Fluffy Sourdough Brioche Rolls (Soft, Rich, and Buttery)
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Sourdough Brioche Rolls are soft, buttery, and extra fluffy thanks to a simple tangzhong made with milk and flour. They’re the kind of roll I love serving with Sunday dinner, but they’re especially perfect for Thanksgiving or any holiday meal.
You can make the dough the day before and bake the rolls fresh the next day, which is always helpful when there’s already a lot going on in the kitchen. They use a very similar dough to my Sourdough Brioche, and if you need a same-day option, my Sourdough Dinner Rolls are ready in about 6 hours!
Quick Look: Sourdough Brioche Rolls
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Bulk Fermentation: 8 hours
- Cold Fermentation: Overnight
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 2 days
- Servings: 16 rolls
- Calories: ~ 181 kcal per roll (based on nutritional panel)
- Cook Method: Baked
- Flavor Profile: Soft, rich, and buttery with a golden, glossy finish and a subtle sourdough tang. The ultimate dinner roll for Thanksgiving or Sunday dinner!
- Difficulty: Advanced — A two-day enriched sourdough dough. Best for bakers comfortable with sourdough!
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Why You’ll Love These Sourdough Brioche Rolls
- So soft & buttery—The tangzhong keeps these rolls soft and fluffy, and brushing butter on top while they’re warm makes them even softer. They’re just as soft and buttery as my Sourdough Texas Roadhouse Dinner Rolls.
- Perfect 100% sourdough dinner roll—Serve them with Sunday dinner or put them on the Thanksgiving table. They go great with my Sourdough Gravy, and you can make that with an active starter or discard. Need to make your own active sourdough starter but aren’t sure where to start? Learn how to make one here.
- Stress-free Thanksgiving—Make the brioche dough the day before and bake the rolls the next day, so it’s one less thing to worry about. If you bake the bread for Sourdough Stuffing a few days ahead too, Thanksgiving gets even easier.
- Freezer-friendly—Freeze the shaped rolls for up to a week, or bake them and freeze them for later. For tips on freezing and bringing your bread back to life, check out my guide on how to freeze sourdough bread.
Ingredients & Substitutions
* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
- Sourdough Starter: For best results, use an active, bubbly sourdough starter. The dough rises slowly as the wild yeast in the starter ferments.
- Tangzhong: This Asian method of heating milk and flour together helps the dough absorb more moisture, keeping the sourdough brioche extra soft and fluffy.
- Milk: Whole milk gives this brioche dough the best flavor, but you can use your favorite non-dairy milk instead.
- Sugar: These sourdough brioche rolls aren’t too sweet. The sugar helps keep the crumb soft and gives the rolls a beautiful golden-brown color as they bake.
- Eggs: Add delicious flavor and richness while keeping the brioche dough extra soft and tender.
- Bread Flour: I recommend using bread flour instead of all-purpose flour. Its higher protein content helps develop the gluten needed for a good dough rise and gives the brioche rolls their soft, chewy texture.
- Unsalted Butter: Gives the brioche dough the rich flavor you’re after. If you only have salted butter, reduce the salt in the recipe by 1 gram, or 1/4 teaspoon. The butter should be cold but not rock hard. I like to take it out of the fridge 5–10 minutes before adding it to the dough.
- Salt: Any unrefined salt will work, but my favorite is Redmond’s Unrefined Salt for its flavor and natural minerals.
- Egg Wash: Whisk an egg with a splash of milk to give the brioche rolls a golden brown color and a glossy finish.
Sample Baking Times
|
Time |
Process |
|---|---|
|
DAY 1 |
|
|
9:00 – 9:15 AM |
Make Tangzhong, then cool. |
|
9:15 – 9:20 AM |
Mix dough. |
|
9:20 – 9:35 AM |
Knead dough. |
|
9:35 AM – 4:00 PM |
Bulk fermentation at 70°F. |
|
4:00 PM |
Cold fermentation |
|
DAY 2 |
|
|
3:00 PM |
Shape dough, let it complete its second rise (final rise). |
|
4:00 PM |
Top with an egg wash and bake |
How to Make Sourdough Brioche Dinner Rolls
- Prepare the Tangzhong by whisking the milk and flour together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until a thick paste forms, about 1–2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, mix all the dough ingredients on low speed until a stiff, thick dough forms.
