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These easy Pull Apart Parmesan Sage Butter Brioche Rolls are light, soft, made with nutty Parmesan, swirled with garlicky, crispy sage butter, and are SO delicious. Serve these rolls warm right out of the oven with a smear of butter and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt for a roll that’s melt in your mouth good…and oh so impressive. Great for any night of the week from Sunday night supper to an upcoming fall dinner with friends. You can’t go wrong with this soft, fluffy Brioche rolls.
Well, hey, hi! I feel like I have not chatted with you guys in a few days, but really it’s just because I shared that giant line-up of fall foods yesterday. It was just a bit of a different way to start off the week.
Either that or I’m thrown off from traveling. Which seemed almost foreign to me after six months of no travel at all. I have to say, it felt nice to leave home, even if only for a few days. My cousin’s wedding was absolutely perfect and my family and I had the best time. As I said in Sunday’s post, it was really nice to take a step away from work and spend time with my family. Especially my sweet cousin, Maggie…who is also part of our HBH team! Her now-husband, Tom, has been my brother’s best friend since middle school!
I was also able to see my little cousins, aunts, uncles, and old family friends, plus catch up on everyone’s lives. So grateful for such a close-knit family.
I’m back home today, getting right back to it and excited to jump in and enjoy the next couple weeks of fall here in Colorado. Thankfully last week’s snow has disappeared and it’s warmed back up. No more snow until November, right?
Yeah, right…
Anyway, sorry for the rambling, but now on to these rolls.
As we begin to settle into fall days, I’m leaning towards recipes that feel homey and comforting. Enter these rolls. I feel like I’ve said this story a million times over, but Sunday night dinner was so special to me. We’d always do a family dinner and more times than not my mom would bake fresh bread to pair with dinner.
If there’s one thing my mom loves most, it’s bread. Just like her mom.
My mom used to have this old school bread machine and I remember loving the way the kitchen smelled on Sundays when she’d bake up a fresh loaf for dinner. Over the years, I’ve shared a few loaf style recipes, but never a roll.
When I set out to create these, I wasn’t one hundred percent sure how I wanted them to come out. I was torn between creating a classic roll that’s soft and buttery, versus one that has a bit more flavored swirled throughout. In the end, a garden full of end of summer sage pointed me in the direction of a more flavorful roll.
And guys? I could not be happier with how these turned out. If you love a dinner roll, these are a fun step up from the average roll.
Here are the details.
I like to keep it simple with a mix of flour, instant yeast, and a pinch of salt. My secret…use a good amount of eggs and make a brioche-style base dough. The combination creates a beautiful golden crust on the outside, but the inside stays incredibly soft and fluffy.
I prefer to use instant yeast to keep the dough making process quick and simple! When using instant yeast, you can skip the entire hour-long rise. Which is great if you’re not the best planner. Then you can still have beautiful, delicious bread with dinner in under two hours!
Of course, you can use active dry yeast as well. But you’ll need to make some adjustments to ensure the dough rises properly!
What makes this bread dough special?
Parmesan cheese! For whatever reason, I have always wanted to do a parmesan roll. I think it was after sharing these Parmesan Popovers. I just loved the flavor and the idea of parm in a bread recipe.
It’s delicious and makes these rolls just a little more special than the average.
In addition to the parmesan, there is also some browned garlic sage butter rolled into these rolls.
To make it you’ll need to brown some butter with garlic and fresh sage. As the butter browns, the garlic quickly caramelizes and the sage gets crispy. Take the “roasted” garlic and crispy sage from the already browned butter and mix it into the softened, salted butter.
And now you have crispy sage garlic butter.
Tip: you will want to smear this on everything, so I always recommend doubling it.
Simple, right?
Once the dough has risen…
Roll it out, just like you might roll out a cinnamon roll, into a flat rectangle. Then slather that sage butter over the dough, roll the dough into a log, and cut into six big rolls.
I like to pinch the edges of the dough to seal all the deliciousness inside. Then simply roll the dough into a ball and place each ball into a loaf pan.
