Easy Cherry Brioche Sweet Roll – Vegan Pastry.

Easy.

Cherryful.

DELICIOUS.

Yes, “cherryful” is a perfectly fine English word and it fits this cherry brioche sweet roll recipe to a tee. This sweet treat came onto my radar via a viral social media video and because my mother-in-law was in town (the veritable dessert QUEEN of our family), I was extra inspired to give it a try. This easy cherry brioche sweet roll recipe is definitely going to use some store bought help, but we will be making our brioche from scratch. I wanted something that was less flakey and more doughy–something that would pull apart without making too much of a mess. This easy recipe is the perfect showstopper for the holidays, Valentine’s Day, or a dinner party!

So, without further ado, let’s get into it!

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What is A Brioche Sweet Roll?

As I said with my strawberry shortcake trifles, I have no idea whether cherry brioche sweet rolls are a thing. I came up with this cherry brioche sweet roll recipe after seeing it on the internet and thinking, “omg that bready, buttery dough looks so good!” To me, it looked like a danish–one of my favorite pastries for breakfast. But when I Googled “what is a danish,” I discovered that, by definition, a danish pastry must be made out of flakey, laminated pastry dough. This cherry brioche sweet roll is definitely not made out of laminated pastry dough.

Rather, the dough for this cherry brioche sweet roll recipe is a yeasted dough that is enriched and slightly sweetened, which, according to my friend Google, makes it a “sweet roll.” Hence the inclusion of the “brioche” in the name of this recipe (which, if you ordered my book, Homemade, you know I’m obsessed with).

I added cherries to it because, as I mentioned above, my mother-in-law was in town and she loves cherry pie. I also rather like tart cherry desserts. Plus, the bright red color is so stunning and perfect for the holidays (Thanksgiving is right around the corner as I type these words) or a special date night or like, you know, a marathon Netflix sesh (these cherry pastries would be PERFECT after a big pot of instant ramyeon).

Why You’ll Love this Cherry Brioche Sweet Roll Recipe.

You are going to love love love this cherry brioche sweet roll recipe because it’s:

• DELICIOUS
• EASY
• GORGEOUS

The brioche roll is buttery and stunning and pillowy. Not only that, once you master the roll itself, you can fill it with so many different things. Here, we’re going to use cherry pie filling. But you could replace that with apple pie filling, glazed strawberries, or even a chocolate mousse.

This is one of those recipes that’s going to make you feel like a “real baker.” I mean, it makes me feel like a “real baker,” and believe me, my first “real cake” was out of a box, ok? I didn’t go to baking school or watch my mother bake cupcakes from scratch (she, too, preferred the boxed variety). We’re going to use plenty of store bought help, but the roll itself is going to be one you made and you will be so proud of it.

Key Ingredients and Notes on Substitutions for Cherry Brioche Sweet Roll Recipe.

The following are the key ingredients and substitution ideas for our cherry brioche sweet roll recipe.

Plant Milk.

The cherry brioche sweet roll recipe starts with mixing plant milk with yeast and sugar. What kind of plant milk? I prefer soy milk for my enriched dough recipes. Why? Because of the extra protein content. You wouldn’t know it, but enriched doughs depend on protein for structure. The added fat will provide richness to your dough, but it will also weigh it down. Hence the need for protein, which facilitates structure and height (and fluffiness) for your dough. If you don’t have soy milk, you can use oat milk or any other plant milk you prefer, though you may not achieve the same amount of pillowy goodness.

Active Dry Yeast.

For this cherry brioche sweet roll recipe I am using active dry yeast. It promotes slower proofing and a little more flavor. If you want to use instant yeast, you can do so, but you’ll have to keep your eye on the dough to make sure it doesn’t overproof.

All Purpose Flour and Bread Flour.