- While still mixing on low, add one slice of butter every 10–20 seconds.
- Once all the butter has been added, increase the speed to medium and knead the dough for another 10–15 minutes, or until it passes the windowpane test.
- Place the sourdough brioche dough in a straight-sided bowl, cover, and let it rise until doubled in size.
- Once the enriched dough has doubled in size, keep it covered and place it in the fridge overnight or for up to 48 hours.
- Divide the cold dough into 16 equal pieces and shape them into balls.
- Place the dough balls in a greased 9 × 9-inch baking pan. Cover the shaped rolls and let them complete their second rise.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Once the rolls have completed their second rise, brush them with egg wash.
- Bake for 15–18 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 190°F.
- Brush the rolls with more butter and serve warm. Enjoy!
McKenna’s Helpful Tips
- Let the tangzhong cool before adding it to the dough — You don’t want to mix it in while it’s still warm. To speed things up, spread the tangzhong onto a large plate, cover it with plastic wrap, and pop it in the fridge. It should cool down in about 5–10 minutes. I use this same trick when making my Sourdough Discard Donuts!
- Cold dough is much easier to shape — Brioche dough is naturally pretty sticky, so chilling it makes a big difference. After the first rise, refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or leave it overnight if that works better with your schedule. I do the same thing with my Sourdough Babka.
- Let the rolls tell you when they’re ready to bake — Don’t worry too much about the exact time on the second rise. Since the dough is coming straight from the fridge, it may take a while to warm up and get nice and puffy. Wait until the rolls look light, airy, and have about doubled in size before baking. I use the same approach with my Sourdough Crescent Rolls.
How to Store
Store leftover sourdough brioche rolls in an airtight container or resealable bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, let them cool completely, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, and place them in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to a week for the best results. When ready to enjoy, thaw at room temperature and reheat in a 350°F oven for 8–10 minutes, or until warmed through.
Sourdough Brioche Rolls FAQs
Can I make sourdough brioche rolls ahead of time?
Absolutely! Shape the rolls and place them in a covered baking dish in the freezer for about an hour, or until frozen solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to a week for the best results.
When ready to bake, arrange the frozen rolls in a greased 9 × 9-inch baking pan, cover, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, let them rise in a warm place for 1½–2 hours, or until puffy. Bake as directed.
Why is my sourdough brioche roll dough taking so long to rise?
Enriched doughs typically ferment more slowly because of the butter, eggs, and sugar. At 70°F, this dough took about 7 to 9 hours to double, and a cooler kitchen will take even longer. It’s the same with my Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls; a chilly kitchen slows both rises, so give the dough extra time.
Can I make sourdough brioche rolls without a stand mixer?
Yes, you can knead the dough by hand, but keep in mind that this is a rich dough, which means it’s quite sticky. So, it takes quite a bit of kneading to incorporate the butter and develop the gluten. Knead until the dough is smooth, elastic, and passes the windowpane test.
If you tried this Sourdough Brioche Roll recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Sourdough Brioche Rolls Recipe
Yield: 16 rolls
These Sourdough Brioche Rolls are soft, fluffy, and buttery, with a rich, tender crumb and just a hint of sourdough flavor. Made with an enriched sourdough dough, they’re a beautiful homemade dinner roll for holidays, special occasions, or serving warm with butter.
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Ingredients
Tangzhong
- 20 grams all-purpose flour 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
- 100 grams milk about 1/4 cup + 3 Tablespoons
Sourdough Brioche
- 75 grams active sourdough starter about 1/3 cup
- 120 grams tangzhong all of the tangzhong mixture
- 50 grams sugar 1/4 cup
- 50 grams milk, cold scant 1/4 cup
- 150 grams eggs, cold about 3 eggs
- 6 grams salt 1 teaspoon
- 375 grams bread flour scant 2 cups + 3/4 cup
- 126 grams unsalted butter, cold 9 Tablespoons
- egg wash egg yolk + splash of milk
Instructions
- Before mixing the dough, prepare the Tangzhong.