Let the dough rise, then bake. Now enjoy the herby, slightly garlicky smell as the rolls bake away in the oven.
As soon as the rolls come out, serve with an extra smear of that reserved butter mixture and enjoy warm.
I love these the most for Sunday night dinner, but let’s be honest, bread with every dinner is a good idea. So bake these up just about any day of the week!
A few dinner recommendations to serve alongside these rolls…autumn soup, hearty lasagna…with a big fall salad, a family casserole, or a creamy pasta.
Yumm, got to love autumn cooking and baking!
Looking for other bread recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Salted Honey Butter Parker House Rolls
Herby Everything Cheddar Swirl Buns
Lastly, if you make these Pull Apart Parmesan Sage 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!
Pull Apart Parmesan Sage Butter Brioche Rolls
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 373 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
- 2 1/2 – 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2/3 cup warm whole milk
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 eggs , plus 1 egg (beaten) for brushing
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1-2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 12-16 fresh sage leaves, dependent on your taste, I use 16 leaves
Instructions
- 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the flour, yeast, parmesan, and salt. Add the warm milk, honey, 2 eggs, and 2 tablespoons butter. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. If the dough seems sticky, add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.2. Meanwhile, make the sage butter. Heat 2 tablespoons butter, the garlic, and sage in a small skillet over medium heat and cook the butter until it begins to brown and the sage is crisp, about 3-4 minutes. Let cool, then mash the garlic with a fork. Chop the crispy sage. Stir the browned butter, mashed garlic, and sage together with 4 tablespoons butter.3. Butter a 9×5-inch loaf. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. 4. When the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface, punch it down, and roll it into a ball using your hands. Roll the dough into a rectangle (approximately 12 x 18 inches). Spread the sage butter over the dough. Starting with the edge of dough closest to you, roll the dough into a log.5. Cut the log into 8 rolls, pinch the ends to seal, then arrange in the prepared pan. Cover and let rise 15 minutes to 20 minutes in a warm place. 6. Brush the top of the loaf with beaten egg. Bake 20 minutes, until browned on top. Reduce the oven temp to 350 degrees F, then continue baking another 25-30 minutes. Serve warm with additional butter.
Notes
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.
To Make Ahead: prepare the bread through step 5. Do not let the bread rise. Cover the loaves of bread and place in the fridge for up to overnight. When ready to bake, remove the bread from the fridge 30 minutes prior to baking, then bake as directed.
To Freeze The Dough Before Baking: prepare the bread through step 5. Do not let the bread rise. Cover the loaves of dough tightly and freeze in the bread pans for up to 3 month. When ready to bake, remove the bread from the freezer and thaw for 2-3 hours on the counter, then bake as directed.
To Freeze The Bread After Baking: bake the bread as directed and allow to cool completely. Once cool, wrap the bread tightly with plastic wrap, then transfer to a freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter and warm or toast before serving.
Leftovers: the bread is best served warm after baking, but the leftover bread is delicious when lightly toasted or served at room temperature.
This post was originally published on September 15, 2020
I am in love with your recipes, and I made these rolls today after losing a dear friend and sitting through the virtual funeral. There is something about sage that is always purifying, so it is fitting. To the commentator who tried to shame you for attending a wedding, which she knew nothing about (including the size or safety protocols), sister please. We are all doing the best we can to bring joy and light into the world, and I can say with certainty that the recipes you so beautifully and kindly put out for all of us are so much appreciated, and it helps us all get through hard times. And winter nights. And Tuesday evenings. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
Hi Amanda! I am so sorry for your loss. I hope you and your loved ones are doing alright during this time. Thank you for being so kind toward this post, I hope you have a great week! xTieghan
Can I use gluten free flour that is 1:1 or will it not rise?
In your note for make ahead you say prepare through step 5, don’t let dough rise. You are referring to that second rise in step 5 correct? Just want to be sure I still do the first rise started in step 1 and finished when doubled in size notes in step 4.
