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Brioche Dinner Rolls

By Cecelia Jenkins

Published on June 17, 2019

Time

1¾ hours, plus 2 hours rising

Yield

Makes 24 rolls

Brioche Dinner Rolls

Ingredients

3 ⅔ cups (20⅛ ounces/571 grams) bread flour 1 tablespoon instant or rapid-rise yeast 1 ¼ cups (10 ounces/283 grams) water, room temperature2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg, lightly beaten¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar 2 ½ teaspoons table salt 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 14 pieces and softened, divided

Before You Begin

All-purpose flour can be substituted for the bread flour, but the rolls won't be as tall; use the same amount of all-purpose flour by weight, not by volume. When kneading the dough on medium speed, the mixer may wobble on the counter. Watch it closely and place a dish towel or shelf liner underneath it to keep it in place.

Instructions

  1. Whisk flour and yeast together in bowl of stand mixer. Add room-temperature water and 2 eggs. Fit mixer with dough hook and mix on low speed until dough comes together and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl and dough hook frequently. Turn off mixer, cover bowl with dish towel or plastic wrap, and let dough stand for 15 minutes.
  2. Add sugar and salt to dough and knead on medium-low speed until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and, with mixer running, add 13 tablespoons butter 1 piece at a time, allowing each piece to incorporate before adding next, about 3 minutes total, scraping down bowl and dough hook as needed. Continue to knead on medium speed until dough is elastic and pulls away cleanly from sides of bowl, about 10 minutes longer. Transfer dough to greased large bowl. Cover tightly with plastic and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  3. Grease 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Turn out dough onto counter and divide into twenty-four 1½-ounce (43-gram) portions; divide any remaining dough evenly among portions. Working with 1 dough portion at a time, cup dough with your palm and roll against counter into smooth, tight ball. Place dough balls in prepared pan in 6 rows of four.
  4. Cover loosely with plastic and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
  5. Discard plastic and brush tops of dough balls with beaten egg (you do not need to use all of it). Bake until rolls are deep golden brown and register 205 to 210 degrees in center, about 25 minutes. Let rolls cool in pan for 15 minutes, then transfer rolls to wire rack and brush with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Serve warm. (Rolls can be stored in zipper-lock bags at room temperature for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
  6. To make ahead: After covering pan with plastic wrap in step 4, refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Let rolls sit at room temperature for 2 hours before proceeding with recipe; increase baking time by 5 minutes.
Brioche Dinner Rolls
Photography by Keller + Keller. Styling by Catrine Kelty.

Brioche Dinner Rolls

Headshot of Cecelia Jenkins
By Cecelia Jenkins
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Time

1¾ hours, plus 2 hours rising

Yield

Makes 24 rolls

Ingredients

3 ⅔ cups (20⅛ ounces/571 grams) bread flour
1 tablespoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 ¼ cups (10 ounces/283 grams) water, room temperature
2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar
2 ½ teaspoons table salt
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 14 pieces and softened, divided

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

3 ⅔ cups (20⅛ ounces/571 grams) bread flour
1 tablespoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 ¼ cups (10 ounces/283 grams) water, room temperature
2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar
2 ½ teaspoons table salt
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 14 pieces and softened, divided

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

3 ⅔ cups (20⅛ ounces/571 grams) bread flour
1 tablespoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 ¼ cups (10 ounces/283 grams) water, room temperature
2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar
2 ½ teaspoons table salt
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 14 pieces and softened, divided

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted glossy, amber-colored brioche with its signature paper-thin crust, buttery flavor, and impossibly soft, feathery interior. To build structure in this butter-laden dough (which can be difficult since fat shortens the sturdy gluten strands), we used bread flour, which contains more protein than all-purpose flour does and thus develops gluten more readily. We mixed together the flour, yeast, water, and eggs and let the dough rest before adding the sugar, salt, and butter; since salt and sugar slow hydration, withholding them helped the flour fully hydrate, a necessary step for maximum gluten formation. We then added softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time so the gluten had time to develop between additions. Another 10 minutes of kneading finished building the dough's structure. Simply cupping and rolling portions of the risen dough against the counter pulled the dough into taut balls that, nestled into a 13 by 9-inch baking pan, baked snugly into irresistible pull-apart dinner rolls.

Before You Begin

All-purpose flour can be substituted for the bread flour, but the rolls won't be as tall; use the same amount of all-purpose flour by weight, not by volume. When kneading the dough on medium speed, the mixer may wobble on the counter. Watch it closely and place a dish towel or shelf liner underneath it to keep it in place.

Instructions

  1. Whisk flour and yeast together in bowl of stand mixer. Add room-temperature water and 2 eggs. Fit mixer with dough hook and mix on low speed until dough comes together and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl and dough hook frequently. Turn off mixer, cover bowl with dish towel or plastic wrap, and let dough stand for 15 minutes.
  2. Add sugar and salt to dough and knead on medium-low speed until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and, with mixer running, add 13 tablespoons butter 1 piece at a time, allowing each piece to incorporate before adding next, about 3 minutes total, scraping down bowl and dough hook as needed. Continue to knead on medium speed until dough is elastic and pulls away cleanly from sides of bowl, about 10 minutes longer. Transfer dough to greased large bowl. Cover tightly with plastic and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  3. Grease 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Turn out dough onto counter and divide into twenty-four 1½-ounce (43-gram) portions; divide any remaining dough evenly among portions. Working with 1 dough portion at a time, cup dough with your palm and roll against counter into smooth, tight ball. Place dough balls in prepared pan in 6 rows of four.
  4. Cover loosely with plastic and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
  5. Discard plastic and brush tops of dough balls with beaten egg (you do not need to use all of it). Bake until rolls are deep golden brown and register 205 to 210 degrees in center, about 25 minutes. Let rolls cool in pan for 15 minutes, then transfer rolls to wire rack and brush with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Serve warm. (Rolls can be stored in zipper-lock bags at room temperature for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
  6. To make ahead: After covering pan with plastic wrap in step 4, refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Let rolls sit at room temperature for 2 hours before proceeding with recipe; increase baking time by 5 minutes.

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