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Honestly, it’s all about the simple things in life. Like this Overnight Pull-Apart Brioche Cinnamon Roll Bread.
Full Video Below:
And today that means pull-apart brioche cinnamon roll bread.
It’s every kids dream breakfast and secretly every adult’s favorite too. Just admit it. You will never outgrow a good cinnamon roll. Or cinnamon roll bread in today’s case.
This happens to me every year at about this time, I crave cinnamon rolls. I think it comes with the cold weather, snow and talk of Christmas – I love it. I think I will always be able to find a semi-newish way to make cinnamon rolls, but still keep them simple because in my opinion, cinnamon rolls need to be kept simple (and extra soft and doughy). I’m not even big on adding things like caramel and chocolate because that’s just not a cinnamon roll in my mind. It’s not what I grew up loving.
Side note, how many times do you think I will say cinnamon rolls in this post? I’m thinking a lot. Way too many to count, that is for sure.
What I did grow up loving were the cinnamon rolls from my very favorite dough boy. Yup, the Pillsbury dough boy was always a family favorite come the holiday season. Those rolls were breakfast pretty much every morning at our cabin in Ripley, New York in the week following Christmas. Nothing like starting the day off with a sugar buzz. My cousins, my brothers and I loved those cinnamon rolls (although, they where never as good if they got overcooked). Those were some awesome times. That area of New York gets a ton of snow and it was great to all be together creating memories that will last our lifetime.
Sooo, I have had this idea to make a brioche style cinnamon roll bread for forever now. I knew the bread would be amazing because well, brioche itself is simply perfect. It’s the softest, doughiest and fluffiest bread around and it’s freaking easy to make. I am now thinking that from here on out, all my cinnamon rolls will be made using brioche dough. It’s the perfect combo.
The bread is a cinch to make, and if you don’t have a mixer, it can easily be mixed by hand. It does need to rise for about an hour before your roll it out, but other than that it’s super quick to throw together the night before a big breakfast (like Thanksgiving or Christmas!). Once the bread is all assembled you just cover it and leave it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. It couldn’t be easier or more perfect for holiday entertaining.
I kind of have little secret though. The dough is spiked with eggnog. I know some people either love or hate eggnog, but I am somewhere in the middle. I would never drink it straight up, but I have found that adding it to baked goods does magical things. No joke. You’d never know there was any eggnog in this bread, but you’d know there was something special about it. The nog just keeps the bread crazy moist while also adding a subtle holiday flavor. Trust me on this one, buy some eggnog and start swapping out the milk in your baked good recipes with nog. The results are so awesome.
And that’s my little, not so secret, secret about this bread.
I made this bread two ways, one in a loaf pan and one as more of a log on a baking sheet. Both turned out awesome, both are easy and both are pretty. It’s really just about what you personally prefer. The bread baked in the pan is a tad gooeyer because none of the filling leaks out while baking, but the bread baked on a baking sheet is probably a little more show stopping. Like I said, either one is so good.
AND you get to prep everything the night before and then just bake in the morning. Couldn’t be more perfect.
You don’t technically have to make this as a bread, I mean you could totally make regular cinnamon rolls, BUT the bread is so fun and the whole pull-apart thing means finger food, which means easy eatin’, easy serving.
And you can’t deny that the loaf is kind of pretty.
OH! And I made some sugared cranberries to serve alongside for a festive holiday look and some added sweetness. Loving the sugared cranberries.
Double OH! The frosting it’s just a simple cream cheese vanilla bean frosting, but I will not lie, it’s so good. And when generously drizzled all over the bread? ADDICTING.
Ok and lastly, I just have to say that this is one of those recipes that everyone loves. I had all the boys (including a few extras from the US Snowboard Team) in the kitchen for this recipe. Taking photos was kind of hard. They never get this excited about anything I make. My food is normally too colorful for the brothers, but not this – this they loved!
That says something.
Overnight Pull-Apart Brioche Cinnamon Roll Bread.
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories Per Serving: 1036 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 3 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup warm eggnog or warm whole milk
- 3 eggs
- 3 1/2 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 12 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
Filling
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of sea salt
Frosting
- 2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream, using as needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine warm water, yeast, and sugar the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low speed until incorporated. Allow the mixture to sit about 5-10 minutes or until bubbly on top.
- Add the eggnog, eggs, flour, salt, and butter. Using the dough hook, knead until the dough comes together, about 3-5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Kneed into a smooth ball. Grease a large bowl and add the dough to the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit 1-2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
- To make the filling. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a bowl and mix well.
