Fast and Flexible Whole-Grain Rolls

This is a really cool recipe.  The thing I love is that you can use leftover grain.  I used brown rice from our dinner the night before.  The rolls had great flavor, and were very tender considering they are all whole wheat flour.  I may make my dough balls a bit bigger next time, but otherwise I wouldn't change a thing!

The New Whole Grain Cookbook
2 cups water, divided, for bulgur OR 1 1/2 cups water for cooked grain
1/2 cup bulgur or 1 cup cooked grain
1/4 cup honey (not raw honey, it may kill the yeast)
1/2 cup olive oil or nut oil
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon quick-rise yeast
5 cups whole wheat flour, divided
2 teaspoons salt

If using bulgur: bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Add the bulgur and return to a full, rolling boil.  Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, then let stand for 5 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup cool water to bring the temperature down.

If using cooked grain: bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil, add the cooked grain, then remove from heat.

Stir the honey, oil, and vinegar into the hot grain mixture.  Take the temperature of the mixture, and follow the yeast package recommendations, letting it cool if necessary.  IN a stand mixer or large bowl, mix 5 cups of the flour with the yeast and salt.  Using the dough hook, stir in the grain mixture.  Knead to mix.  When the flour is mixed in, knead in the remaining cup, to make a soft dough.  The dough will seem sticky in the bowl, but you should be able to handle it without it sticking to your hands.  Oil a large mixing bowl and scrape the dough into the bowl.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for at least 45 minutes, and up to 3 hours.

Oil a heavy sheet pan.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  The dough should be bigger than it was.  Tear off small handfuls of dough, about 3/4 the size you would like the rolls to be.  Roll each piece into a ball, and place on the oiled pan.  Lightly cover with a sheet of plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm spot for at least 30 minutes.

Bake for 15 minutes.  Slide the rolls off the pan onto a rack to cool.