Hey Stephanie,
Yes, that is correct:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Great recipe.. This is my third time making them, this time for Thanksgiving. The rolls are delicious. I just needed to reduce the baking time. Mine were done in about 20 minutes. This last time I added a little rosemary to the sage/butter mixture. Thanks!
I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Denny! Thank you! xTieghan
Can you make these with a hand mixer? I don’t have a stand mixer and have never made bread before, but really want to have these for Thanksgiving. Thank you!
Hey Jamie,
I would just mix with a wooden spoon! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Thank you so much for the recipe! I can’t wait to try it. In the ingredients list, it says 8 tablespoons of salted butter but the recipe doesn’t seem to add up. I see 2 tbsp in the dough and 2 tbsp in the sage butter. It does say to butter the loaf pan but I just want to double check that I am not missing something with the other 4 tablespoons. Thank you!
Hey Ashley,
You are going to use 2 tablespoons in step 1 and then the remaining 6 tablespoons in step 2. I hope you enjoy the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I followed the recipe to a T and it turned out a bit burnt. What adjustments can I make temp-wise to make sure my next batch turns out better?
Hey there,
So sorry yours turned out burnt, next time be sure to keep an eye on them, once they are golden brown you can remove from the oven. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made a trial batch of these this past weekend and cannot wait to make them again for thanksgiving! When I first saw this recipe on Pinterest I thought “how in the world could it have such a poor rating, HBH is the best”. So I searched through the reviews to see what about this recipe was flawed, but instead I just found some loud mouth Karen throwing her opinion out where it wasn’t requested- – I hope NO ONE skips on making these just because of the rating- it’s very misleading. Hope you had fun at the wedding 🙂 I’m sure you took all necessary precautions to travel safely during this time!
Hi Abigail! Thank you for trying this recipe, despite the rating! I am really glad this turned out so amazing for you! xTieghan
Can I substitute sugar for the honey?
Hey Sydne,
You are going to want to use honey for this recipe. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Just made these and they turned out INCREDIBLE. I swapped cheddar for the parm because it’s what I had, and loved the results. One note: Like a few others have mentioned, I definitely needed to adjust the oven time. I baked at 450 for 12 minutes, then added a strip of foil to the top to prevent burning. Finished at 350 for 25 minutes. Thanks for always inspiring me in my own kitchen.
Thank you for trying this and other recipes of mine, Juliette! I am so happy to hear that! xTieghan
These look amazing!! Any luck with doubling this recipe and baking in a 9×13 or other similar sized pan? I’m not sure 8 rolls will be enough for my crew.
Hey Mary,
I would make two batches of the rolls. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Do you have any pictures demonstrating what you mean by “pinch the ends?” I read through the comments but it’s still unclear. I’m assuming you mean pinch dough from the top and bottom on each side to cover the swirl. That’s how I’m going to try it, but would love some clarification!
Hey Beth,
You just want to pinch around the dough so that the entire roll is closed up. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I would recommend mixing the yeast into the warm milk, as this will yield a higher rise and ‘activate’ the yeast better then simply adding it to the flour would. I would also recommend mincing the garlic and chopping the sage leaves before cooking them in the butter.
Thank you Jaya! Please let me know if there is anything I can help with! xTieghan
I loved this but just so you know… the cups to grams conversion on the flour is wrong… so I used twice the amount I was supposed to… at the time I thought it seemed like a lot haha but anyway they still were nice it was just less rich than it should have been and escaped the pan!!
Hi Hannah! I am SO sorry about that! I will fix the recipe. If there is anything I can help with, please let me know! xTieghan
Made a couple of adjustments to the baking temp and time based on other reviewers and these came out perfectly! I started on 425 for 15 minutes, then adjusted down to 350 for 20 more minutes and they were perfectly golden brown on the outside and light and pillowy on the inside! The flavors worked so well together and everything came together perfectly. They were a little messy to pinch together, but I just did my best and by the time they all went in the pan and proofed, you would never know. Love this recipe and will be making again very soon.
Amazing! Thank you for trying these rolls! I am really glad you enjoyed them! xTieghan