Brioche Dinner Rolls with Salted Maple Butter Recipe

Today I’m bringing you a truly luscious roll to grace your dinner table: Brioche Dinner Rolls with Salted Maple Butter! Trust me, this isn’t just a side dish; it’s a star. These rolls are pillowy-soft, rich with butter, and have that incredible light sweetness that makes brioche so irresistible. But the real game-changer? It’s the Salted Maple Butter—a dreamy blend of creamy butter, earthy maple, and a satisfying sprinkle of flaky sea salt that melts perfectly into the warm bread. This combination is absolutely unreal, turning a simple dinner roll into a moment of pure comfort and elegance.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Pillowy Soft Texture: Thanks to the brioche technique, these rolls are incredibly rich and tender. They practically melt in your mouth, which makes them dangerously addictive!
• The Ultimate Sweet & Savory Duo: The subtle sweetness of the roll is perfectly balanced by the savory, salty, and sweet topping. It’s a flavor combination that will have everyone asking for the recipe.
• A Showstopper Side Dish: Whether it’s a holiday meal or a cozy Sunday dinner, serving these rolls is an instant upgrade. They look beautiful in the pan, and the homemade butter adds a touch of gourmet flair.
• Therapeutic Baking: There is nothing more satisfying than working a dough until it’s smooth and watching it rise. This recipe is a delightful way to spend an afternoon in the kitchen!

Ingredients

All you need for this gorgeous Brioche Dinner Rolls Recipe is a little patience (mostly for the rising!) and these high-quality staples. Seriously, gather up these ingredients, and let’s make some magic happen:

• All-Purpose Flour: This is our primary structure! It provides the foundation for our airy, yet rich, brioche dough.
• Granulated Sugar: Just enough to feed the yeast and give the rolls that signature, subtle sweetness and beautiful golden color.
• Active Dry Yeast: Our leavening agent! This is what gives the rolls their lift and incredible pillowy texture. Make sure your yeast is fresh!
• Fine Salt: Essential for enhancing the flavor of the bread and controlling the yeast’s activity. Don’t skip it!
• Warm Milk and Warm Water: This liquid combination hydrates the flour and activates the yeast. Make sure it’s warm—not hot—or you’ll stop the yeast in its tracks!
• Large Eggs: An absolute must for brioche! They enrich the dough, giving it its beautiful golden hue, tender crumb, and incredible softness. Use them at room temperature for the best results!
• Unsalted Butter (Softened): The star of brioche. This fat is added slowly to create that rich, soft, luxurious texture. Use good quality butter—you can taste the difference!

For the Salted Maple Butter:

• Unsalted Butter (Softened): The creamy canvas for our magical spread.
• Pure Maple Syrup: Adds a deep, earthy sweetness that pairs beautifully with the salt. Use pure maple syrup for the best flavor!
• Flaky Sea Salt: This is the key! It adds a beautiful textural crunch and a burst of savory saltiness to cut through the sweetness.

Friendly Note: The exact measurements and quantities for all of these wonderful ingredients will be right under the article in the recipe card!

How to Make Brioche Dinner Rolls

Step 1: Combine the Dry Ingredients

In your biggest mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, and the fine salt. Whisking ensures everything is evenly distributed before the wet ingredients come in!

Step 2: Mix the Wet Ingredients

In a separate bowl, gently whisk your warm milk, warm water, and room-temperature eggs. This pre-mix helps integrate the eggs smoothly into the dough later on.

Step 3: Form the Shaggy Dough

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix everything until you have a ‘shaggy’ dough—it will look messy and uncombined, but that’s perfect for now!

Step 4: Knead in the Butter

Now for the fun part! Start adding the softened butter gradually, piece by piece, while kneading. Keep kneading the dough for a good 8 to 10 minutes until it transforms from a sticky mess into a smooth, elastic, and beautiful dough ball. This is where the brioche magic happens!

Step 5: The First Rise (Bulk Fermentation)

Transfer your dough to a lightly greased bowl, flip it once to coat, then cover it up. Let it hang out and rise in a warm spot for about 1 to 1.5 hours, or until it has happily doubled in size.

