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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
I so love those brioche!
My dough needed quite a bit of flour more, but it was easy to handle. Instead of an egg wash, I brushed the remaining honeybutter over the brioche- before rising, before baking, right after baking.
They tasted amazing and although I was skeptical for the sweetness from the honey, they go well also with salami or cheese.
Thank you for charing this with us!
Hi Alexandra,
Fantastic!! I’m so glad to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks a bunch for making it! Have the best week!🎄☃️ xT
I made these for Thanksgiving and they were AMAZING! I rolled the dough out thinner and ended up with 16 rolls and they cooked perfectly. I’m making them again right now but made them into 12 rolls, a little thicker. I’m hoping they aren’t too dense like some of the reviews. These are a MUST try, insert drool face!
Thanks so much, Cristina! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear the rolls were enjoyed! xx
Not only delicious but fun to make. They were a big hit on our Thanksgiving table. Huge thanks and gratitude for all your never-disappoint recipes.
Hey Kym,
Wonderful! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and your comment, love to hear it turned out well! Happy December:) xT
Delicious! I bloomed my active dry yeast until foamy. I cut each square into 8 strips for a total of 16 rolls and placed in a 9×13. I did have to add a little extra proofing time, but they turned out so good!
Thanks so much, Crissy!! I am so glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! Have a great Tuesday! xx
Wow! These were a huge hit!! I made them the weekend before Thanksgiving because we were having friends over and everyone loved them. We loved them so much that I made them again on Thanksgiving! Super easy! The 2nd time I made them I fed 6 more Sage leaves. Thanks T for making the best recipes!!
Thanks so much, Sarah:) So glad to hear these were a hit! I appreciate you making them! xT
I was nervous about making these because first off, i am not a baker and find it very intimidating. Secondly some of the reviews were very negative. I found the recipe easy to follow and my rolls turned out pretty nice! I will say they were not as light and fluffy as one would hope from a brioche, I do agree with some of the other reviews that say they were a little dense. Maybe I will try bread flour next time? But overall they looked beautiful and the flavors were great. Brought them to my family dinner and everyone enjoyed.
Hey Audrey,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, I’m so glad it turned out well for you! Sure, you could definitely try bread flour next time. xx
Tired the recipe twice , came out dense and thick. The dough was not fluffy at all.
Hi Jenna,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback. Sorry to hear you had some issues. Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? What kind of yeast did you use? Did the dough rise correctly? Let me know if I can help! xx
I think the recipe needs an adjustment. After reading other comments , and trying the recipe twice, it just doesn’t work.
I had the same problem as Jenna. I realized you had put notes in the recipe note section about preparing the yeast first (Which I read on your website but they did not show up in the printed version). It would help if you put the prep info. for the yeast in the recipe or the ingredient list. I have never made brioche rolls before, and I simply thought the prep was different with them.
Is there anyway to rescue this dough?
These were delicious! I will definitely be making these again. A couple adjustments I made. 1) I used regular yeast and did a normal first rise. Then rolled and did the second rise in the fridge overnight. 2) I used bread flour. NEVER make rolls using all purpose flour or they will be dense. I always apply these adjustments to any baking recipe that uses instant yeast or all purpose flour and it makes a HUGE difference.
Hi Lindsay,
Amazing! Love to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it and your comment! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving! xx
Thanks Lindsay for your comment- I need bread flour- now that I am taking a second shot at this recipe!
Easy and delicious 🙂
Hi Chelsea,
Wonderful! Love to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it and your comment! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving! xx
Followed the recipe exactly. Buns were underbaked and tasteless. Don’t waste your time. Not being a hater, but this recipe wasn’t it. Just letting folks know so they don’t end up the same way I did.
Hi Colleen,
Thanks for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. xx
These are delicious and will be a Thanksgiving staple. Love all your recipes!
Hi Kambrie,
Amazing! Love to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it and your comment! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving! xx
Made these for Thanksgiving and they are amazing! Everyone just loved them! I will make them again and often!!
Thanks so much, Karen!!
Easy to make and delish!
Thanks so much, Michele! I am so glad to hear you enjoyed these rolls, thanks for trying them! Happy Thanksgiving! xx
These taste amazing, but the cook time was off for me (even checked the oven thermometer). I actually made them twice as the first time, I just couldn’t get them baked all the way through. The second time I made sure to roll them exactly 1/4” and I think that helped.
These will definitely be on the rotation.
Hey Robin,
Love to hear this! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment! Happy Thanksgiving! XxT
I feel so bad saying this because I hate to be negative but these rolls were not good. When I first read the recipe I didn’t think the rising times could be accurate, usually bread doughs need to double in size (which takes longer than an hour) before they are shaped and proved a second time, but I followed the recipe since Ive never made a brioche. Im an experienced sourdough bread baker but this was my first pass at brioche so I wasn’t sure, but the dough looked way too dense and heavy to go into the oven. Sure enough when I took them out they looked thick and dense. Once they cooled and I tasted one they were like glue and if Im being honest inedible. We threw them out. Im not sure if I did something wrong of if there is truly something wrong in the recipe but anyone else who’s made them Id love to hear your suggestions because they look so wonderful Id love to try them when they’re successful.
Is there a way to make these a bit smaller so that I can make more than 12 rolls with the same recipe amount? If so, would that change the cook time?
Hi Diana,
Sure, I don’t see why not, you will probably need to reduce the bake time. I hope you love this recipe! Happy Thanksgiving! xx