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5 from 1 vote

4 Ingredient Healthy Yogurt Bread Rolls

These healthy yogurt bread rolls are made with whole wheat flour and yogurt. The rolls are soft, chewy, and tangy. They are just 4 ingredients and don't contain any yeast. They also don't require any kneading.
Servings: 12 rolls
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 4 cups (508 g) whole wheat pastry flour, see note
  • 3 tbsp (34 g) aluminum free baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp (8 g) salt
  • 2 1/3 cups (560 g) plain yogurt, see note

Instructions
 

  • In a large glass mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together until evenly combined.
  • Add in the yogurt. Mix with spatula until the yogurt is fully incorporated. Then use your hand to incorporate the last bit of flour into the dough. Be careful not to overwork the dough. You just want to incorporate all the flour into the dough and not have any dry spots on your dough.
  • Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place the bowl into the fridge to rest (between 3-6 hours). During this fermentation time the dough will get more wet and sticky.
  • About 30 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C). Add a large cast iron skillet (or large metal baking dish that is oven safe at 425°F) to the bottom rack of the oven while it preheats. Adjust the rack that the bread will bake on to just above the bottom rack (You want the bread to bake as low in the oven as possible so the surface doesn't get too dark). Bring a tea kettle or large pot of water to a boil.
  • When your dough is ready, generously flour a work surface with more whole wheat pastry flour. Carefully transfer the dough onto the floured surface. Use a bench scraper or lightly floured hands to rotate the dough towards yourself on the floured surface, until you form a round, taut ball.
  • Use a bench scraper or sharp knife to divide the dough into 12 equal portions. I recommend weighing the dough to make sure all the rolls are the same size.
  • Shape each piece into a ball by pulling the edges to the center and pinching to seal. Place seam side down on your work surface and roll under your hand to create tension and form a round, taut ball.
  • Place the rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1.5 inches apart. If desired, you can brush tops of the bread rolls with egg white wash (see note). This will give them a little darker and slightly smoother finish. You can also not add any egg wash and the bread will have a more rustic finish. See notes for more details.
  • When your oven is preheated, carefully pour boiling water into the cast iron skillet/baking dish.
  • Then quickly add the baking sheet of rolls into the oven and bake for about 30-35 minutes or until dark golden brown on the outside and fully cooked. The rolls should also have some cracks on the surface (the cracks are more pronounced if you don't have an egg wash finish on top). To check if bread rolls are done, you can tap the bottom and they should sound hollow. If you still aren't sure if the bread rolls are done, you can break one open to check. Let the rolls cool for about 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • We recommend whole wheat pastry flour for these rolls (or regular all purpose flour). White whole wheat flour and regular whole wheat flour will make the rolls very dense. We used Whole Foods 365 brand whole wheat pastry flour.* Make sure your brand of whole wheat pastry flour has 3 grams of protein per 1/4 cup serving. Most whole wheat pastry flours should have this lower amount of protein but I did come across a few brands like Bob's Red Mill which has a higher amount of protein which will likely make the rolls dense.
  • Yogurt: Make sure to use plain regular yogurt and not Greek yogurt or any other high protein yogurt. The high protein will make your bread very dense. I tested this bread successfully with plain whole milk yogurt and plain low fat yogurt. I used Stonyfield yogurt which contains 6 grams of protein per 3/4 cup for the whole milk version and 7 grams of protein per 3/4 cup for the low fat version (Amazon | Target | Walmart)*.
  • I used Whole Foods 365 aluminum free baking powder.* Some other brands that making aluminum free baking powder are Argo and Bob's Red Mill.
  • *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • Optional egg wash finish: We added an egg wash on top before baking but it is optional. It gives the bread a slightly darker, shinier and smoother surface when they are done baking. If you don't have the egg wash the breads will still brown but not quite as dark and they will have bigger splits along the center surface of the rolls. It's a more rustic appearance but it still looks nice.
    • If you want the bread rolls to have an egg wash finish, add the egg white of a large egg into a small bowl and whisk it to break it apart. Then brush the top of the rolls with the egg white right before adding them to the oven.
Serving: 1roll, Calories: 164kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.3g, Sodium: 506mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 2g, NET CARBS: 29
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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