Mary, the crust on these rolls is chewy (not crisp), and the inside is porous. You don't need a tile or stone; raising them in the floured towel does help with the chewy crust, though. Also be sure to bake at the specified (hot) temperature. Bill, you can substitute whole wheat but the rolls will be entirely different: denser, heavier, drier, without the nice interior holes. That's pretty much the nature of whole wheat. Try substituting 1 cup whole wheat first, then go to 2 cups if you find 1 cup acceptable, then 3. That way you can see what spot along the way you really prefer.

• Reply