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Buffalo chicken brioche roll on wooden plate with shredded cheese and garnish
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Buffalo Chicken Dip Swirl Rolls

These buffalo chicken dip rolls combine tangy buffalo sauce, tender chicken, cream cheese, and melty cheddar in soft sourdough brioche dough. Perfect for Super Bowl parties, game day, or any gathering. The dough is rolled cinnamon-roll style with buffalo chicken dip filling, sliced into 20-22 portions, and baked until golden. Serve with ranch or blue cheese drizzle for the ultimate crowd-pleasing appetizer.
Cook Time35 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Bread, Roll, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: buffalo chicken dip, buffalo chicken recipe, buffalo chicken rolls, crowd pleaser appetizer, football food, game day appetizers, party appetizer, savory rolls, sourdough rolls, super bowl appetizers, tailgate food
Servings: 20 rolls
Calories: 270kcal
Author: Noelle Reed

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl or stand mixer with dough hook
  • Kitchen scale (recommended for accuracy)
  • Whisk
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Skillet for making filling
  • Wooden spoon or spatula
  • Plastic wrap or damp tea towel
  • Rolling Pin
  • Half sheet pan (18 x 13 inches)
  • Parchment paper
  • Unflavored dental floss or thread for cutting rolls
  • Small bowl for drizzle
  • Instant read thermometer (optional but helpful)

Ingredients

SOURDOUGH BRIOCHE DOUGH:

  • 100 g 1/2 cup active sourdough starter (fed 4-8 hours prior, bubbly and doubled)
  • 640 g 5 1/4 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
  • 290 g 1 1/4 cups buttermilk (full-fat, room temperature)
  • 25 g 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 100 g 2 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 6 g 1 teaspoon salt
  • 60 g 4 tablespoons or 1/4 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)

BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP FILLING:

  • 425 g 1.5 cans or 15 oz total chunk chicken, drained
  • 340 g 1.5 packages or 12 oz total cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 90 g 6 tablespoons ranch dressing
  • 135 g 9 tablespoons or 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon Frank’s Red Hot sauce
  • 140 g 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese

RANCH DRIZZLE:

  • 60 g 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 30 g 2 tablespoons buttermilk
  • 8 g 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning
  • 5 g 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • Additional buttermilk to thin as needed

BLUE CHEESE DRIZZLE (ALTERNATIVE):

  • 60 g 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 35 g 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
  • 15-20 ml 1-1.5 tablespoons regular milk
  • 1 g pinch salt
  • 5 g 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • Black pepper to taste

Instructions

DAY 1: MIXING AND BULK FERMENTATION

  • In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine active sourdough starter, buttermilk, sugar, and eggs. Whisk until relatively smooth.
  • Add flour and salt. Using dough hook on low speed, mix until everything comes together into a shaggy mass, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Cover bowl and rest 30 minutes. This is called autolyse and helps develop gluten naturally. If pressed for time, you can skip the autolyse and proceed directly to adding the butter, but the autolyse is optimal for best texture.
  • After 30 minute rest (or immediately if skipping autolyse), add softened butter. Mix on low speed (speed 2 on KitchenAid) for 5 to 7 minutes. Dough should be soft and slightly tacky.
  • Cover dough and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
  • After 1 hour, perform one series of stretch and folds. With wet hands, grab one side of dough, stretch it up, fold it over to opposite side. Rotate bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Do this four times total. Cover again.
  • While dough is bulk fermenting, make the buffalo chicken dip filling. Heat drained chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.
  • Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring, until well blended and warm.
  • Mix in half the shredded cheddar cheese (reserve remaining for optional garnish).
  • Transfer mixture to a bowl and let cool completely to room temperature. This is critical. The filling must be cool before using or it will melt the butter in your dough. Once cooled, stir to check consistency. It should be thick and spreadable like paste, not runny.
  • Continue bulk fermentation of dough at room temperature (68 to 72 degrees F) for 6 to 8 hours total (from when you first mixed it), or until dough has nearly doubled in size, is noticeably puffy and jiggly, and shows visible air bubbles.
  • Once bulk fermentation is complete, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight (up to 24 hours).

