These soft brioche dinner rolls are rich, buttery, and golden, made with eggs and butter and finished with melted butter and flaky salt.
There is something special about tearing into a warm, buttery brioche roll.
These brioche dinner rolls are made with eggs and plenty of butter, so they bake up golden on the outside and incredibly soft and fluffy inside.
A brush of melted butter and a sprinkle of flaky salt right out of the oven makes them impossible to resist.
Serve them with soup, stews, or a holiday dinner, or simply with butter and jam.
If you like soft rolls, try my challah buns and garlic butter dinner rolls!
Jump to:
Why this recipe works
- Rich and Buttery: A generous amount of butter and eggs gives these rolls their rich flavor and tender, melt-in-your-mouth crumb.
- Extra Soft: Kneading the butter in slowly makes a silky dough that bakes into the softest, fluffiest rolls.
- Golden Tops: An egg wash before baking and melted butter after gives them a shiny, bakery-style finish.
- Even Sizes: Weighing the dough balls makes every roll the same size, so they bake evenly in one pan.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: You can make the dough the night before or freeze the baked rolls, so they fit any holiday plan.
Ingredients
Before starting, measure and prepare your ingredients so the baking process goes smoothly. You can find the exact measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Flour: All-purpose flour gives the rolls structure while keeping them soft. Spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off, or, even better, use a kitchen scale to weigh it.
Instant Yeast: Makes the dough rise into light, fluffy rolls. Make sure it is fresh.
Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the dough slightly and helps the rolls turn golden. Caster sugar works great too.
Kosher Salt: Balances the richness and gives the rolls their flavor.
Eggs: Large and at room temperature. They make brioche rich, golden, and tender.
Milk: Whole milk keeps the rolls soft and moist, so they don't turn crumbly the next day.
Butter: Unsalted and softened to room temperature so it kneads smoothly into the dough. If using salted butter, remove the salt from the recipe.
Step by Step Instructions
Make the dough
1. Mix the Dry Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast, and mix on low until combined.
2. Add the Eggs and Milk: Add the eggs and milk and mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until well combined.
3. Add the Butter: Add the soft butter a little at a time, letting each addition mix in before adding the next.
4. Knead: Knead for at least 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
5. Rise: Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise until doubled or tripled in size.
Shape and bake the rolls
6. Divide: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 12 equal pieces, about 80 g each.
7. Shape: Roll each piece into a smooth ball and place in a 9x13-inch pan.
8. Second Rise: Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled or tripled in size.
9. Bake: Brush the rolls with egg wash and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown on top.
10. Finish: Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with flaky salt. Let the rolls cool for at least 20 minutes and serve warm.
Expert Tips
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Soft butter and room temperature eggs mix in smoothly for a silky dough.
- Add the Butter Slowly: A little at a time keeps the dough from turning greasy.
- Don't Add Too Much Flour: Brioche dough is naturally soft and a little sticky, and extra flour makes the rolls dry.
- Let It Rise Fully: Full rises give the rolls their light, fluffy texture.
- Weigh the Dough Balls: Same-size rolls bake evenly.
Troubleshooting
Why is my brioche dough so sticky?
Brioche dough is soft and sticky because of all the butter and eggs. Keep kneading until it pulls away from the bowl, and only add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time if it is still very wet.
Why didn't my dough rise?
The yeast was old or the kitchen was too cold. Use fresh yeast and let the dough rise in a warm spot, like an oven with just the light on.
Why are my rolls crumbly the next day?
Too much flour, low-fat milk, or storing them uncovered can dry them out. Use whole milk, measure the flour carefully, and store the rolls in an airtight container once cool.
Frequently Asked Questions
Brioche is a French bread made with lots of butter and eggs, which gives it a rich flavor, a golden color, and an incredibly soft, tender crumb.
Mixing the flour, eggs, and milk first builds the gluten. Adding the soft butter afterward lets it work in slowly, so the dough becomes smooth and silky instead of greasy.
