Cranberry Orange Sourdough Brioche Rolls
If you'd like to make something special for the holidays, but you don't like to experiment that much, simply making sourdough cinnamon rolls with a festive filling is a clear answer. Perfect for weekend baking, brunch, or holiday gatherings, these Cranberry Orange Sourdough Brioche Rolls rolls are simple to make but feel special every time.
This recipe was inspired by my Brioche Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls, using the same rich, enriched sourdough brioche dough but swapping out the cinnamon sugar for a sweet‑cranberry and fresh‑orange filling to give you something a little different.
If you like your shapes more interesting, be sure to try out my Cranberry Orange Sourdough Brioche Wreath recipe too! Or go for a slightly more rustic Fresh Milled Cinnamon Rolls.
Quick Look
- Prep time: 30-40 mins
- Cook time: 18-20 mins
- Fermentation / Rest time: 6-8 hrs (bulk ferment) + 30 min (stretch-and-fold) + 1-4 hrs (second rise)
- Servings: 7-10 rolls
- Main ingredients: flour, sourdough starter, cranberries, butter, orange
- Cooking method: Baking 🡢
- Difficulty: Medium
- Serving ideas: Serve warm for breakfast, brunch, or as a snack with coffee or tea
Jump to:
- Quick Look
- Important Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Cranberry Orange Sourdough Brioche Rolls
- Baking Schedule
- 💭Crucial Success Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- How To Store Cranberry Orange Sourdough Brioche Rolls
- Other Delicious Recipes
- Cranberry Orange Sourdough Brioche Rolls
- Other Sourdough Recipes You'll Love
- Lazy Sourdough Tangzhong Sandwich Bread
- Sourdough Guinness Bread
- Sourdough Ciabatta Bread
Important Ingredients
- All-purpose flour forms the base of the dough
- Sourdough starter gives the rolls a soft texture and light tang
- Cranberries for that sweet-tart filling
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Extra flavor: Try adding a little orange liqueur to the filling for a festive twist.
- Kid-friendly: Mini rolls are perfect for little hands. Roll your dough in a longer rectangle, which will enable you to cut shorter strips.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Sourdough Brioche Rolls
Step 1: In a mixer, combine milk, sourdough starter, egg, sugar, flour, and salt (Image 1). Mix on low until there's no dry flour left.
Step 2: After about 3 minutes, add the softened butter in a few additions and keep mixing until the dough is smooth and sticky (Image 2).
Step 3: Transfer dough to a clean bowl. Cover and rest for 30 minutes (Image 3), then do 2 rounds of stretch-and-folds, 30 minutes apart.
Step 4: Let the dough rise at 22-23°C (72-73°F) until it increases by about 50% and feels airy, usually 6-8 hours (Image 4). Optional: refrigerate up to 48 hours for a cold proof. If cold proofing, cover well to prevent drying.
Step 5: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine cranberries, sugar, orange zest, and orange juice (Image 5).
Step 6: Stir occasionally and cook until berries burst and the mixture thickens, about 6-10 minutes. Remove from heat, add butter, stir to melt, then blend until smooth. Let cool completely (Image 6).
Step 7: Whisk together powdered sugar, melted butter, orange zest, orange juice, vanilla, and enough milk to reach a thick but pourable consistency (Image 7). Cover and set aside. You can make it ahead and refrigerate; bring to room temp before using.
Step 8: If cold proofed, take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit 30 minutes. If not, proceed immediately. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle about ¼ to ½ inch thick. Spread cranberry filling evenly, leaving a thin border on one long edge (Image 8).
Step 9: Roll into a log. Rolling from the long side gives thinner, longer rolls; short side gives shorter, thicker rolls. Trim ends if needed, then cut into 1-2 inch sections (about 2.5-5 cm) (Image 9). You should get 7-10 rolls depending on thickness.
Step 10: Grease a baking pan (9×13 inch works well) and place rolls spaced 1-2 inches apart (Image 10).
Step 11: Let them rise at room temp until puffy and light (Image 11), up to 4 hours. If cold proofed, this step can be shorter or skipped.
Step 12: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) in the last 20 minutes of rising. Bake 18-20 minutes. Tent with foil halfway if you want less browning. Rolls are done when lightly golden and centers are no longer doughy (internal temp ~200°F / 93°C).
Step 13: Whisk the glaze if needed, then spread over warm rolls so it melts into the spirals (Image 13).
Step 14: Serve warm (Image 14).
Hint: Let the rolls cool slightly before slicing if you like neat spirals.