DAY 2: SHAPING, PROOFING, AND BAKING

  • Remove dough from refrigerator and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour. This warms the dough and relaxes the gluten, making it easier to roll.
  • Lightly flour work surface. Turn out dough and press gently into a rectangle.
  • Using rolling pin, roll dough into large rectangle, approximately 24 inches wide by 12 inches tall, about 1/4 inch thick. If dough keeps shrinking back, cover and let rest 15 minutes to relax the gluten.
  • Spread room temperature buffalo chicken dip filling evenly over entire surface of dough, leaving 1 inch strip bare along the top long edge (the 24 inch side).
    Buffalo Chicken Dip Spread out on the brioche dough with that inch edge empty
  • Starting from the long edge closest to you (bottom edge), roll dough into a tight log, rolling toward the bare strip. When you reach bare edge, pinch gently to seal the seam.
  • Position log seam side down. Using unflavored dental floss or thread (NOT a knife), slide floss under the log, cross the ends over the top, and pull tight to slice through cleanly. Cut into 20 to 22 equal pieces, approximately 1 inch thick.
    Buffalo chicken brioche dough rolled into log with dental floss for cutting
  • Place rolls cut side up on parchment lined half sheet pan (18 x 13 inches). Arrange in 4 rows of 5, or 5 rows of 4, leaving small gaps between rolls. They should be relatively close but not touching.
  • Cover pan with lid or plastic wrap. Let proof at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, until rolls are puffy and nearly touching each other. When you press a finger gently into the side of one, the indentation should fill back slowly but not completely. If your filling was cold when you rolled these up, proof may take 3 to 4 hours.
    Unbaked buffalo chicken brioche rolls on parchment paper showing raw dough and filling
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  • Place rolls in oven and immediately turn temperature down to 350 degrees F. Bake for 35 minutes until golden brown on top. Internal temperature should reach around 190 degrees F. If browning too quickly, tent with foil during last 10 minutes. Alternative method: Bake straight through at 375 degrees F for 28 to 32 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and let cool on pan for 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Make your choice of drizzle. For ranch: whisk together mayonnaise, buttermilk, ranch seasoning, and lemon juice. Thin with additional buttermilk to drizzle consistency. For blue cheese: mix sour cream, blue cheese crumbles, milk, salt, lemon juice, and black pepper until smooth and pourable. Add more milk as needed.
  • Drizzle generously over warm (not hot) rolls. Or place in bowls for easy dipping. Serve immediately.

Notes

BUTTERMILK SUBSTITUTION: Do not have buttermilk? You can use regular whole milk in a 1:1 ratio (290g milk for 290g buttermilk). For best results and to add tang, stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into the milk and let sit 5 minutes before using. Note that buttermilk makes the rolls extra soft and tangy, so the results will be slightly different with regular milk.
STARTER PREPARATION: Your sourdough starter should be fed 4 to 8 hours before use, doubled in size, and bubbly. Test with the float test: drop a spoonful in water. If it floats, it is ready.
AUTOLYSE: The 30 minute autolyse rest helps develop gluten naturally and creates better texture, but if you are pressed for time, you can skip it and add the butter immediately after mixing the flour and salt into the wet ingredients.
ROOM TEMPERATURE REST: After removing dough from refrigerator, let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour before rolling. Cold dough has tight gluten strands that resist rolling. This rest period makes rolling much easier.
COLD FILLING IS CRITICAL: The buffalo chicken dip filling MUST be completely cool (room temperature) before spreading on dough, or it will melt the butter and create a greasy mess. Make a day or two in advance and keep in the fridge for ease. Remove and let warm up for an hour before applying to dough.
CUTTING THE ROLLS: Use unflavored dental floss or thread to cut the rolls, NOT a knife. The knife will squish out the wet filling.
PROOFING TIME: If your buffalo chicken filling was cold when you rolled these up, the final proof may take 3 to 4 hours instead of 2 to 3 hours. The cold filling slows down fermentation.
DOUGH SHRINKING: If dough keeps shrinking back when rolling, cover it and let rest 15 minutes. This relaxes the gluten.
SIZE: These bake up to about 3 to 3.5 inches each, making hearty, substantial appetizer portions. Makes 20 to 22 rolls.
FRANK’S RED HOT: Use Frank’s Red Hot for authentic buffalo chicken flavor. Other hot sauces have different acidity levels and will change the taste.
DRIZZLE OPTIONS: Cannot decide between ranch and blue cheese? Make both and let guests choose. Or use store bought ranch or blue cheese dressing.
MAKE AHEAD OPTION: You can make the dough, let it bulk ferment all day, then immediately roll, fill, and shape the rolls. Place on baking sheet, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, let proof at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, then bake.
STORAGE: MUST be refrigerated due to chicken and dairy. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Reheat individual rolls in microwave for 15 to 20 seconds. Can also freeze for up to 3 months.
 
