that it is true. Even this simple Rosemary herb has better flavor. The leaves are thicker so you get so much from it. I’ve used a lot already from cooking savory dishes and adding it in breads, and I still have more. I also notice that it last longer, probably because the leaves are thicker so it doesn’t wilt as much.

Rosemary doesn’t have a strong flavor or taste, it adds a hint of freshness but seriously nothing overpowering. This is why I don’t mind putting more than what I have to. I love the specs of green to the bread. If you are not a fan of Rosemary for whatever reason, you can a skip it, or probably used other hard herbs like Thyme. I would suggest soft herbs like Basil or Oregano as they will wilt bug time from the heat.

Why Does Dough Need to Rise Twice

I’ve made quite a lot of bread recipes, from all around dinner rolls, versatile sandwich bread, easy burgers buns, creamy brioche bread and beautiful cinnamon rolls. Most of these bread have something in common, they are all yeast bread that requires the dough to rest twice. It takes a lot of time, but for me it is really worth it. But why do we need to let the dough rise twice? There is a science behind all this and some confusing terminologies involved, so I will save us all that effort of remembering those words and get straight to the point. Juts remember two words, flavor and texture. Allowing the dough to rest twice produces better flavor, and chewier texture because it allows yeast more time to get to work.

Tips for a Successful Soft Homemade Bread

• Liquid Temperature – Yeast grows in temperature between 105 – 110F, so its important to have the water that you are using to “proof” it in this range. If you go lower or higher, the yeast might not proof properly. That means the bread will not rise as much, resulting to a flat and tough bread.
• Check Yeast Expiry a Date – you might be wondering how come the bread did not rise when you followed exactly the recipe. Well, first thing first, make sure the yeast is not yet expired. Expired yeast is the common reason for flat and dense bread. If your bread did not expand or rise during the rest period, it is most likely that the yeast is not fresh or the water temperature is too hot or cold.
• Amount of Yeast – Just because you want a tall bread doesn’t mean you have to put as much yeast in the mixture. Sometimes adding too much yeast can cause the bread to collapse during the rest period. Just imagine putting more air than what is needed in a balloon, the balloon will explode. The same case with bread.
• Right Type of Yeast – We’ve discussed the 3 types of yeast above. Make sure to use the right one for your recipe, and make necessary adjustments if you want to swap one from another.
• Rest Period – Yeast bread needs time to rise. There are bread that uses less yeast but requires more rest time, the likes of No Knead Bread or Artisan Bread which usually require 8- 16 hours rest period to get the volume and to develop the flavor. There are 1 hour bread like my Rosemary Dinner Rolls which used this same bread dough. The point is, give it time to rest, don’t touch it just leave it in a warm place. The first rest period will normally tell you if your dough is good or not. If it rise and almost double in size, then your on the right track.
• Expiration and Quality of the Flour – The quality of the flour greatly affect the texture of the bread. All-purpose flour could differ from country to country although they are all called as all-purpose flour. Sometimes it depends on the brand too. The closer the flour to expiration date or if it is already expired, the flour could tend to be drier, which means it would require more liquid than mentioned in the recipe. This is a common issue of way sometimes the dough tend to be tough and dry. This is why sometimes you have to add few more tablespoon from the suggested flour measurement to get the right texture. The dough should be soft, smooth and elastic. If it is too wet, add a bit more flour until it is no longer to sticky to handle. If it is too dry, a small amount of liquid helps provide moisture to the dough. A clean side of the bowl, with the dough slightly sticking at the bottom, a soft, smooth and elastic dough is what You are aiming for.

How do I Know if I Made the Bread Dough Correctly?

• Activating the Yeast –  This is the first thing that you should get right, otherwise do NOT proceed. After 5 – 10 minutes you should see a foam forms on top of the water, this is an indication that the yeast is alive. If you do not get this, either the yeast is old or the liquid temperature is too hot or cold. The temperature should be 100F, lukewarm but not hot.
• Clean Bowl After Kneading – The sides of the bowl should be clean, while the bottom is slightly sticking to the dough. This means that amount of liquid to the flour is correct. Enough to make a clean bowl and still make a slightly wet dough.
• Soft Dough – Soft dough means the amount of flour to liquid is enough. Too much flour could make the bread dense and heavy, and too much liquid could make it too wet. Both will affect how the bread rise in the rest period. Try to push your fingers in the dough, it should leave a “dimple” on the dough and should gradually disappear.
• Smooth Dough Surface – Again, this is a sign of correct flour to liquid ratio. A “bumpy” surface could mean that the dough is dry and tough.
• Elastic Dough – A soft dough is usually elastic. If your dough is dry and tough, it wouldn’t be as elastic when you pull it apart.
• Rest Period – The dough should almost double in size. This is a sign that the activation of the yeast work which is crucial to making a soft and fluffy bread. This also means the yeast is alive (not yet expired) and the liquid temperature is correct. I always use baking thermometer to check the temperature of the liquid.

Why is My Dough too Wet or too Dry?

