Step 1

Make the brioche dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook, mix the flour, granulated sugar, and salt on low speed to combine. Add the yeast and mix to combine, 10 to 15 seconds more. Add the eggs and milk and mix for 4 minutes. The dough should form a sticky, shaggy ball around the hook.

Step 2

Increase the speed to medium and slowly add the butter to 1 tablespoon at a time, being careful to incorporate each addition before adding the next; the entire process should take about 3 minutes (If you add the butter too quickly, it can create a greasy disaster in the bowl, so pace it out.) Scrape the bowl down once or twice to make sure everything is homogenous. (This is intense mixing, so don't be alarmed if the mixing is noisy or difficult, it will come together). Then knead the dough until it is smooth and uniform, 1 minute more.

Step 3

Grease a large bowl with nonstick spray. Transfer the dough to the bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.

Step 4

The next day make the rolls: On a lightly floured surface (I use my pastry mat), roll the dough out to a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle, about 20 to 12 inches. Brush the surface of the dough evenly with melted butter and sprinkle 3-4 tablespoons of brown sugar over the dough and sprinkle with cinnamon. I admit I didn't measure this step, but just sprinkled until the entire surface was lightly covered with cinnamon. You can add as little or as much as you like. Position the dough so that one of the long sides is facing you. Fold the left edge over toward the center, about 3/4 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. 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.

Step 5

Roll out the dough again to a rectangle about 20 to 12 inches, brush it with melted butter, and sprinkle it with another 3-4 tablespoons of brown sugar and more cinnamon. 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.

Step 6

Repeat step 4 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.

Step 7

Repeat step 5 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.

Step 8

Lightly grease 16 muffin cups.

Step 9

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough one more time to a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle, about 20 to 12 inches.  Cut the dough lengthwise into 16 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.

Step 10

Pre-heat the oven to 375oF with racks in the upper and lower thirds.

Step 11

Sprinkle the chilled rolls with more brown sugar and cinnamon if you want (I chose not too). 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 register 190oF on an digital thermometer, about 25 to 33 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.