Brioche Dinner Rolls (Soft, Buttery, Make-Ahead)
This brioche dinner rolls recipe uses bread flour for extra chew and a muffin tin to shape them into soft, pull-apart cloverleaf rolls. Made with whole milk, eggs, and butter, the dough turns out rich and pillowy with a golden, buttery top. You can shape and refrigerate the rolls the night before, then bake them fresh the next day. Active prep is about 20 minutes, plus rise time.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 package yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
- ¼ cup sugar (divided)
- ¼ cup warm water
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 ½-3 cups bread flour
- 1 tablespoon Melted salted butter for topping
Instructions
- Add the yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar, and warm water to the bowl of an electric mixer and let rest for 5 minutes to dissolve.
- In a large measuring cup or bowl, heat the milk in the microwave for 1 minute until bubbly and hot. Add the rest of the sugar, salt and melted butter and whisk until it has dissolved. Let the milk mixture cool so that it is just warm to the touch. (you can place it in the refrigerator if you are in a hurry)
- Add the milk mixture to the yeast mixture and whisk in the eggs. Stir in 2 ½ cups of flour and knead for 4 minutes until it is smooth and pulls away from the bowl. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour until it can be easily handled.
- Place the dough in a large buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled. When you poke your finger in the center, the hole should stay in place if it is ready.
- Punch down the dough and divide it into 4 sections. Form each section into 9, one inch balls. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray and place 3 balls in each muffin cup. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place until they have doubled and fill out the muffin cup, 30 minutes to an hour.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 400º for 10 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter.
Barbara's Notes + Tips
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- The dough is ready to shape when it's doubled and a finger poked into the center leaves a hole that doesn't spring back.
- Bake until the tops are deep golden brown, not just pale gold. That extra color is what tells you the inside is fully cooked through.
- No muffin tin on hand? Shape into rolls on a rimmed baking sheet instead, spaced so they touch slightly as they rise.
- Store at room temperature 2-3 days, or freeze baked and cooled rolls in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 597mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 0.4mg