Don’t get frustrated if your dough did not turn out immediately as what you see in the photo or video. Most likely It is not because you did not follow the recipe. When it comes to bread making, the amount of flour and liquid is not always 100% precise. This is why often times you will encounter recipes that says, if your dough is dry, add a bit more liquid. If your dough is too wet, add a little bit more flour. This instructions are not meant to confuse you, they are meant to guide you on how to adjust as you work through your dough. The reason for this is that  although the measurement of water and flour are specified in the recipe, it still could slightly vary depending on many factors.

• For instance, all-purpose flour could very from country to country, or even from brand to brand. Don’t be surprise if you find that some brand tends to require a bit more liquid as the others.
• On top of this, the amount of liquid is also affected by the state of your flour. How old is the flour that you are using? Older flour nearing expiry tends to be drier and this requires more liquid.
• Humidity also affects baking. The more humid it is, the more likely the dough will be sticky and wet.

Bread making requires patience, and practice. Once you learn how to feel the right texture of the dough, everything will be quick and easy. You can instantly tell if you need to add more water or flour to get the dough in right state.

Let’s get rolling and make this Whole Wheat Cheese Herb Buns. Let me show you how I made it. Let’s get started! 

Tips in Making This Whole Wheat Cheese Buns

• I used fresh Rosemary for this recipe because I like the flavor of it on bread. Fresh Rosemary also have a thicker leaves that doesn’t wilt when baked. You can also use chives for a garlicy flavor. If you like to use Basil, Or Oregano or any other herbs that have very tender soft leaves, I suggest use the dried herbs .
• You can make this bread with or without cheese in ti, but really, why not? Cheese makes bread taste even better
• You can shape this as regular round rolls for a quicker shaping process. I like the fancy look of having it in a knot.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon warm Milk (110F)
• 1 1/4 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
• 2 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon Sugar , divided (1/2 tsp for yeast, remaining for flour mixture)
• 2 tablespoon Flavorless Oil
• 1 large Egg – room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups Bread Flour or All-purpose Flour
• 1 tablespoon Dried Rosemary or 2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (you can increase it for stronger flavor)
• 3/4 teaspoon Salt
• 180 grams shredded Cheddar Cheese (white, marble or combination of both)

Instructions:

1. Activate the Yeast: Microwave the milk for 20- 25 seconds until lukewarm but NOT hot, aim for 110F. If you have a baking thermometer, use it as it is the best way to be sure of the temperature. Hot milk will kill the yeast and the bread will not rise properly. Transfer milk in bowl of stand mixer (Refer to discussion above for other Methods of making this) and add 1/2 tsp of the granulated sugar and stir. Add the yeast and let rest for 10 minutes until mixture is foamy. If the mixture did not become foamy, either the yeast is old or the milk is too hot. Do NOT proceed until corrected, otherwise you will end up with a tough dense bread
   • If using instant yeast, mix the yeast with the dry ingredients. No need to activate it.

• Add Wet Ingredients: Add remaining sugar (2 tbsp) and egg to the yeast mixture.

• Add Dry Ingredients: Followed by the flour, salt and chopped fresh chopped Rosemary or Chives.

• Knead the Dough (Speed 2) Using the paddle attachment, mix for about 10 seconds just to bring the mixture together. Replace with the dough/hook attachment and knead for 15 minutes (KitchenAid Speed 2). If the dough is too dry, add 1/2 teaspoon of milk until it reach a smooth, soft and elastic texture. The side of the bowl should be clean, while the dough is slightly sticking to the bottom of the bowl. Do not stop mixing until you get to this stage.
• Rest Period: Transfer the dough in a greased bowl and covr. Leave in a warm location for 1 hour.

• Divide and Shape the Dough: Divide the dough into 6 portions. Cover and leave for 15 minutes. This will help the dough to be more workable and easy to shape and roll. Using a rolling pin, roll into 6-inch long, flatten it and sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese (33 grams) on top. Roll starting from the end close to you and continue rolling until the end. Stretch and roll into a 10-inch long (like a strip). Tie into a knot and tuck the excess under.
  • Alternatively, you can also just shape it into a ball, like dinner rolls

• Let Rest: Cover loosely with plastic wrap or warm towel, and then let rise in a warm place for at least 60 minutes or until doubled. (Rising time is dependent on the temperature of the room; let rise until the dough is doubled). I find 60 – 90 minutes is my sweet spot, perfectly fluffy.
  • Trick: Pre-heat the oven to 110F then turn it OFF. Put the covered dough inside

8. Pre-heat the Oven: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F in the last 10 minutes of rest time, or however long it takes to pre-heat your oven. If you are using the oven to rest the dough, do NOT forget to take the dough out before pre-heating.

9. Brush Top (optional) : Brush the top with egg wash ( 1 beaten egg + 1 teaspoon water)

10. Bake for 15 – 18 minutes, until deeply golden brown.

11. Let Cool completely to allow the bread texture to get better

Makes 6 pieces

Enjoy! If you make this, share and tag me in Instagram #SweetNSpicyLiving. I would like to see your creations too.

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