Wheat Garlic Rolls

My sister and her college friends did this thing that impressed me. They made a pact to find a part of their own bodies that they found most attractive. That way any time they were feeling self-conscious or unpretty, they could look at it, smile, and feel better about themselves. This is a great idea for people (not just girls) that sometimes struggle with the physical standards our society holds as attractive. And by a raise of hands, who else has had one of those frumpy, feeling fat and ugly days? I see you all out there with your hands up.

As for my sister, she really liked her forearms. Let me tell you, she has nice forearms.

I have been thinking about this lately and concluded my favorite part of my body is my ankles. I'm not going to lie but they look pretty darn cute when I wear crop pants with boat shoes or sandals. It makes me happy when I get to show them. :) Somehow they are one of the skinniest parts of my body and the bottom of my calf meeting the top of my foot is just attractive. Now, this is probably not the first thing that anyone notices when they see me (actually most people probably don't check out my ankles), but it is the fact that when I see them, I hold my head a little higher, remind myself that I am beautiful, and have a little better day.

Now, I'm giving you homework. Think about your favorite body part. Pick something with which you are always happy (okay, maybe my ankles may turn to cankles if I'm on a long plan ride without walking around much, but that is not very often). Remember this always... especially if you are having a bad day. If you care to share below, I'd love to hear what you have picked.

Now on to delicious garlic bread that can make me smile as much as my ankles. These rolls can compliment any Italian feast and come together quite easily on a lazy day at home. I made them into cloverleaf rolls by dropping three balls into muffin tins. Alternatively, you could roll them into logs for breadsticks or simply make buns.

Wheat Garlic Rolls (adapted significantly from White on Rice Couple)
Ingredients:
a little less than 1 cup warm water (about 115 F)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tbsp sugar
3/4 tbsp active dry yeast
75 grams all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cup)
75 grams whole wheat flour (about 1 1/4 cup)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/8 cup freshly chopped herbs (combination of parsley, rosemary, basil)

Directions:
Combine the water, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the flour and knead for about 3 minutes until the flour is completely incorporated. Cover and let rise until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

Grease a muffin tin with cooking spray.

Lightly punch down the dough and separate into 11-12 pieces. Separate each piece into three equal pieces and roll into a ball. Place three balls into each muffin tin. Cover with a towel and let rise until puffy over the sides of the tin, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Bake for about 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

While the rolls are baking, heat the 1 tbsp olive oil and butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the chopped fresh herbs and set aside.

Remove the rolls from the oven and brush with the garlic herb mixture.

Serve warm. Reheat in microwave or oven if you have leftovers.

Makes 11-12 rolls.