One of things I always miss about Paris is the ability to have freshly baked goods at my doorstep. I love being able to walk out of the apartment building and go two doors down to a fantastic bakery.
Here in the States, I have to drive about 20 minutes to my ideal bakery, which just isn’t practical on a daily basis. I miss the fresh croissants, pain au chocolat, and brioche I enjoy in Paris.
Oh, the brioche! Whether it’s in the form of a loaf, individual muffins, or a spin off of classic cinnamon rolls like these brioche rolls here, brioche is one of my favorite French indulgences.
If you’re not yet a fan, I have a good feeling that these brioche rolls will make you one.
The idea to use brioche dough for cinnamon rolls is very fitting, as the dough for cinnamon rolls is usually quite buttery. Using brioche dough just means these rolls will be all the more buttery and fluffy.
If you’ve had brioche before, you’ll know that it’s usually got a crisp crust with an incredibly tender crumb.
The inside of these rolls are pillow-y soft with that wonderful yeast flavor that great bread is known for having.
I filled these brioche rolls with the classic combination of butter, granulated sugar and ground cinnamon.
Because the dough for these brioche rolls is incredibly sticky, I suggest you refrigerate the dough for half an hour when you’re ready to roll it out. It will make the rolling process that much easier. I also suggest using a bench scraper; it is a total life saver when it comes to sticky dough!
To compliment these heavenly brioche rolls, I made a maple cream cheese icing to top these beauties. While I may not be steps away from a Parisian bakery, I can definitely pretend like I am with one of these!
Brioche Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
Fluffy, buttery brioche rolls sweetened and flavored with cinnamon, then iced in a maple cream cheese glaze.
Ingredients
for the dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1/4 cup warm whole milk 105°F to 110°F
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, cut into tbsp-size slices and slightly softened
- heaping
for the filling
- 1/4 cup salted butter melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- ground cinnamon for sprinkling
for the icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp whipped cream cheese
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp milk
Instructions
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt over low speed with the paddle attachment in place. Add the eggs and milk, and mix just until a dough starts to form.
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Remove the paddle attachment and swap for the hook attachment. Knead the dough on medium speed for 2 minutes. Gradually add the butter slices in, and knead until mixed in. Use a rubber spatula to help incorporate the butter into the dough.
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Cover the bowl with the dough in it with a sheet of plastic wrap. Place this in a warm, draft-free area for the dough to rise until nearly doubled in size - about 2 hours.
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Transfer the dough to the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. Remove the dough from the fridge and generously flour your work surface. Roll the dough out into a rectangle that's about 13 inches long and 10 inches wide.
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Brush the melted butter onto the dough, leaving a thin border along the edges of the dough bare. Sprinkle the granulated sugar evenly across the dough. Do the same with the ground cinnamon, making sure to evenly and generously sprinkle the cinnamon all over the dough.
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Using a typewriter-like motion, grab the long side of the dough that's furthest from you, and begin rolling it in towards you from left to right, then right to left. Use a bench scraper to help lift the dough off your counter/board as you roll the dough. You want to create a log shape with the dough, with the seam of the log facing down. Use a sharp knife to slice the dough log into 8 thick slices.
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Place a piece of parchment paper in a pie pan, or grease the pan well. Place the brioche roll slices in the pan, then cover loosely with a sheet of plastic wrap. Let the rolls proof for 40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
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Bake the rolls for 25 minutes, until golden on top. Then, let the rolls slightly cool while you prepare the icing. To make the icing, simply whisk the powdered sugar, cream cheese, maple syrup, and milk together until smooth. Pour the icing over the rolls.
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Oh they are just what I feel like for breakfast right now! Seems like a no-brainer to use brioche dough for cinnamon rolls, now that I think about it. Haha! I have a great French bakery within 10 minutes walk, but it’s a bit of a treat for me to buy things from there because it’s a bit expensive! Their sourdoughs and croissants are UNFFF so good! xx
Thanks so much, Hannah! You’re so lucky you have such a great bakery nearby! I have one that’s 10 minutes driving distance, and I just can’t be bothered driving first thing in the morning just to pick up breakfast :p And like you said, it can definitely get pricey! XO
I bet there is nothing that can compare to the taste of a freshly baked treat from a Paris bakers, but at least you have a bakery somewhat close by, Beeta. I think our closest bakery might be an hour away… huuuge womp womp! 😉 Good thing I have friends like you who know how to bake and are lovely enough to share! I can just make my own baked goods! These rolls look absolutely delicious, dear! I LOVE that you used brioche as the base – a big fat YES to that! I could eat about 10 of these right now! Pinned! Cheers, sweetie! xo
Thank you so much, deary! It is so hard not having a bakery within walking steps. Even though mine is only a 10 minute drive away compared to yours, it might as well be the same distance as I hardly ever go! So glad you like the brioche dough substitution <3
I felt the same way when I was going to school in Italy – all of those fresh markets and little cafes, I miss it! These brioche rolls are to die for, Beeta! Seriously, I want to eat the entire tray! Your brioche looks so incredibly soft… is it weird that I want to use them as little pillows 😉
Thank you so much, Kathleen! Totally not weird to want to use them as pillows! Could you imagine? You could just open your eyes in the morning and take one big bite out of your “pillow” 😉
Oh la la Beeta! Ta brioche est un rêve, elle pareil délicieuse et elle sera la bienvenue pour mon petit déjeuner demain matin !
Merci, Eva!! Elle gout comme un reve! <3
It is a definitely a dream for the next 10 years or so to live in Paris for a while (and New York, for that matter…) – the patisseries and boulangeries there just sound so incredible. In saying that though, last week here in Melbourne I waited for an hour at 7am for croissants – but that was Lune Croissanterie, which just recently got named by the NY times as the best croissants in the world – and they were definitely worth it! SO flaky and buttery. People line up all morning and they sell out within a couple of hours, even though they are at full capacity.
Brioche is definitely my favourite sweet bread to make, so will have to try them with a cream cheese frosting sometime! Yours look gorgeous – and I often find homemade breads are just as good (if not better) than most bakeries around anyway. xx
Oh, dear! Now I MUST put that place on my bucket list! I’d love to try one of those croissants <3 Hope you get a chance to try this one as I know you must make a fantastic brioche! <3
Just when I thought cinnamon rolls couldn’t get any better, you go and make them with brioche dough. Say whhhaaaaaatttt??? That’s crazy girl but absolutely brilliant. Pinning and making these ASAP because I am off my detox diet so it’s time to indulge. Woohoooooo! 😉
Thanks so much, Karrie! Detox schmetox! Get onboard the brioche wagon, lady! XO
It’s so true! In Paris, you just walk out your door and usually have several wonderful bakeries to choose from in just a few blocks. I love how their shops all specialize…how you buy bread from the bakery, meat from the butcher, etc.
And these brioche rolls, Beeta. OMG! I want to reach through my screen and take one…I can almost smell the aroma…
I am such a fan of that aspect too, Marissa! It’s so great to have specialists helping you too when you’re looking for items. Rather than have one grocer help you with a bunch of items, you get a cheese connoisseur helping you pick your cheese, a sommelier helping you with your wine, etc.
Thanks so much, love! Wish I could virtually send you one of these rolls too! <3
You can probably guess my thoughts on this post Beeta… a big YES to brioche anything. They look wonderful Xx
Thanks so much, Thalia! So happy we share a mutual love for brioche <3