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Salted Sage Honey Butter Brioche Rolls. These light, airy, buttery rolls are perfectly salted and so delicious, with salty-sweet sage honey butter swirled throughout each roll. Serve these soft brioche rolls warm right out of the oven with a sprinkle of flaked sea salt. These are quick and simple dinner rolls made using flour, salt, instant yeast, honey, eggs, butter, and sage. Made in under two hours with very little fuss! The perfect rolls for all of your upcoming holiday dinner parties.
If there’s one dish that’s always on my holiday table, whether it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas, it’s a dinner roll. My family wouldn’t have it any other way, especially my mom. There’s nothing she loves more than a soft roll with her meal.
For Thanksgiving, Mom always asks for something like a crescent roll or soft brioche. If she had to pick, it would be a brioche roll all the way. And for Christmas, it’s always a candy cane bagel with extra butter on top!
She really loves her rolls, you guys.
For Thanksgiving this year, there will be just a small group here in Colorado, so I really wanted to create a dinner that I know we’ll all love. This meant I had to come up with sides that my mom would be so excited about. I knew a brioche roll would be her favorite.
And you all, these actually turned out better than I’d envisioned. I used instant yeast, which I haven’t done in forever. I was so surprised with how well it worked and how easy and quick it is to use!
I’m so excited for you all to have this recipe. If you enjoy my honey butter Parker House Rolls, please try these. I think they’re even better! Nothing beats an eggy brioche!
Here are the details
Ingredients
- flour
- instant yeast
- salt
- honey
- whole eggs + an egg yolk
- salted butter
- fresh sage
Special Tools
These rolls are easiest when you have a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. The mixer can do all the work for you! If you don’t have a mixer, you can knead the dough with your hands instead. You’ll just have to use a little more arm strength!
Steps
Step 1: make the brioche dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix all the dry ingredients: flour, instant yeast, and salt. Then add in the honey and 3 large eggs. It’s best if the eggs are at room temperature.
What’s so nice about using instant yeast is that it allows you to skip the first rise and go almost directly to baking.
Mix the dough with the dough hook until it forms a smooth ball. Now cover the bowl and let the dough rest 15 minutes.
Step 2: make the honey butter
While the dough is resting, make the sage honey butter. Take those fresh sage leaves and fry them up in a skillet with a pat of butter. Get them crispy.
Once the leaves are fried, remove them from the skillet and chop them. Mix the chopped sage with salted, softened butter and honey.
Step 3: roll the dough out
Now, we can immediately move on to rolling out the dough.
On a floured counter, divide the dough in half, roll each half into a square, spread the sage butter on top, and cut each square into 6 long strips. Roll the dough up into a tight coil, like a cinnamon roll.
Arrange each roll seam side facing down in a 9×9 inch square baking dish.
Step 4: brush the rolls and let them rest
Next, beat 1 egg yolk with a splash of water. This is called an egg wash, and it creates a beautiful golden crust over each roll.
Brush the tops of the rolls with the egg wash, then let the rolls sit for another 15 minutes or up to 1 hour. They should get a little poufy and double in size.
Step 5: bake the rolls!
The final step is baking. These only take around 25 minutes, so they bake up fast!
As they bake, you’ll smell that wonderful smell of baking bread in the air—sweet honey, a touch of sage, and this eggy smell that I can’t quite explain but is wonderful. So cozy and perfect for this time of year.
Serve
As you can guess, I recommend serving these warm from the oven. You can also make them ahead of time and warm them up before you serve. The idea is that when you spread butter over each roll, it will quickly melt.
And I always serve these with extra flaked salt. Not only is it pretty, but it’s delightful with the sweet and savory mix of the sage honey butter. They’re SO GOOD every time. I mean, how can anything swirled with salted honey butter be bad? It just can’t.
Make these for Thanksgiving. They’re perfect for soaking up all that gravy and then eating for breakfast the next morning. I know you and your guests will love them!
Looking for other holiday bread recipes? Try these.
Salted Honey Butter Parker House Rolls
Perfect Popovers with Cranberry Butter
Pull-Apart Garlic Butter Bread Wreath
Salted Rosemary Popovers with Honey Butter
Parmesan Popovers with Crispy Sage Garlic Butter
Lastly, if you make these Salted Sage Honey Butter Brioche Rolls, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Salted Sage Honey Butter Brioche Rolls
Servings: 12
Calories Per Serving: 292 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 – 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup warm milk
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- flaky sea salt
Sage Honey Butter
- 12 sage leaves
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the warm milk, honey, 3 whole eggs, and 6 tablespoons of butter. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. If the dough seems sticky, add a 1/4 cup of flour at a time. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes or up to 1 hour. 2. To make the sage honey butter. Fry the sage leaves with 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet set over medium heat. Remove from the pan and chop the leaves. Combine 6 tablespoons of butter and honey together in a small bowl. Mix in the fried sage and a good pinch of sea salt. 3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×9 inch baking dish with parchment paper. 4. Punch the dough down and divide it in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half to a 12-inch square, about 1/4-inch thick. Brush each square with honey butter, saving any leftover butter for serving. Cut each square of dough into 6 strips. Roll each strip into a coil (see above photo) and arrange seam side down in the prepared baking dish.5. Brush the rolls with the beaten egg yolk. Cover the dish and let the rolls rise for 30 minutes until puffy.6. Bake the rolls for 22-25 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and brush with the remaining honey butter. Pull them apart to serve warm with flaky sea salt.
Notes
To Make Ahead: prepare the rolls through step 4. Do not let the rolls rise at room temp. Cover the rolls and place in the fridge (up to overnight). When ready to bake, remove the rolls from the fridge 30 minutes prior to baking, then bake as directed.
