Sweet brioche rolls are soft, buttery, and just the right amount of sweet, with a burst of fresh orange marmalade flavor. The rolls are light and pillowy —almost like a cloud! It’s the perfect breakfast or Mother’s Day brunch treat, served warm and as-is!
These easy orange brioche rolls are well worth the wait. The recipe is very straightforward and convenient if you use a stand mixer (like I did with my hot cross buns) – but you do need to give the dough time to chill. I’d highly recommend going with the stand mixer. You can hand-knead brioche rolls, but it will take a lot of time, effort, and patience.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe?
Light, fluffy, buttery buns with a hint of citrusy sweetness!
They are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon treat with a cup of coffee.
With just a little effort and regular pantry staples, you can make these gorgeous pastries at home that will surely impress everyone!
This is a make-ahead recipe with step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow.
Enjoy the sweet brioche rolls warm with a little butter or drizzle them with a glaze; either way, it's a treat worth the time and effort!
Brioche Rolls Ingredients
Flour: I find all-purpose flour to be the best bet for a fluffy brioche recipe. It makes the rolls perfectly light. You can also use bread flour. Its high protein content, the bread will be chewier and fluffy.
Milk adds moisture and richness. Full fat is best for extra soft and tender sweet rolls.
Eggs help create structure and give the dough that classic soft, rich texture.
Yeast: I used active dry yeast, but instant will work well too. Make sure it's fresh and not expired.
The butter needs to be slightly softened butter. I used salted, but unsalted butter works too.
Orange Marmalade is the hidden star ingredient of the sweet brioche recipe. A thick-cut marmalade adds a bright, citrusy sweetness and a little zesty flavor in every bite. I think marmalades work beautifully well in pastries of all kinds. They bring a certain air of sophistication to the said confection without making it overly sweet but so flavorful. Use store-bought or homemade orange marmalade.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
Filling: I love orange marmalade and love to slather it on sweet buns, salted butter rolls, sandwich bread, and croissants. That said, any jam or filling works in this orange brioche recipe:
- Persimmon Jam
- Cherry Jam
- Juicy sweet strawberry chia jam
- Melt-in-your-mouth good fig jam
- Cinnamon honey butter for a touch more sweetness
- Try the chocolate filling of my chocolate babka
- Make them coffee-flavored, like my coffee cinnamon rolls.
- Or simply use Nutella.
How To Make Sweet Brioche Rolls?
Step 1: In a small bowl, mix the butter and sugar well. Keep aside.
Step 2: Put milk and yeast in a bowl. Stir to dissolve. Set aside for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is frothy.
Step 3: Combine flour, salt, and eggs in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Pour in the yeast mixture. Combine on medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Step 4: Add a few pieces of the butter-sugar mixture to the dough, then with the mixer running low, add the rest, one piece at a time.
Step 5: knead for 6-8 minutes till the dough is smooth and shiny, and comes away from the bowl.
Step 6: Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or cling wrap. Leave it to rise for 2 hours or until the dough doubles in volume.
Step 7: Gently deflate the dough and transfer it to a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a few hours, preferably overnight.
Step 8: Once the dough has chilled, take it out on a floured surface. Roll into a rectangle. Spread the marmalade on half of the rectangle, lengthways.
Step 9: Fold the other half over the marmalade.
Step 10: Cut the dough into 2-2.5 cm thick strips. I got 14 strips.
Step 11: Start twisting and stretching each strip.
Step 12: Roll the twisted strip into a bun, tucking the end underneath. Place the shaped rolls on a parchment paper-lined baking tray and proof for 20-25 minutes until puffy.
Step 13: Brush the proofed rolls with egg wash and sprinkle with pearl sugar.
Step 14: Bake in a preheated oven for 20-22 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then serve warm!
Top Tips
- The dough for these orange brioche rolls comes together fairly easily in a stand mixer. You can knead it by hand, but it will take a lot of time, patience, and elbow grease!
- This dough is quite sticky, but nothing that a few hours in the refrigerator can't fix. I chilled the dough overnight and could easily tackle it the next day.
- Avoid adding too much extra flour, the dough is meant to be soft! The softer the dough, the softer and fluffier the buns!
- It's best to use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients. This ensures better and more consistent results.
- It is always a good idea to check your yeast before using. Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon with a pinch of sugar in 1/2 cup of warm water. Leave aside for 5-10 minutes. If the mixture gets bubbly and frothy, your yeast is good to use!
How To Serve
The best way to enjoy sweet brioche rolls is on the day you bake them. They're the best fresh. Cool for 10 minutes and then tear into one as-is. They really need no topping or adornment. They look gorgeous and taste amazing as they are!
But you can take it a step further and drizzle some orange glaze, as in this orange cranberry bread. You can also spread some cream cheese or cream cheese glaze on top!
