Faux-Laminated Maple Sugar Brioche Rolls

Laminated brioche combines the lightness of a croissant with the dense richness of brioche. The traditional lamination process is time-consuming, so I came up with a shortcut that’s just as delicious. My cheater’s version produces the characteristic layers a little more quickly and simply by using melted butter instead of the usual cold butter block. The maple sugar sprinkled between the layers gets caramelized as the rolls bake. I love to serve these for the holidays.

Makes 16 rolls

Difficulty: Medium

Make Ahead and Storage: The rolls are best the same day they are made, but you can keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a ½-inch-thick rectangle, about 20 by 12 inches. Brush the surface of the dough evenly with melted butter and sprinkle 2 tablespoons / 20 g of the maple sugar evenly over it. Position the dough so that one of the long sides is facing you. Fold the left edge over toward the center, about three quarters of the way over the dough. Fold the right edge one quarter of the way over the dough and make sure it meets and touches the left edge (see images below). The dough will now look somewhat like an open book with an off-center spine. Fold the larger side over the smaller side. You will now have 4 layers of dough. Transfer the dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet. If the dough feels warm, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes. If it’s still cool to the touch and easy to work with, proceed with the next steps.

2. Roll out the dough again to a rectangle about 20 by 12 inches, brush it with melted butter, and sprinkle it with another 2 tablespoons / 20 g of the maple sugar. Position the dough so that one of the long sides is facing you. Fold the left edge of the dough one third of the way over the dough. Do the same with the right edge of the dough, resting it on top of the piece you just folded over, as though you were folding a letter to fit into a business envelope. You will now have 3 layers of dough. If the dough is warming up and becoming less easy to work with, transfer it back to the baking sheet, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Repeat step 1 so you have 4 layers again. If the dough feels warm or sticky at any point during this process, refrigerate it for 10 to 15 minutes before proceeding.

4. Repeat step 2 so you have 3 layers again. If the dough feels warm or sticky at any point during this process, refrigerate it for 10 to 15 minutes before proceeding. Wrap the finished dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes.

5. Lightly grease 16 muffin cups (see Pro Tip).

6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough one more time to a ½-inch-thick rectangle, about 20 by 12 inches. Cut the dough lengthwise into 16 equal strips. Tightly roll each strip up into a spiral and place it spiral side up in a cup in one of the prepared muffin pans. Cover the pan with greased plastic wrap and let the rolls rise until they appear puffy, 30 to 45 minutes.

7. Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C, with racks in the upper and lower thirds.

8. Sprinkle the chilled rolls with more maple sugar, if desired. Bake, rotating the sheets from front to back and top to bottom at the halfway mark, until the rolls are evenly golden brown all over and the internal temperature registers 190°F / 88°C on an instant-read thermometer, 25 to 33 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

✻ Why It Works

The brioche dough already has plenty of butter in it, but the thin coats of melted butter help create separate layers—and give the sugar something to stick to. Because the dough is not made with an internal (see butter block), it’s much less important to get the temperatures exactly right. You can refrigerate the dough at any point if you feel you need to, but otherwise you can pretty much zoom through all the rolling and folding steps.

★ Pro Tip

This recipe requires two muffin pans, though you don’t fill both fully. I fill the outer cups of the pans, and leave the center cavities empty—this helps the rolls bake evenly.