Brioche Strawberry Rolls

Buttery brioche strawberry rolls filled with homemade strawberry filling. Topped with vanilla cream cheese glaze. Brioche dough makes a fantastic base for sweet strawberry rolls.

It's a dough that's soft and tender but not overly sweet, so it pairs well with a sweet strawberry and creamy frosting.

Jump to:

• What is brioche dough used for?
• What flour is best for brioche?
• The yeast
• Strawberry roll baking schedule
• The strawberry filling
• Equipment
• Step by step instructions
• Related recipes
• Full Recipe

What is brioche dough used for?

Brioche dough is often used for desserts and other sweet treats. It is an enriched dough that contains a large amount of butter and eggs. This brings extra flavor and tenderness to the dough.

The brioche dough in this recipe is based on this classic brioche dough, but the total amounts of eggs and butter have been slightly reduced to make it a little less rich.

If you want an even lighter dough you can use the base for these small-batch sticky buns.

What flour is best for brioche?

This recipe works best with flour that has around 11% protein. This protein content is enough to develop the gluten in the dough but not too much that the brioche bread is chewy.

All-purpose flour protein levels can vary between brands, and the name of the flour itself can vary between countries.

It’s best to check protein levels rather than just the name of the flour.

The yeast

The yeast used in this recipe can be instant yeast or active dried yeast. Instant yeast will rise faster than active dried yeast.

Whichever one you use, it needs to be viable. Usually, the instant yeast sachets are pretty full-proof, but sometimes active dried yeast can lose viability. 

To test the viability of yeast before beginning, warm the milk (to around 95-104°F / 35-40°C) and mix in the yeast along with one tablespoon of the sugar. Leave it to sit for 5-10 minutes first. If it becomes foamy, it's good to go.

Strawberry roll baking schedule

The strawberry filling

The filling in these strawberry rolls is made with strawberries (fresh or frozen), lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch.

Cut the strawberries roughly and they'll break down further as they cook. As the mixture boils, the cornstarch will thicken it into strawberry jelly.

Equipment

Stand Mixer - The brioche dough is a very sticky dough to begin with. There is a large number of eggs and butter present and this extra fat and moisture means gluten development in the dough is slow. 

Use a bench mixer for best results as the dough needs 15-20 minutes of mixing to create the gluten structure that’s necessary for a strong and elastic dough.

Cast-Iron Skillet - This is optional, but a 12-inch/30cm cast-iron skillet is a great way to bake the brioche rolls. Use a 9 x 13-inch/ 23x33cm baking tray if you don't have a skillet.

Step by step instructions

The brioche dough

• In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the lukewarm milk and stir in the yeast and one tablespoon of the sugar. Let it sit and become foamy.
• To this add the remaining sugar, eggs, flour, lemon zest and salt. Turn the mixer on low and combine until it forms a thick but slightly sticky dough. Mix this dough for around 5 minutes to begin developing the gluten. 
• Add in the cubed butter, a few pieces at a time. Incorporate each cube before the next addition.
• Turn the mixer on medium and keep it mixing until the sticky dough starts to strengthen and come together and pull away cleanly from the sides of the bowl. For the best gluten development and brioche crumb, keep the dough mixing for at least 15 minutes. 
  

Windowpane test
Proper gluten development will allow you to stretch the dough so thin you can almost see through it. This is called the 'windowpane' effect. 

• Pull the dough out of the bowl onto a bench and form it into a ball. Place the dough ball into a clean bowl and cover it with a lid or plate, or a damp tea towel and let it proof at room temperature for 1.5- 2 hours until doubled in size.
• Deflate the dough gently, and reshape it into a rough ball again. Cover it with a lid or plate, or a damp tea towel and place it in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.

The strawberry filling

Roughly chop the strawberries into pieces and add them to a saucepan along with lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch.

Let the strawberries heat over low-medium heat until they begin to break down. Use a wooden spoon to mash them up a bit as they heat.

Once they have broken down more and released their juices, turn the heat to medium and let the mixture come to a boil, stirring the whole time. As the mixture boils it will thicken and become jelly-like.

Once thick, remove from the heat and scrape into a bowl and let it cool. Keep stirring the strawberry mixture as it cools to stop a skin from forming. Alternatively, cover with plastic wrap, gently pressing it on the mixture. Once cooled, store in the fridge until needed.

Shaping the rolls

• Take the dough from the fridge and on a lightly floured bench, roll it out into a 12x18 inch (30x45cm) rectangle. 
• Spread the strawberry mixture over the dough and roll it up to form an 18-inch/45cm long log. Slice the log into 12 even sized pieces.

Grease a 30cm cast-iron skillet or 9x13 inch baking tray. Place in the rolls and cover them with a light-weight slightly dampened tea towel (to stop the tops drying out).

Let them rise at room temperature until doubled in size. 

Bake the brioche strawberry rolls for approximately 25 minutes until puffed up and golden brown on the tops. 

The frosting

To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese in a mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and milk. Beat it together until creamy.

Spread the frosting over the still-warm strawberry rolls and serve.

Related recipes

Try these lemon poppy seed rolls or strawberry roll cake!