These Brioche Dinner Rolls are ultra soft and buttery and are the best side dish for any dinner. This is the perfect dinner roll recipe for Thanksgiving!

No dinner is complete without buttery carbs and these brioche dinner rolls are truly the best. You can even prep them in advance to make your dinner that much easier.

The Best Brioche Dinner Rolls

It’s not Thanksgiving without some fluffy, buttery dinner rolls and these brioche dinner rolls are a must! They’re rich and flavorful and so much more than your average dinner roll.

They’re fluffy and tender on the inside with a golden brown crust, and are so good for mopping up all the gravy and cranberry sauce on your plate.

These brioche dinner rolls are also sturdy enough to make excellent slider buns! You can use them for mini hamburgers, Italian beef sliders, or for Thanksgiving leftovers sandwiches.

Whenever you want to serve warm and buttery rolls with dinner, these brioche dinner rolls are the way to go!

Need more recipes for your turkey day table? Check out all my Thanksgiving recipes.

Brioche Rolls vs Classic Dinner Rolls

So what’s the difference between brioche dinner rolls and regular dinner rolls?

If you’ve ever had brioche bread you know that it’s so much richer and more flavorful that regular bread. Brioche is typically what professionals call “an enriched dough” which basically means it’s enriched with lots of butter and eggs.

The butter and eggs give brioche its rich, buttery texture. Brioche also has more sugar in it than traditional rolls, which gives it a super soft texture and just the right amount of sweetness.

This brioche dough can be made into dinner rolls, sandwich bread, or even cinnamon rolls!

How to Make Brioche Dinner Rolls

To activate the gluten and get really fluffy rolls, I highly recommend using a stand mixer. Unfortunately, this isn’t a recipe that’s best made by hand.

Tools Needed

• Stand Mixer 
• Kitchen Scale
• Mixing Bowls
• Measuring Cup
• 9×13 Baking Dish

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Milk. Whole milk is a must here because of the fat. If you absolutely have to swap another milk in, use 2% but no leaner.
• Sugar. Classic granulated white sugar works great, but you could swap in brown sugar for a different flavor profile.
• Eggs and yolks. Using both whole eggs and yolks makes the brioche dinner rolls extra rich.
• Flour. I like using a combination of bread and all purpose flour because it makes the rolls extra sturdy. You could use all all-purpose flour if needed.
• Yeast. I like using active dry yeast, but you can use instant yeast as well. If you do, just mix it into the flour.
• Butter. It’s not brioche without a lot of butter to make it really soft and flavorful.

The Process

1. Activate the yeast. Combine the warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir well and let it sit for 10 minutes, until foamy. If the yeast doesn’t foam your milk may have been too hot or your yeast is old. I recommend starting over with fresh ingredients.
2. Mix the wet ingredients. Add the eggs and yolks to the milky yeast mixture and mix on low until the eggs and yolks are broken up.
3. Mix the dry ingredients. Add the flour, salt, and remaining sugar to the yeast mixture and mix on low. When the dough starts to come together, add the softened butter in a couple of tablespoons at a time until all the butter is mixed in. Mix on medium-low speed for 10-15 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
4. Let the dough rise. Transfer the dough to a greased mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 90 minutes. This process can take longer because of the butter, so just keep an eye on the dough and when it’s doubled in size, it can be shaped.
5. Shape the rolls. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions (a kitchen scale works best for this), and roll them into tight balls. Place them in a greased 9×13 baking dish, cover and let the rolls proof for 1 hour, until puffed and touching.
6. Bake the rolls. Brush the tops of the rolls with egg wash and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until the tops are golden and the internal temperature is 200 F.

Tips for Making Brioche Dinner Rolls

While you can definitely go out and buy bread or rolls, there is something so special and impressive about warm bread from the oven. Even if you’re new to bread making, it’s so much easier than you’d imagine.

Don’t use old yeast. Make sure to buy fresh yeast ahead of bread making! Always store your jar of yeast in the fridge to keep it fresh. If your yeast doesn’t get foamy, it may not be as active anymore and is worth replacing.

Don’t get the milk too hot. If the milk is too hot, it’ll kill the yeast. You’re looking for the milk to be warm to the touch, about 110 F, but not hot.

Make sure the butter is the right temperature. You want the butter to be room temperature, but not totally melted or too soft. You should still be able to cut it into bits.

Mix the dough for long enough. Making brioche is an exercise in patience, but you really need to mix it long enough. That’s how you end up with soft and smooth rolls. The dough should feel smooth and elastic when you stretch it.

Proof the rolls after they’re shaped. Let the rolls rise one more time before baking so they’re extra fluffy. I know it’s hard to wait, but it makes all the difference.

Make Ahead Instructions

If you plan to make brioche dinner rolls for Thanksgiving, there’s already a lot going on! You may not have 3 hours to dedicate to one culinary project, so let’s talk make ahead options.

After you’ve shaped the dinner rolls, place them in a greased 9×13 baking dish then cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, bring the rolls to room temperature for about 1 hour, then bake as directed.

To freeze: You can freeze brioche dinner rolls before baking. To freeze before making, lay the shaped rolls out on a baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour. Then, transfer to a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Place the frozen rolls in a greased baking dish then cover, and defrost in the fridge overnight. Bring to room temperature for 2-3 hours before baking.

Storage Instructions

These soft brioche dinner rolls can be stored at room temperature in a ziplock bag or airtight container. They will last for 1-2 days. If you want to keep them fresh longer, you can also place them in the freezer for up to 2 months.

I always refresh dinner rolls in the oven for a few minutes after brushing them with melted butter. It really brings them back to life!

Brioche Dinner Rolls FAQs

Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast?

Yes! If you use instant yeast, skip the first step and just mix the yeast with the flour when you mix it into the milk and eggs.

Can I refrigerate brioche dough overnight?

Yes! You can definitely refrigerate the dough overnight either before or after shaping. I do recommend refrigerating the dough overnight after the first proof and shaping.

Why does brioche take a long time to rise?

The extra butter in the dough makes it thick and can slow down the rising process. Also, if your kitchen isn’t warm enough, that will slow down the rising as well. Just be patient and give the dough time.

---

Brioche Dinner Rolls are a must-make this holiday season! They are perfectly soft and buttery and go along with so many dinners. If you do give them a try, be sure to let me know. Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!

More Bread Recipes to Try

Fluffy Dinner Rolls
Honey Pumpkin Rolls
Skillet Cornbread
Overnight Sourdough Bread

This post contains affiliate links from which I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Affiliate links allow me to keep providing great recipes for free and I never recommend products that I don’t love and personally own.