- Add the milk and flour to a small saucepan or skillet and bring to medium heat. Whisk constantly until a thick paste forms (about 3-5 minutes).20 grams all-purpose flour, 100 grams milk
- Remove the saucepan from heat and allow the Tangzhong to cool before preparing the dough. To do this quickly, spread the thick paste over a large plate, cover it with plastic wrap and place it into the fridge. It should be cool enough within 5-10 minutes.
Mix the Dough
- In a bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, add the active sourdough starter, cooled Tangzhong, sugar, cold milk, cold eggs, flour, and salt. Mix on low for about 5 minutes until all of the ingredients are incorporated and a stiff, thick dough forms. While the dough mixes, prepare the butter.75 grams active sourdough starter, 120 grams tangzhong, 50 grams sugar, 50 grams milk, cold, 150 grams eggs, cold, 6 grams salt, 375 grams bread flour
- To incorporate easily, the butter should be cold, but not rock hard. I like to remove it from the fridge 5-10 minutes before adding it to the dough. Slice the cold butter into 10-12 slices total.The butter was about 62 degrees F.126 grams unsalted butter, cold
- While still mixing on low, add one slice of butter every 10-20 seconds.
- Once all of the butter has been added, increase to medium speed and knead the dough for 10-15 minutes more or until the dough is smooth, elastic, tacky to the touch and passes the windowpane test.While kneading the dough, the mixer will get warm, which in turn can heat the dough. It is important to keep the dough cool to prevent the butter from melting. If you notice that the dough is getting warm, stop kneading, cover and place the dough into the fridge to cool for 10-15 minutes. Then continue with the kneading until it passes the windowpane test.
- Signs that Your Dough Has Been Kneaded Enough:– It is no longer sticky-Instead, the dough is smooth and tacky to the touch.-The dough no longer tears when spread out thin enough that light passes through.
Bulk Fermentation:
- Place the dough in a straight-edge bowl, covered with a plastic cover or plastic wrap and leave to double in size. At 70 degrees F, this took about 7-9 hours.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, keep covered and place it in the fridge overnight or up to 48 hours. Brioche dough is very sticky, so a cold proof helps the dough to be more manageable while shaping. If you’d like to skip this step, place the dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours for easier shaping.
Shaping:
- Remove the dough from its container onto a clean work surface. With a bench scraper, divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, about 56 grams each. Pull the corners of the dough towards the center, flip, and then roll each piece of dough into a round, tight ball. Place them in a greased 9×9 metal baking pan. Repeat until all the rolls are shaped.
Second Rise
- Cover and leave to complete its second rise. I placed my rolls in my favorite proofing box at 90 degrees F for 1-2 hours. You could also place the rolls in an OFF oven with just the light on to help speed up this step.The dough balls should look light and airy. The dough shouldn’t be cool to the touch. Since this is an enriched dough and it is cool from being in the fridge, this step will take some time. Be patient. Don’t rush this step, otherwise the brioche rolls will bake up dense.
Bake
- Once the rolls have completed the second rise, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. With a pastry brush, top the dough with an egg wash.egg wash
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the internal temperature is at least 190 degrees F.If the tops of the Sourdough Brioche Rolls are getting too dark, cover with a piece of aluminum foil and continue to bake.
- Remove the rolls from the oven and brush the tops of each roll with butter (this makes the rolls even softer!) Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
Make-Ahead Options
If you are looking to prepare these Sourdough Brioche Rolls in advance – here are some options and tips!- Freeze before baking: Shape the rolls and freeze them in the baking dish until solid, about 1 hour. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 1 week. The night before baking, place the frozen rolls in a greased 9×9-inch pan and refrigerate overnight. The next day, let them rise in a warm spot for 1½–2 hours, or until fluffy, then bake as directed.
- Freeze after baking: Bake the rolls as directed and cool completely. Wrap tightly, place in a freezer-safe bag, and freeze. Thaw at room temperature, then reheat at 350°F for 8–10 minutes, or until warmed through.
Nutrition
Serving: 1roll | Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 164mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 263IU | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 0.4mg
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