Homemade Brioche Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

These brioche cinnamon rolls are soft, buttery and swirled with brown sugar and cinnamon. Make the dough ahead and bake them fresh for Christmas morning or weekend brunch.

Brioche cinnamon rolls are richer and more tender than regular cinnamon rolls. The dough is made with eggs and plenty of butter. Each roll bakes up soft and golden brown, with a brown sugar cinnamon swirl and cream cheese icing spread on while they're still warm.

Working with yeast used to intimidate me, and I know I'm not alone. Yeast dough can feel unpredictable. It's too sticky, too cold, or too slow to rise. Making yeasted recipes like my fig and chocolate stollen and meringue coffee cake taught me to trust the process. Yeast just needs the right conditions, and this recipe shows you what the dough should look like at each stage.

You can use instant yeast from the grocery store or fresh yeast if you can find it. Both work. The dough chills for at least four hours or overnight, which makes it much easier to roll out. You can also shape the rolls the night before and bake them in the morning. That makes them a great fit for Christmas morning or a weekend brunch.

What Makes Brioche Cinnamon Rolls Special

Brioche is a classic French bread made with plenty of eggs and butter. That makes it an enriched dough, which is where its rich flavor and tender texture come from. It's the same base I use for French toast, and it makes a soft, bakery-style foundation for cinnamon buns.

So are cinnamon rolls brioche? Most aren't. Regular cinnamon rolls are usually made with milk and a smaller amount of butter, which gives a lighter, more bread-like roll. Brioche cinnamon rolls are richer, more buttery and more tender. The dough takes longer to make, but the cold rise lets you split the work over two days.

If you enjoy working with a rich, buttery yeast dough, my Chocolate Babka is another one to try. For more cinnamon desserts, try my Cinnamon Roll Cookies for a quick, bite-sized twist or my Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls for a fall variation that fills the kitchen with warm spice.

Can You Use Brioche Dough for Cinnamon Rolls?

Yes. Brioche dough makes rich, tender cinnamon rolls, and this recipe actually started that way. I made a loaf of brioche and ended up with extra dough. Instead of freezing it, I rolled it up with cinnamon sugar. After that, I didn't want to go back to regular cinnamon roll dough.

The key is to work with the dough cold. Brioche has so much butter that it turns soft and sticky as it warms up. Chilled dough rolls out cleanly into a neat rectangle and holds its spiral when you cut it. Roll it on a lightly floured, cool surface to about ¼ inch thick.

Ingredients

For the brioche dough

• Eggs: Large eggs add richness and structure for a soft, delicate crumb.
• Yeast: Use instant yeast or fresh yeast. Both work in this recipe. Instant yeast is easy to find in the baking aisle. Fresh yeast is sold in the refrigerated section of many grocery stores. 15 g of fresh yeast replaces 5 g of instant yeast.
• Bread flour: Its higher protein gives the dough enough strength to hold all that butter, so it's soft but sturdy.
• Sugar: Feeds the yeast and adds gentle sweetness.
• Salt: Enhances flavor.
• Unsalted Butter: The heart of any brioche. Cold, tempered butter makes the dough silky and flavorful.
• Water:  Just a splash brings the dough together.

For the filling

• Light brown sugar: Adds deep caramel flavor to the cinnamon swirl.
• Cinnamon: The star spice that gives these rolls their warm aroma.
• Softened butter: Helps the filling spread evenly.

For the icing

• Cream cheese: For a smooth, tangy icing.
• Milk: Adjusts icing consistency.
• Confectioners' sugar: Adds sweetness and a smooth finish.

How to Make Brioche Cinnamon Rolls

Start by tempering the butter. Wrap it in plastic and pat it down with a rolling pin until it's soft and pliable but still cold. Keep it in the refrigerator while you make the dough.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the water, eggs, flour, sugar and yeast. Mix on low speed for 3 minutes. Add the salt and mix for 2 minutes more.

Increase to medium speed and keep mixing until the dough is stretchy. This takes 15 to 20 minutes. It will be a sticky dough at first, and that's exactly what you want. The dough is ready when it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and you can stretch a small piece thin enough to see light through without tearing. This is called the windowpane test.

With the mixer running, add the cold tempered butter a few small pieces at a time. The dough will look messy, but keep mixing. It will come together into a smooth, satiny dough. Scrape down the bowl and paddle as needed.

Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour. Punch it down, shape it into a ball and wrap it tightly in plastic. Refrigerate it for at least 4 hours or overnight. This cold rise firms up the butter, so the dough is much easier to roll. Double wrap it or set it in a bowl in case it expands out of the plastic.

When you're ready to shape the rolls, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. On a lightly floured, cool surface, roll the chilled dough into a 15 by 11 inch rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Spread the softened butter over the dough, leaving a ½ inch border. Then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the butter.

Starting from a long side, roll the dough into a snug log, but not too tight. Set it seam side down and cut it into 12 equal pieces with a serrated knife or unflavored dental floss. Floss gives the cleanest cuts.

Arrange the rolls in a buttered 9x13 inch pan, three across and four down. Tuck the loose ends under each roll. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and let them rise until doubled. This takes 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on your kitchen temperature. If your kitchen is cold, use the proof box method below. Preheat the oven to 350°F while they rise.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. Let the rolls cool slightly in the pan. While they bake, beat the cream cheese, milk and confectioners' sugar until smooth.

Drizzle, spread or pipe the cream cheese icing over the warm rolls.

Is Brioche Dough Supposed to Be Sticky?

Yes. Brioche dough gets most of its moisture from eggs, with only a splash of water, so it starts out sticky. Before the butter goes in, it will cling to the paddle and the sides of the bowl. That's normal. Keep mixing until it turns stretchy and passes the windowpane test.

Once you add the butter, the dough will look messy for a few minutes before it turns smooth and satiny. Even then, it stays soft. That's why it chills for at least 4 hours. Cold dough is firm enough to roll out without sticking to everything.

How to Proof Cinnamon Rolls in the Oven

A warm, humid spot helps yeast dough rise. Your oven makes an easy homemade proof box.

Place a broiler pan or metal baking pan on the lowest rack of your oven. Pour in about 2 cups of boiling water. Set your covered bowl of dough or pan of rolls on an upper rack, close the door, and leave the oven off. The steam keeps the oven warm and humid, even on a chilly morning.

If your oven has a bread proof setting, you can use it too. I don't always trust the temperature, so I run it for a little while, put the dough inside, then turn it off. The oven stays warm and humid without getting too hot.

Use the proof box for the first rise and again after shaping. Take the rolls out before you preheat the oven to bake.

Make-Ahead and Tips

Make the dough ahead: Chill the dough overnight instead of 4 hours. The next day, roll, shape and bake as usual.

Overnight rolls: For fresh-baked cinnamon buns in the morning, shape the rolls the night before. Arrange them in your buttered 9x13 pan, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let them sit on the counter while the oven preheats, then bake as usual.

Storage: Store any leftover rolls in an airtight container once they've cooled. They'll stay soft and delicious for a few days. You can warm them up in the microwave for that just baked feel.

Substitute: Try using brown butter in the filling for a deeper nutty flavor. For a brown butter tutorial, check my post, How to Make Browned Butter.

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