Step 6: Shape the Rolls

Gently punch down the risen dough to release the air. Divide it into 12 equal portions, and then roll each piece into a smooth, perfect little ball. Don’t stress too much about perfection—just make sure the tops are nice and taut!

Step 7: The Second Rise (Proofing)

Arrange your dough balls snugly in a parchment-lined baking dish. Cover them again and let them rise for their final proof, about 45 to 60 minutes. They should look puffy and soft!

Step 8: Bake and Golden Brown

Preheat your oven to $350^\circ\text{F}$ ($175^\circ\text{C}$). Pop those beauties in and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until they have reached a glorious, deep golden brown color on top.

Step 9: Make the Salted Maple Butter

While your house is filling with the most amazing fresh bread aroma, whip up that famous butter! Just mix the softened butter, pure maple syrup, and flaky salt until it’s creamy and dreamy.

Step 10: Serve and Savor!

Pull the rolls out, let them cool just for a minute or two, and then serve them up immediately with generous swirls of the Salted Maple Butter. Prepare for happy sighs!

Pro Tips for Making the Recipe

• Keep Your Butter Soft: This is crucial! Your butter for the dough must be truly soft—like, your finger can easily leave an indent—to be incorporated properly. Cold butter will result in a tough dough.
• Don’t Over-Flour: Resist the urge to add too much flour during the kneading process. Brioche is a wet dough, and adding too much extra flour will make your rolls dry and heavy instead of light and airy.¹
• Room Temperature is Key: Make sure your eggs are at room temperature. This helps them mix smoothly and creates a better emulsion with the liquids, leading to a lighter, more tender roll.
• The Windowpane Test: To know if your dough is perfectly kneaded, try the windowpane test: tear off a small piece of dough and stretch it. If you can stretch it thin enough to see light through it without tearing, you’re good to go!

How to Serve

These rolls are so versatile, but honestly, the main event here is that butter. Here are a few ways you can enjoy this delicious pairing:

• Dinner Table Staple: Obviously, these are perfect for any holiday or Sunday dinner, especially alongside roasted meats or a hearty stew.
• Breakfast Treat: Use leftover rolls for a breakfast sandwich, or just toast one and add more butter! No judgment here.
• Sweet Pairing: They’re amazing dipped in coffee or hot cocoa—the buttery sweetness is amplified!
• Ultimate Comfort: Just tear a warm one straight from the pan and eat it while standing over the counter. This is a classic comfort move, and this recipe deserves it.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

If you happen to have any leftovers (a big “if”!), store the rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Store the Salted Maple Butter separately in the fridge for up to a week.

Freezing

You can freeze these rolls after they are baked and cooled. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. You can also freeze the unbaked rolls after the second proof, but allow extra thawing and proofing time before baking.

Reheating

The best way to enjoy a day-old roll is to wrap it loosely in foil and reheat it in a $300^\circ\text{F}$ ($150^\circ\text{C}$) oven for about 5-10 minutes. They’ll come out warm and soft again!

FAQs

Can I make this dough in a stand mixer?

Absolutely, and it will save your arm strength! Use the dough hook attachment and mix on low speed for the initial combined ingredients. Once you start adding the softened butter, increase the speed slightly and mix for 10-12 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and looks smooth and elastic. The butter incorporation and kneading is much easier with a mixer!

What can I use instead of active dry yeast?

If you only have instant dry yeast, you can use the same measurement (2 1/4 teaspoons). The great news is that instant yeast does not need to be proofed first! You can skip the step of whisking it with the warm milk/water/eggs and just combine all the dry and then all the wet ingredients together and mix. The total rising time may be slightly shorter with instant yeast.

How do I ensure my rolls are evenly sized?

The easiest and most effective way to ensure your rolls are all the same size (which helps them bake evenly) is to weigh the entire dough after the first rise. Divide the total weight by 12 (the number of servings) to get the target weight for each individual roll. Use a kitchen scale to measure each portion before shaping!

Can I skip the second rise?

I wouldn’t recommend it! While the first rise (bulk fermentation) develops the flavor and strength, the second rise (proofing) is essential for achieving that light, airy, and soft crumb. Skipping the second rise will result in rolls that are denser and heavier. Give them the full time they need to puff up beautifully for the best result!