1 hour prep time  |  Makes about 18 rolls

What you need:

• 1/2 c warm water
   
• 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
   
• 1/4 c honey
   
• 1/4 c olive oil
   
• 1/4 c total of fresh sage and thyme, chopped
   
• 1 medium onion, diced
   
• 1-1/2 c buttermilk
   
• 1 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper
   
• 1/2 c toasted wheat germ
   
• 2 c unbleached flour or bread flour
   
• 2 tsp salt
   
• 4 c whole-wheat bread flour (approximately, up to 5 cups)

What you do:
 

1. Preheat oven to lowest setting, then turn off. In a mixing bowl, mix warm (100°) water with yeast and honey. Let the yeast mixture stand 10 minutes, until foamy.
2. In a small saute pan, heat the olive oil. Saute the herbs and onion until soft and fragrant. Add buttermilk and heat on low until warm. Add pepper.
3. Mix the warm buttermilk and onion mixture into the yeast. Add the wheat germ, unbleached flour, and salt. Mix well. Add 3 cups of the whole-wheat flour and knead until incorporated, adding more if dough is very sticky.
4. Cut off pieces of dough about 1/3 cup in volume to form rolls. Roll into rounds and put on a baking sheet sprayed with oil. Cover with a cloth towel and put in the warm oven to rise.
5. In about 20 minutes, the rolls should have doubled. Take them out of the oven and set the heat to 375°. When the oven is hot, uncover and bake for 15 minutes. The tops and bottoms should be browned, and the rolls should make a hollow sound when tapped.
6. Cool on a wire rack. They are best hot out of the oven, but after cooling completely, they can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week.
    

Per serving: 195 Calories, 6 g Protein, 36 g Carbohydrates, 4 g Fiber, 4 g Total fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono, 1 g poly), 282 mg Sodium, Vitamin B3 (niacin), Manganese, Selenium, Vitamin B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), E, Folate, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus