Orange Rolls

Get ready for the most heavenly citrus-scented rolls to ever grace your kitchen! These pillowy-soft orange rolls combine the comfort of homemade bread with bright, zesty orange flavor that’ll make your whole house smell amazing.

Each bite delivers a perfect balance of tender dough, buttery orange-infused filling, and a sweet citrus glaze that creates pure breakfast magic. Trust me – once you master these, regular cinnamon rolls might just have some serious competition!

Ingredients

For the Rolls:

• 1¾ cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 cups all-purpose flour

For the Filling:

• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• Zest of 2 large oranges

For the Orange Glaze:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon orange zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Steps

1. Activate the yeast: Combine warm water (110-115°F), yeast, and sugar in a small bowl. Let rest 5 minutes until foamy – this tells you your yeast is alive and ready to work!
2. Make the dough: In a stand mixer bowl with dough hook, combine eggs, melted butter, salt, flour, and yeast mixture. Knead 3 minutes at medium speed until smooth.
3. First rest: Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Let rest 10 minutes – this allows the gluten to relax.
4. Second knead and rest: Knead again for 3 minutes. Rest 10 minutes.
5. Final knead: One last 3-minute knead, followed by a 10-minute rest. Your dough should be smooth and elastic.
6. Shape the dough: Divide into 3 equal balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll each into a 15″×8″ rectangle. Keep thickness even for uniform rolls.
7. Add filling: Mix softened butter, sugar, and orange zest until creamy. Spread evenly over dough rectangles, leaving a ½-inch border.
8. Roll and cut: Starting from the long edge, roll each rectangle tightly (like a jelly roll). Cut into 1½-inch sections using a serrated knife with a gentle sawing motion.
9. Pan and rise: Place rolls in greased muffin tins. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise 30 minutes or until puffy.
10. Bake at 400°F for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Look for slight browning on top.
11. Glaze: While still warm, drizzle with orange glaze made by whisking together powdered sugar, zest, and juice until smooth.

Smart Swaps

• Use whole wheat flour for up to half the all-purpose flour (add 2 tablespoons extra water)
• Replace butter with coconut oil (same amount) for dairy-free version
• Try blood oranges when in season for beautiful color and unique flavor

Make It Diabetes-Friendly

• Replace sugar with monk fruit sweetener (1:1 ratio, reduces carbs by 60%)
• Use almond flour for 1 cup of the all-purpose flour (reduces carbs by 15g per serving)
• Add 1 tablespoon ground flax to dough for extra fiber
• Serve with protein to slow glucose absorption

Pro Tips

• Test yeast freshness before starting – old yeast = dense rolls
• Don’t overwork dough or rolls will be tough
• Use dental floss to cut rolls for clean slices
• Best served warm within 24 hours