To keep the cherry brioche sweet roll really soft and tender, we are using all purpose flour; but, to help with creating a good crumb, we’re also adding some protein-fortified bread flour. You can also try using gluten-free flour if you’d like to keep this gluten-free. Make sure to use a gluten-free flour blend specifically designed for bread making, like King Arthur’s gluten-free bread flour blend. I have not tested it using gluten-free flour.

Hi-Protein Vegan Yogurt.

Yup, my favorite ingredient, hi-protein vegan yogurt is also included in this cherry brioche sweet roll recipe. My favorite brand these days for desserts is Silk’s Greek Style Vanilla Yogurt. That protein is definitely going to help with creating a beautiful enriched dough for your pastry. If you don’t have vegan yogurt, you can substitute in vegan sour cream.

Ground Turmeric.

I wanted the pastry of the rolls to have a beautiful yellow hue, so I added a little bit of ground turmeric to mimic the egg yolks that would otherwise provide the color.

Silken Tofu.

By now, you all know that I love using silken tofu as one of my go-to substitutes for egg yolks in my baking. It not only provides protein, it also has a very similar jiggly texture to egg yolks. This cherry brioche sweet roll recipe is no exception. If you don’t have silken tofu, you can always substitute with more hi-protein vegan yogurt.

Vegan Butter.

Because this cherry brioche sweet roll is made with an enriched dough, there will be vegan butter in this recipe. If you don’t want to use vegan butter (or don’t have access to it), you can substitute in extra virgin olive oil, but use only 75% of the amount called for in the recipe.

Sugar.

This is a dessert recipe so there will be some sugar. For a dough like this, I would not recommend substituting with a different kind of sugar or a liquid (like a syrup).

Cherry Pie Filling.

As I mentioned, we are using store bought help here! In lieu of making my own cherry pie filling, I just bought my local grocery store’s generic cherry pie filling. Make sure you pick up cherry pie filling and not just canned cherries. The latter will be far too wet for this cherry brioche sweet roll recipe!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making This Cherry Brioche Sweet Roll Recipe.

Proof the yeast.

Bring the plant milk to roughly 110° F (I used a microwave)–hot, but not so hot you can’t stick your finger in it. Proof the yeast by adding it, together with sugar, to the plant milk. Set aside for about 10 minutes until the milk starts to bubble or foam (if it doesn’t do anything, the yeast is dead and you’ll need to start over).

Make the Brioche Dough.

Add the flours, ground turmeric, silken tofu, yogurt, and a pinch of sea salt, together with the yeast mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium until you form a scraggly dough. (You can also knead by hand–it’ll just take a lot longer.) Then, increase the speed to high and add butter one-by-one, until fully incorporated. After the butter has been fully incorporated, continue kneading on high for 24 minutes. Your dough should be very elastic and largely dimple-free.

Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large covered bowl for about 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size. If you live in cooler temperatures, it might take longer. I like to stick my dough in the oven with the oven light on (not the oven on!) to ensure predictability.

Shape the dough.

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch the gas out of it and shape it into a ball again. Then, divide the dough into 15 equal pieces (I used a scale and each of them weighed around 70 grams). Shape each piece into a round ball and then place them on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper, ensuring enough space around each (they will grow). Cover them with a kitchen towel and let them sit for another 10 minutes, until they’re slightly larger.

Assemble the sweet rolls.

Dust the bottom of a small cup (around 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter) with some flour. Then, press the cup down (flour side down) into each ball so that it flattens, a bit, and also creates a shallow well. You will need to press it down pretty firmly (more than you would think). Next, spoon a heaping spoonful of cherry pie filling into the wells. Then, cover the rolls with plastic wrap (otherwise, the dough will form a skin) and proof for an additional 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350° F.

Bake the sweet rolls.

Whisk together plant milk and maple syrup. Then, apply the mixture generously to the tops of your rolls (I used a pastry brush, but you can just use the back of a spoon). Bake the rolls for approximately 25 minutes, until the tops of your rolls start to turn golden brown. Cool for approximately 5 minutes before enjoying!

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