Baking Schedule
| Step | Activity | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mix dough | 5-10 min | Combine milk, starter, egg, sugar, flour, salt, then add butter |
| 2 | Rest dough | 30 min | Cover the bowl to let gluten relax |
| 3 | Stretch & fold | 2 rounds × 30 min | Do 2 sets, 30 min apart |
| 4 | Bulk ferment | 6-8 hr (or up to 48 hr cold proof) | Dough should rise ~50% and feel airy |
| 5 | Prepare filling | 6-10 min | Cook cranberries with sugar and orange, then blend |
| 6 | Prepare glaze | 5 min | Whisk together sugar, butter, orange, vanilla, milk |
| 7 | Shape rolls | 15-20 min | Roll dough, add filling, cut into rolls |
| 8 | Second rise | 1-4 hr | Until puffy and light; less time if cold proofed |
| 9 | Bake | 18-20 min | 350°F (180°C), tent with foil if needed |
| 10 | Glaze & serve | 5 min | Spread glaze over warm rolls |
💭Crucial Success Tips
- Don't rush the bulk fermentation, the dough should feel airy and light before shaping.
- Spread the cranberry filling evenly for consistent flavor in every bite.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, baked rolls freeze well for up to 1 month. Wrap tightly in foil and thaw at room temp before glazing.
Yes, you can replace the sourdough starter with 1 packet (7 g) active dry yeast. Adjust the fermentation time as it will be a lot faster (2-3 hours total).
Yes, you can swap cranberries for other berries, or add nuts like pecans for extra crunch.
How To Store Cranberry Orange Sourdough Brioche Rolls
Store in an airtight container at room temp for 2-3 days. The rolls can also be frozen for up to a month.
Other Delicious Recipes
- Lazy Sourdough Tangzhong Sandwich Bread
- Sourdough Guinness Bread
- Sourdough Ciabatta Bread
- Soft Sourdough Italian Milk Rolls
If you tried these Cranberry Orange Sourdough Brioche Rolls or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below! Happy Baking!
Cranberry Orange Sourdough Brioche Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 310 g All-purpose flour
- 70 g Active sourdough starter
- 150 g Milk cool, room temp
- 50 g Sugar
- 37 g Butter softened
- 1 egg beaten
- 4 g salt fine
Filling
- 100 g cranberries Fresh or frozen
- 50 g Granulated sugar
- 2 g Orange zest ~0.85 tsp
- 35 g Orange juice ~2 tablespoon + 1 tsp
- 10 g Butter ~scant 1 Tbsp
Glaze
- 100 g Powdered sugar
- 25 g Melted butter 2 Tbsp, melted
- 2 g Orange zest ~0.85 tsp
- 7 g Orange juice ~1 ¼ tsp
- 1 g Vanilla extract ~¼ tsp
- 26 g Milk 1-2 Tbsp, to thin as needed
Instructions
- In a mixer, combine milk, sourdough starter, egg, sugar, flour, and salt. Mix on low until there's no dry flour left.
- After about 3 minutes, add the softened butter in a few additions and keep mixing until the dough is smooth and sticky.
- Transfer dough to a clean bowl. Cover and rest for 30 minutes, then do 2 rounds of stretch-and-folds, 30 minutes apart.
- Let the dough rise at 22-23°C (72-73°F) until it increases by about 50% and feels airy, usually 6-8 hours. Optional: refrigerate up to 48 hours for a cold proof. If cold proofing, cover well to prevent drying.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine cranberries, sugar, orange zest, and orange juice.
- Stir occasionally and cook until berries burst and the mixture thickens, about 6-10 minutes. Remove from heat, add butter, stir to melt, then blend until smooth. Let cool completely.
- Whisk together powdered sugar, melted butter, orange zest, orange juice, vanilla, and enough milk to reach a thick but pourable consistency. Cover and set aside. You can make it ahead and refrigerate; bring to room temp before using.
- If cold proofed, take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit 30 minutes. If not, proceed immediately. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle about ¼ to ½ inch thick. Spread cranberry filling evenly, leaving a thin border on one long edge.
- Roll into a log. Rolling from the long side gives thinner, longer rolls; short side gives shorter, thicker rolls. Trim ends if needed, then cut into 1-2 inch sections (about 2.5-5 cm). You should get 7-10 rolls depending on thickness.
- Grease a baking pan (9×13 inch works well) and place rolls spaced 1-2 inches apart.
- Let them rise at room temp until puffy and light, up to 4 hours. If cold proofed, this step can be shorter or skipped.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) in the last 20 minutes of rising. Bake 18-20 minutes. Tent with foil halfway if you want less browning. Rolls are done when lightly golden and centers are no longer doughy (internal temp ~200°F / 93°C).
- Whisk the glaze if needed, then spread over warm rolls so it melts into the spirals.
- Serve warm.