To Prepare and Freeze: assemble the rolls through step 5, then cover the pan and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the rolls overnight in the fridge or on the counter for a few hours. Once thawed, bake as directed.
To Bake and Freeze: bake the rolls as directed and let cool completely. Wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and warm before serving.
To Use Active Dry Yeast: Mix 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast with the warm milk and honey. Let sit 5-10 minutes, until bubbly and foamy on top. Add the flour and follow the directions as listed for the remainder of the recipe.
This post was originally published on November 12, 2024
Hi Tieghan!
If I don’t have a stand mixer, do you recommend kneading by hand for the same amount of time, 5 minutes? Or would you do longer by hand?
Thank you!
Macy
Hi Macy,
5 minutes should be just fine for you to do:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Delicious! My daughter and I made them tonight. They turned out perfectly! We did use the sage, but I am sure they would still be amazing without. Thanks for another great recipe!
Thanks so much, Meghan!! I’m so glad you enjoyed these rolls:) Thanks for giving them a try! Have a great week! xxT
Omg. My family raved about these rolls. I did a trial run ahead of Thanksgiving meal, and they gave me the green light! The honey sage butter is phenomenal.
Hey April,
Happy Monday! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe and appreciate you making it! Have a wonderful week! xxT
These sound so tasty, but I prefer how they looked when you baked them for your Thanksgiving shoot (I love the tidy swirls!). How should I adjust the recipe? Thank you!!
Hi Sarah,
Thanks so much! You can follow the recipe as is, once you pull them apart, you will see the swirls:) Please let me know if you give this recipe a try! xT
Tried these today because I’m never sure about baking in CO
Delicious flavor but the 8×8 pan did not allow the rolls to cook all the way through, even at 40 minutes. Will try 9×13 pan next time to allow the rolls to expand and cook all the way through
Hi Linda,
Thanks so much for trying these rolls and sharing your feedback! Did you use a metal pan? I usually find that works best when baking rolls. I hope this helps! xT
Great idea! I wish I’d read your comment first 🙂 The rolls were so tasty, but most of them did not cook all the way through in a 9×9 pan. I will try them again in a larger pan, because my family really did enjoy the few we were able to eat. I make HBH recipes a few times a week, we are huge fans! Can’t wait to make these again.
Instant yeast does not require getting it wet first
The package says to add it directly to the flour, yet, your recipe calls for combining it with the warm milk and honey and let it sit for 15 minutes
Im confused
Hi Sandra,
Sorry, I am not sure where you are reading this…but my recipe just adds the instant yeast with the flour, no need to proof it in warm milk and honey first. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
This is what you have above in the recipe. I’m confused.
To Use Active Dry Yeast: Mix 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast with the warm milk and honey. Let sit 5-10 minutes, until bubbly and foamy on top. Add the flour and follow the directions as listed for the remainder of the recipe.
Yes, that is if you use active dry yeast. You asked about using instant yeast. Those have separate instructions. I hope this helps.
Well, they weren’t quite as pretty as your Tiegan, but they were delicious! I will certainly be making these on Thanksgiving. I wanted to give it a try before hand, just to make sure I could do it. I am not much of a baker. Everyone should try these, even those of us who don’t consider ourselves bakers. They were easy and delicious! I personally love anything with Sage. HBH never disappoints!
Hey Kristen,
Wonderful! Thank you for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have the best day! xx
These look amazing!!! I would love to make them, but don’t have access to fresh sage leaves. Could they be made with dried sage? If so, can you give any direction on amount and any necessary tweaks you would advise??? Thanks so much for the recipe!
Hi Kelsey,
Sure, that should work nicely for you! I would use about 1 teaspoon of dried sage. I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Can you freeze the dough beforehand, thaw and bake?
Oops didn’t see that you already mentioned this in the recipe, disregard lol
Hey Estelle,
You bet! You can follow the prepare and freeze instructions listed above:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
If I needed a double batch, would you suggest making the recipe twice and using a 13×9 pan? I know sometimes just doubling a recipe can cause issues.
Hi Jackie,
You bet, that will work nicely for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
How would this rolls be made into small beef tenderloin sandwiches for brunch?
Hey Stephanie,
Wow! I think that’s a wonderful idea! Let me know if you give these rolls a try! xT
I have purchased all your cookbooks. I haven’t found a recipe I don’t like. Your bread recipes are fantastic. I’ve made several of your dishes. They are over the top.
Last Christmas I made your drink with the star of anise. Thank you
Aww, thank you so much, Stephanie!!
These look so good! Question – in the ingredient list near the top of the page, it doesn’t call out warm milk, but it’s listed in the ingredients for the actual recipe. Assuming the recipe does need milk, what temperature do you heat to? 110 degrees?
Hi Jennifer,
Yes, you will want to use warm milk, I wouldn’t do anything over 110F. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
This looks so yumm! Could we make this as a loaf? Please advise! Thank u for another great recipe!
For those of us that are intimidated by making our own bread/rolls, would you consider doing a step by step video tutorial for us? These rolls look ah-maze-ing!
Thanks so much!! Yes, I’ll be sharing a video over on IG! Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
Hi, the tops of these rolls in your photos look burned. If I want mine to be less brown, should I skip the egg wash or should I cook a few minutes less? I’m also not at altitude, since I know that can make a difference in cooking time. Thanks!
Hi Anne,
Sure, you could reduce your bake time or gently cover the tops with foil once they are to the color of your liking. I hope you love this recipe! xT