Whole Wheat Sandwich Rolls

When I saw these rolls on Lovestoeat's Weblog, I knew I had to give them a try. So far my baking with yeast has been limited to pretzels and pizza dough. So I was a little nervous attempting something more bread-like, but they turned out great. We used them for pork sandwiches the first night, had a couple of weekend breakfasts with egg sandwiches, and will be finishing them off tomorrow with some hamburgers. These are a delicious and versatile roll, and I'll definitely be making them again.

Whole Wheat Sandwich Rolls

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast (1 1/2 packages) - I used the equivalent in instant yeast
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3/4 cup warm milk
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds - I left these out
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 4 to 4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour - I used about half of each

Pour the water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast and a pinch of brown sugar over the surface of the water. Stir to combine and let stand at room temperature until foamy, about 10 min. In a large bowl using a whisk, combine the milk, butter, brown sugar, salt, seeds, and whole-wheat flour. Beat hard until smooth, about 3 min. Add yeast mixture and the unbleached flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 5 minutes, dusting with flour only as needed, to make a smooth, soft, slightly sticky dough. Place the dough in a greased deep bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in bulk, 45 min. to 1 hour. Gently deflate the dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Grease or parchment-line 2 baking sheets. Divide the dough into 16 equal portions and shape each into an oblong oval. Place the rolls 2 inches apart on the baking sheet, cover, and let rest until puffy and almost double, about 30 minutes. Brush with the egg glaze. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake rolls for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Egg glaze: 1 large egg mixed with 1 tablespoon milk