Sourdough Brioche Rolls

5 from 2 votes

Soft, buttery sourdough brioche rolls with a light, fluffy texture and rich flavor. Perfect for holidays, dinners, or enjoying warm with butter.

Prep Time45

Cook Time35

Fermentation Time1 6

Total Time1 7 20

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Servings: rolls

Author: Amy Coyne

Equipment

stand mixer
10 inch round pan a 9 -inch round pan or 9 by 13 pan also work

Ingredients

Levain (1:1:1 about 3-4 hours at 78ºF)

55 grams sourdough starter ripe, bubbly, active, about 1/4 cup
55 grams water about 1/4 cup
55 grams bread flour about 1/2 cup

Mix Yudane

75 grams bread flour see recipe notes, 1/2 cup, plus 1 Tablespoon
75 grams boiling water scant 1/3 cup

Sourdough Brioche Rolls

150 grams levain ripe, bubbly and active, about 2/3 cup
150 grams yudane all of the yudane, cooled to room temperature
25 grams whole milk about 2 Tablespoons
45 grams granulated sugar about 3 Tablespoons
3 large eggs about 150 grams
10 grams salt about 1.5 teaspoons
375 grams bread flour about 2 3/4 cup
113 grams unsalted butter, softened about 1/2 cup, reserved for adding into the dough

Instructions

Mix Levain (1:1:1 about 3-4 hours at 78ºF)

Mix together the ripe, active sourdough starter with bread flour and water until completely incorporated. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, bubbly and peaked.

Yudane

About 30 minutes before your levain is ready, whisk together 75 grams flour and 75 grams boiling water. Mix together until it forms a ball. Let cool until the dough is ready to mix.

Sourdough Brioche Rolls

Mix the Dough: To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the ripe, bubbly and active levain, cooled yudane, milk, granulated sugar, eggs, salt and bread flour. Turn on the mixer and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and all the ingredients well incorporated.
Note: If you’re using cup measurements, hold back a small amount of the flour and add it gradually as the dough kneads. The dough should feel tacky, but not overly sticky.
Add Butter: Cut the butter into chunks, about 8-12 pieces. Butter should be firm but soft enough to leave a dent when you press your finger into the butter. Turn the mixer on and add chunks of butter into the dough a little at a time. Continue adding chunks of butter until all the butter is added and incorporates into the dough.
Knead until Windowpane: Continue kneading the dough on medium speed for 10-15 minutes (this will depend on your mixer and your dough) until the dough passes the windowpane test.
To check for windowpane: Stop the mixer. Take your hands and pull up on a portion of the dough. At the beginning stages of kneading the dough, the dough will break as soon as you start to stretch it. As the dough kneads and the gluten strands develop, the dough will stretch thinly without tearing. You will know the dough is finished kneading when the dough does not tear when pulled and you can see light through the dough, like a windowpane.
A word of caution: As you knead the dough, the friction from the mixer can heat up the ingredients in the bowl. It is important that the dough doesn't get too warm (above 78ºF) or else the butter will begin to melt and separate from the dough. If you notice this beginning to happen, take a break, stick your dough in the refrigerator to cool down and then continue kneading after the dough cools a little bit.
Bulk Fermentation: Turn the dough out into a container or bowl. The dough will feel a little sticky. It can help to wet your hands before turning the dough out if it sticks to your fingers. Cover the dough and set in a warm 78ºF place for the 4 hour bulk fermentation.
Overnight Refrigeration (Cold Fermentation): Stick the covered dough in the refrigerator overnight or up to 48 hours.
Shape the Rolls: The next morning, pull the dough out of the refrigerator. Dump the dough out onto a clean countertop. It may be difficult to pull out of the container at first because the dough hardens in the refrigerator, but it will be a little easier to work with as it sits out. Cut the dough into 12 equal-sized pieces. Take each piece of dough and pull/pinch up the sides until it forms a ball. Roll the ball on the counter using your hand in a cupping shape (watch video here) to seal the balls and create tension for the roll to rise. Place the dough ball in a 10-inch round pan lined with parchment paper.
Proof: Place the shaped rolls in a warm, 78-80ºF place to rise until doubled in size and light and airy. I proof my dough in a bread proofer and with the temperature set at 78-80ºF and it takes about 6-7 hours for the dough to double in size. Do not bake these rolls if they have not doubled in size.
If your temperature is warmer than this, the fermentation will go FASTER. If the temperature is colder than 78ºF, the fermentation will go SLOWER. I use a bread proofer to keep the temperature consistent.
Bake: Pre-heat the oven to 375ºF. Whisk together one large egg with a splash of heavy cream or water. Gently brush the egg wash on top of the risen rolls. Bake for 30 minutes until the rolls are baked through and the internal temperature is 190-195ºF. Let cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Levain: You can use active sourdough starter in place of the levain. Make sure it’s bubbly and recently fed, and substitute it 1:1.

Sticky Dough: Brioche dough will be soft and slightly sticky. Chilling the dough before shaping makes it much easier to handle.

Cold Fermentation: You can skip the cold fermentation and shape the dough right away, but it will be softer and stickier to handle. Chilling the dough makes shaping much easier. If shaping right away, use lightly floured or damp hands to help manage the dough.

Pan Size: Use a 10-inch round pan. You can also use a 9-inch round pan for slightly taller, more snug rolls, or a 9x13-inch pan for more spaced rolls that won’t be as pull-apart.

Storage: Store baked rolls at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze after baking for longer storage.

Nutrition