Whole Wheat Sandwich Rolls

Whole Wheat Sandwich Rolls with Fennel, caramelized onions and sun-dried tomatoes 


It is been a challenge for me to perfect a non-sweet/savory whole wheat bread for a while. It's somehow easier for me to make sweeter breads with whole wheat flour but, not so much luck with the savory ones. This is the first time the flavor combination worked for me :) These buns goes very well with the salmon burgers from Costco. 

Ingredients
Whole wheat flour- 2 cups 
Lukewarm water- 1 cup
Active dry yeast -1 tbsp
Honey- 1tbsp
Sea salt-1/2 tsp
Fennel-1tsp
Sweet Onion- 1cup Chopped
Sun dried tomatoes - 1tbsp chopped
1/4 cup all purpose flour - for dusting 

In a large mixing bowl take the warm water, mix 1/2 cup flour, the active dry yeast, the honey. Mix well and let it sit for 15 minutes, until slightly foamy. This is just to make sure the yeasts are still active. If you don’t see it’s foaming, the yeast might be expired or the water may be too hot. In that case you’ve to get rid of the mix and start over again.

Heat oil on the pan and add fennel seeds. After a few seconds add the chopped onions. Saute the onions till translucent, for about 5 minutes. Add the salt and the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and saute for a few more minutes. Let it cool down to room temperature.



Stir in the remaining flour and the onion mix. Mix everything properly. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding additional flour if necessary to prevent sticking, until dough is smooth and elastic (This can all be done in a stand mixer). This should take about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a bowl and cover it. Let it rise for an hour or until it doubles in size.

Get the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough again to get rid of the air bubbles. Divide dough into small pieces with a knife or a pizza cutter. Shape each piece into a round roll. To do this, take all the corners of one of the pieces and pull them, pinching them together to seal. Now roll it between the surface and your palm, in a circular motion to secure the seal. This will pull the rest of the dough tight across the top of your roll, giving it a smoother look.
Dust the baking tray with flour, then arrange the rolls. Cover with a clean tea towel dusted with flour. Let it rise for an hour or two.

Preheat the oven at 375. Boil water in an oven proof dish. When the oven is ready place the water dish on a lower rack. Bake the rolls for about 40 minutes, until they’re brown on the top.
Cool on a wire rack. After it’s completely cools down, store in an airtight container or Ziploc bag.