YEAST VERSION (QUICK ALTERNATIVE):
For a faster version using instant yeast instead of sourdough starter, use these ingredient conversions and instructions below. All ingredients, ratios, and timing have been verified against multiple established buttermilk brioche recipes. The conversions are accurate and should work perfectly. The yeast version rises faster and has slightly different flavor than sourdough, but is still delicious.
NOTE: While this yeast conversion has not been personally tested with buffalo chicken filling specifically, it is based on proven buttermilk brioche formulas.
YEAST DOUGH INGREDIENTS:
  • 640g all purpose or bread flour
  • 290g buttermilk (warmed to 100 to 110 degrees F)
  • 25g granulated sugar
  • 60g unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
  • 7g instant yeast (2 and 1/4 teaspoons)
  • 6g salt
  • 2 large eggs (room temperature)
BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP FILLING:
Use the exact same filling recipe as the sourdough version:
  • 425g (1.5 cans or 15 oz total) chunk chicken, drained
  • 340g (1.5 packages or 12 oz total) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 90g (6 tablespoons) ranch dressing
  • 135g (9 tablespoons or 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) Frank's Red Hot sauce
  • 140g (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) shredded cheddar cheese
DRIZZLE OPTIONS:
Use the exact same ranch or blue cheese drizzle recipes as the sourdough version.
YEAST VERSION INSTRUCTIONS:
  1. Warm the buttermilk to 100 to 110 degrees F. You want it warm to the touch but not hot. It may separate if it gets too warm, which is fine.
  2. Stir the instant yeast and 5g of the sugar (about 1 teaspoon) into the warm buttermilk.
  3. Let this mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes until it becomes foamy on top. If it does not foam, your yeast is dead and you need fresh yeast.
  4. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the flour, remaining sugar (20g), and salt. Whisk to combine.
  5. Add the foamy yeast mixture and the 2 eggs to the flour mixture.
  6. Mix on low speed with the dough hook until you have a shaggy dough, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  7. Add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time, mixing between each addition until incorporated.
  8. Once all the butter is incorporated, increase to medium speed and mix for 7 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky.
  9. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl but still stick a bit to the bottom.
  10. Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn it to coat all sides with oil.
  11. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap.
  12. Let rise at room temperature for 1 to 1.5 hours until doubled in size.
  13. While dough is rising, make the buffalo chicken dip filling using the same method as the sourdough version: heat chicken and hot sauce, stir in cream cheese and ranch, mix in half the cheddar, transfer to bowl and cool completely to room temperature.
  14. Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
  15. Proceed with rolling, filling, and shaping exactly as written in the sourdough version above: roll into 24 by 12 inch rectangle, spread cooled filling leaving 1 inch bare strip on top edge, roll into log, cut with dental floss into 20 to 22 pieces.
  16. Place the cut rolls on a parchment lined half sheet pan (18 x 13 inches).
  17. Cover and let proof at room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes until puffy and nearly touching.
  18. The yeast version proofs faster than the sourdough version because instant yeast is more aggressive.
  19. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  20. Place rolls in oven and immediately turn temperature down to 350 degrees F.
  21. Bake for 35 minutes until golden brown on top and internal temperature reaches around 190 degrees F.
  22. Alternative baking method: Bake straight through at 375 degrees F for 28 to 32 minutes.
  23. Remove from oven and let cool on pan for 10 to 15 minutes.
  24. Make your choice of drizzle using the same recipes as the sourdough version.
  25. Drizzle generously over warm (not hot) rolls and serve immediately.
KEY DIFFERENCES FROM SOURDOUGH VERSION:
  • First rise: 1 to 1.5 hours (instead of 6 to 8 hours bulk fermentation)
  • Final proof: 45 to 60 minutes (instead of 2 to 3 hours)
  • Flavor: Milder and more straightforward (instead of  sourdough complexity)
  • Total time: Just a few hours (instead of 2 days)
  • All other steps, techniques, and baking instructions remain exactly the same.
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