If there are leftovers, although that’s not likely, keep them refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat in an oven, microwave, or toaster oven before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Brioche is a French, enriched bread, which means it has lots and lots of butter and eggs. It’s typically baked in a fluted tin, but you can use any loaf pan. The recipe for these easy brioche rolls is adapted from Michel Roux's book Pastry Savory & Sweet. The only change I made to the classic recipe was to reduce the amount of butter. The crumb was still super pillowy and airy!
Brioche is richer and softer because it has more eggs and butter than regular bread rolls. Brioche rolls are slightly sweet with a fluffy texture. Regular bread rolls are chewier and less sweet, making them perfect as a side for soups. Think of brioche as the extra buttery, slightly fancy version of a bread roll!
I’ve made eggless brioche bread and brioche burger buns before. Follow either of the recipes to make these orange sweet rolls without eggs.
Yes, these are overnight orange rolls. The dough is very soft and sticky, so it’s a great idea to make it a day ahead. Chilling makes it easier to handle it. Once the dough is ready, put it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Bake the sweet brioche rolls the next day.
Absolutely! Wrap the dough tightly and freeze for up to 2 weeks. When you’re ready to eat, thaw the dough for 12 hours in the fridge. Then shape and bake.
Easy Easter Recipes
Half the joy of cooking is sharing it with others. That’s why I’m always eager to hear from you. So go right ahead & drop a comment or reach out on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Facebook. I hope you love these sweet brioche rolls as much as we do!
📖 Recipe
Orange Brioche Sweet Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Warm milk
- 2 tsp Dry active Yeast
- 2 1/3 cups All-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 3 Eggs
- 2/3 cup Butter, slightly softened
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 1/2 cup Orange Marmalade
- Eggwash 1 egg mixed with 1 Tbsp water
- 2 Tbsp Pearl sugar Optional
Instructions
- Put milk and yeast in a bowl. Stir to dissolve.1/3 cup (70 ml) Warm milk, 2 tsp Dry Active Yeast
- In another bowl, mix the butter and sugar well.2/3 cup (130 gms) Butter, slightly softened, 2 tbsp (15 gms)Sugar
- Combine flour, salt, and eggs in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Pour in the yeast mixture.2 1/3 cups (300 gms) All-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp Salt,3 Eggs
- Mix on low speed for about 5 minutes.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then knead at medium speed for about 8-10 minutes. Your dough should be smooth and elastic at this stage.
- Add a few pieces of the butter -sugar mixture to the dough, then with the mixer running low, add the rest, one piece at a time.
- When all the butter is incorporated, increase the speed and knead for 6-8 minutes till the dough is smooth and shiny, and comes away from the bowl.
- Remove the dough hook. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or cling wrap. Leave it to rise for 2 hours or until the dough doubles in volume.
- Knock the dough back by flipping it over a couple of times. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a few hours - not more than 24 hours though.
- Once the dough has chilled, take it out on a floured surface. Roll into a rectangle, roughly 18" by 12", 1/4" thick.
- Spread the marmalade on one half of the rectangle, lengthways. Fold the other half over the marmalade.1/2 cup (100 gms) Orange Marmalade
- Cut into 14 strips, about 2-2.5 cm thick, and start twisting and stretching the ends. It will be a little messy because of all the jam. Form the twisted strip into a bun. Tuck the hanging end under and place it on a lined baking tray. Repeat with the remaining dough strips.
- Cover with kitchen towel again and let rise for 30 -40 mins. Preheat oven to 180C / 350 f.
- Brush the eggwash over the puffed rolls, sprinkle over the pearl sugar, and bake for 20-25 mins or until golden brown on top.Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then serve warm!
Video
Notes
- The dough for these orange brioche rolls comes together fairly easily in a stand mixer. You can knead it by hand, but it will take a lot of time, patience, and elbow grease!
- This dough is quite sticky, but nothing that a few hours in the refrigerator can't fix. I chilled the dough overnight and could easily tackle it the next day.
- Avoid adding too much extra flour, the dough is meant to be soft! The softer the dough, the softer and fluffier the buns!
- It's best to use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients. This ensures better and more consistent results.
- It always a good idea to check your yeast before using. Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon with a pinch of sugar in 1/2 a cup of warm water. Leave aside for 5-10 minutes. If the mixture gets bubbly and frothy, your yeast is good to use!
DHIRAJ HANDA says
Easy to understand. Thx
Natasha Minocha says
Thank you! xx
Patricia says
Hi. What kind of flour did you use?
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Patricia, I used all-purpose flour. I'm so sorry about the oversight. I'll fix it right away. 🙂
Keith @ How's it Lookin? says
I gotta try this. They can be a tasty appetizer, thanks a lot
natashaminocha says
Thank you so much! Please do let me know if you try this. Would love to hear how it turned out for you.
Cheers
Akanxa says
Looks great! The brioche has an orange glow that's perfect! I am going to try them out.
natashaminocha says
Thank you Akanxa!I'd love to hear from you about how they turned out. 🙂
Cheers
Manjulika Pramod says
This looks super yum.
natashaminocha says
Thank you so much Manjulika! 🙂