- Lightly dust a surface with flour. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch the dough dough and roll the dough into a rectangle (about 9x24 inches). Spread 6 tablespoons of the butter (softened almost to a melted stage) evenly over the dough. Spread the brown sugar + cinnamon evenly over the butter and lightly push the brown sugar into the butter. Starting with the long edge closest to you, pull the edge up and over the filling and carefully roll the dough into a log, keeping it fairly tight as you go. When you reach the edge, pinch along the edge to seal.
- Place the log seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. With a pair of sharp kitchen scissors cut diagonal slices almost to the bottom of the log. Arrange the cut sections so that they lean to alternating sides. Use your hand to gently push the dough together to help compress the log better. Alternately, you can bake the bread in two 9x5x3 bread pans to make two bread loafs. Cut and shape the dough as directed and then use your hands to push the dough together to almost the size of you bread pan. The dough will zigzag slightly. Using the parchment paper, lift the dough up and into the bread pan. Immediately cover the dough and place in the fridge overnight. Do not let the dough sit at room temperature long or it will start to get very big.
- The next morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the dough from the fridge while the oven preheats and brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Bake the bread log for 20-25 minutes (the bread in the loaf pan needs about 45-50 minutes) or until lightly browned on top, do not over bake.
- While the bread is baking, whisk the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla together until smooth. Add milk until your desired consistency is reached.
- Serve the bread hot with a drizzle of frosting.
So soft. So doughy, SO GOOEY. Gimme.
Below is how you want to cut the dough:
This post was originally published on November 25, 2014
i am on my second one in 3 days, is awesome and even for me really easy.THANK YOU MUCH. Now ,how would you incorporated some apple in it ???? Shredded apple , apple sauce, apple butter, dry apple???
This recipe is wonderful. Thank you. I have a quick question – I am looking for a recipe (maybe this is it!!) to make with apricot (preserves). My husband grew up with apricot babka – and I only have recipes for chocolate. This looks like it could work. What do you think? Thank you!
I made this for my son’s birthday, he’s not a big fan of cake, so he had a Birthday Brioche ❤ wonderful!
That is SO awesome! THANKS!!
WOW! Made this yesterday for family and friends – and I’m not usually one to spend the time to make things with yeast involved. This was just incredible, and everyone loved it. Definitely will make again!
SO happy you loved this! Thanks!
Valentine’s Day also happens to be my parents’ anniversary. As I still live at home while in college I decided to make them a treat. My mother lives cinnamon rolls so this was an easy pick.
Awe! Wow, that is so sweet!! 🙂
How warm is warm water and milk? I tend to struggle with yeast based recipes (I’m a yeast killer), so any tips would be great!
Such a good recipe! Thank you! You’re incredibly talented and artistic!
I was wondering, as the only aspect of the recipe I struggled with was shaping it, and it did not come close to looking as graceful and lovely as yours. Could I use this recipe for those soft cinnamon roll recipe you also have published? If so, how long should I ought to bake it?
Thank you!
Hey Stephanie,
Yes, that would would great. I would bake them 20-30 minutes. So glad you love these!
Oh. My. Glob. This. Bread. Is. Insane.
I finally have an oven after a year so I can finally bake my little heart out and make all your recipes! First, there was buckeye baking. Now this. And it’s incredible. Not to sweet – just right. I had enough dough to bake 2 mini loaves (1 for my neighbor) and they were beautiful. Thank you for another amazing recipe, not just with lovely photos, but an actual working delcicious recipe to boot.
Fan girl,
Xx Jillian
SO happy you loved this bread!! 🙂
Enjoy your oven and bake your butt off!
Does the brioche taste just as good if it is not served warm?
Warm is really best, but room temp is still delicious too. Hope you love this bread!
wow. nice. cinnamon rolls is common in Sweden where I am from and a tradition. love them
Thank you!
Hi – first, I LOVE this recipe! I made it for my family on Christmas and it was a hit. Quick question: from the pictures, it looks like you sprinkled some graunlated sugar on top of the loaf before baking – is that right? I might have to try that next time around. Thanks!
Hey Heather! I am so excited you loved this recipe! 🙂
I cannot really remember what i did to be honest, but I may have sprinkled some cinnamon sugar on top for a little extra sweetness. Thanks again and Happy New Year!
We live on an island in the South Pacific, so I’m always looking for recipes that we can get the ingredients and that can make us feel like we are in our own little cafe. This recipe was one of those! Thanks! Yum!
Thank you for your recipes! This is the best dough I have ever made in my life.
Thank you! So happy you like it!
Looks like a great recipe! Question – do you have to let it sit out until it gets to room temp after a night in the fridge? I’m guessing it will rise/puff overnight in a slow rise — how much should it get to? double before going in the oven? Thanks!
Hey Adrienne, I is a slow rise and yes, it should just about double. Hope you love this!
thank you for the quick reply!
How much is 1/2 cup of eggnog in ml?
It would be 125 ml.
Hope this helps