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Brown Butter Sage Dinner Rolls

Brown butter sage dinner rolls with pillowy pull-apart texture, topped with crispy sage leaves and a garlicky brown butter glaze. These American-style dinner rolls bake up golden-brown in a 9x13 dish for easy serving.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
rising 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 22 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For dough
  • 0.75 cup warm whole milk
  • 2.25 tsp instant yeast
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly browned
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 cup all-purpose flour
For brown butter sage glaze
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter
  • 16 fresh sage leaves
  • 1 garlic minced
  • 0.25 tsp flaky sea salt

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 9x13 baking dish

Method
 

Make and rise the dough
  1. Brown 1/2 cup butter in a small pan over medium heat until nutty and golden, then cool slightly until warm.
  2. In a bowl, combine warm whole milk, instant yeast, sugar, browned butter, and eggs, then let stand 5 minutes until foamy.
  3. Add all-purpose flour and salt, then knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
  4. Divide dough into 12 balls and place in a greased 9x13 baking dish.
  5. Cover and rise for 1 hour, until puffed and noticeably thicker.
Bake
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Let rolls rise again for 30-40 minutes while the oven heats, until they look light and risen.
  3. Bake rolls for 18-22 minutes, until deep golden and cooked through.
Glaze with brown butter sage
  1. In a pan, brown the remaining butter until amber, then stir in minced garlic and cook 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
  2. Fry fresh sage leaves in the browned butter until crisp and darker green, about 30-60 seconds, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
  3. Brush rolls generously with sage brown butter, then press fried sage leaves onto the top of each roll.

Notes

For the softest pull-apart rolls, use warm milk (not hot) so the yeast foams quickly, and knead until the dough looks smooth and elastic. Store baked rolls covered at room temperature for up to 2 days; refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat at 300°F for 8-10 minutes to re-soften. Freezing is yes—freeze after baking and cool completely; thaw overnight and rewarm. If you want a dairy-light option, use a plant-butter substitute for both the dough and glaze (texture may vary slightly).