Yes, but it takes some work. Mix the dough with a spoon, then knead it by hand for 15 to 20 minutes, working the butter in a little at a time. The dough will be sticky at first, so avoid adding too much flour.
Storing
Store the rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing
Baked rolls: Cool completely, place in an airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 2 hours or in the fridge overnight.
Unbaked rolls: After shaping, freeze the rolls on a lined tray until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 1 month. Place in the pan, let them thaw and rise until puffy, then bake.
Reheating Tips
Oven: Warm in a 150°C (300°F) oven or toaster oven for about 5 minutes.
Microwave: Warm for about 30 seconds.
Make It Ahead Of Time
Rise Overnight in the Fridge
Shape the rolls, place them in the pan, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour until puffy, then bake.
Substitutions
Dairy: Free- you can make this dairy-free by replacing the butter with vegan butter.
Sugar: you can substitute the sugar with honey. Simply replace the ¼ cup of sugar with ¼ cup of honey.
Whole Wheat Flour: To make this with wholewheat flour, simply replace ½ of the flour with wholewheat flour. We suggest not making these with %100 wholewheat flour, because the rolls will turn out dense and not fluffy.
Variations
Herbs: Add your favorite finely chopped herbs to the dough.
Garlic Butter: Brush the warm rolls with melted butter mixed with minced garlic and parsley.
Cinnamon Rolls: Roll the dough into a rectangle, spread with butter and cinnamon sugar, roll up, and slice into rolls.
Cloverleaf Rolls: Divide each roll into 3 small balls and bake them together in a greased muffin tin.
How to Scale This Recipe
Multiply all the ingredients by the amount below.
- Half Batch: Make ½ of the recipe for 6 rolls in an 8x8-inch pan.
- 16 Smaller Rolls: As written. Divide into 16 pieces and bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
- Slider Buns: As written. Divide into 24 pieces and bake for 15 to 18 minutes.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook
- Large mixing bowl
- Kitchen scale
- 9x13-inch baking pan
- Pastry brush
More Bread Recipes
Love homemade bread? Try my no-knead focaccia and homemade pita bread!
Connect With Us
Review: Leave a rating and comment below if you enjoyed this recipe. Socials: Follow on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Save: Pin this recipe to Pinterest for later.
📖 Recipe
Soft Brioche Rolls
Ingredients
- 4 cups Flour
- 1 tablespoon Instant yeast
- ¼ cup Granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 3 Eggs
- ¾ cup Milk
- ½ cup Butter softened
Instructions
Make the dough
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast, and mix on low until combined.
- Add the Eggs and Milk: Add the eggs and milk and mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until well combined.
- Add the Butter: Add the soft butter a little at a time, letting each addition mix in before adding the next.
- Knead: Knead for at least 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Rise: Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled or tripled in size.
Shape and bake the rolls
- Divide: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 12 equal pieces, about 80 g each.
- Shape: Roll each piece into a smooth ball and place in a 9x13-inch pan.
- Second Rise: Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled or tripled in size.
- Bake: Brush with egg wash and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.
- Finish: Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with flaky salt. Cool for at least 20 minutes and serve warm.
Notes
- Weigh the Flour: For the most accurate results, weigh the flour on a kitchen scale.
- Room Temperature: Use soft butter and room temperature eggs.
- Add Butter Slowly: A little at a time keeps the dough silky, not greasy.
- Sticky Dough: Brioche dough is naturally soft and sticky, so avoid adding extra flour.
- Whole Milk: Keeps the rolls soft and moist for days.
- Even Rolls: Weigh each dough ball at about 80 g.
- Slider Buns: Divide into 24 pieces and bake for 15 to 18 minutes.
- Make Ahead: Shape the rolls, refrigerate overnight, and let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking.
- Storage: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Freeze baked rolls for up to 3 months, or shaped unbaked rolls for up to 1 month.
Comments
No Comments