Year ago my sister-in-law, Deborah, shared her grandma’s orange roll recipe with me so I could share them here on the blog and it was time for updated images! These citrus rolls are soft, fluffy, and brushed with a sweet orange glaze that makes them extra special. We love them with ham for Easter or Christmas dinner or as a special breakfast or brunch addition, but they can really be enjoyed all year round. Just the scent of orange zest and freshly baked, buttery rolls is enough to start anybody drooling. It’s practically impossible not to tear into the rolls before the glaze has a chance to set. Plus, the dough can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge overnight, so they’re perfect for a busy holiday morning. This sweet roll recipe is one of those easy-fancy recipes that are perfect for holidays or parties because they look impressive all twisted into knots but they don’t take much time and aren’t hard to make at all. Oranges are such a fun, bright ingredient to use for both cooking and baking! Some of our other favorite recipes featuring oranges are Cranberry Orange Bread, Easy Orange Pomegranate Salad, or The BEST Orange Chicken!
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Orange Rolls
Sugar Yeast – If you don’t have active dry yeast, you can use rapid rise yeast instead Scalded whole milk Eggs Salt All-purpose flour Orange zest Butter melted
Orange Glaze
Powdered sugar Orange zest Orange juice
How to Make Orange Rolls
Prepare. In a small bowl, combine warm water, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and the yeast and allow to proof until foamy, about five minutes. Meanwhile, scald the milk and stir in the other 2 tablespoons of sugar and the salt. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, then slowly add the scalded milk while stirring to temper the egg. Combine with the yeast mixture when the milk has cooled a bit. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the milk and yeast mixture with 2 cups of the flour and the orange zest and mix for 2 minutes, until smooth. Switch to the dough hook attachment and continue adding flour, 1 cup at a time, kneading until a smooth, soft dough is formed, about 5 minutes. Place dough in a large bowl that has been greased and tightly cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place or at room temperature for one hour or until doubled in size. Roll out. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a large rectangle. Spread the softened butter in an evenly layer over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle granulated sugar and orange zest on top of the butter. Fold one long side of the dough over itself in thirds, followed by the other side, sort of like folding a letter to go in an envelope. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut 1-inch strips of dough. You should end up with 18-20 strips which will result in generous-sized rolls. Shape into knots. Pick up one strip of the folded dough and cross the ends to form a loop as pictured below. Push one end of the dough strip through the loop to create a loose knot. Don’t pull it tight or it will stretch out your knot. Place the knotted roll dough onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise for 30 minutes until puffy. Bake. Bake at 400°F for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Finish. Make the glaze by combining ingredients and whisking until smooth. Brush glaze on each roll with a pastry brush.
Tips for Success
Here’s how to make sure your homemade orange rolls recipe turns out perfect!
You could skip the glaze if you just want more of a traditional dinner roll that has only subtle orange flavor from the zest of an orange or two. But honestly, they are perfection with the glaze on top. If you don’t want to knot them, you could also use a muffin tin and simply roll three small balls of dough and place them in each muffin cup for cloverleaf shaped orange rolls. The great thing about knotted rolls is that even if yours seem like they are turning out wonky and less then perfect, nobody is really going to notice or care because they bake up just fine into lovely, twisted rolls. The first few rolls I make usually get stretched out before I realized I should start shaping them on the counter but if you scrunch them together they will look just fine.
Storage and Reheating
If you have leftover glazed rolls from the night before, they are still delicious, but the glaze starts to soak into the rolls overnight. When this happens, the rolls are still good, but not quite as amazing as when the glaze is fresh, so we recommend holding a few unglazed rolls in reserve with some extra glaze if you think some of the rolls will be not be eaten right away. To reheat, place rolls on a baking sheet and warm in a 350°F oven until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes. To reheat frozen rolls, let them thaw on the counter, then warm them as directed above.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
Yes, you can freeze the dough for these fluffy orange rolls! After you form the rolls and place them on the baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze them for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, let thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then let rise for 30 minutes before baking as directed. You may need to add a few minutes to the baking time if they are coming straight from the freezer. The glaze will also keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, so feel free to make it ahead of time. Then, just whisk it together again before using it.
Substitutions and Variations
Swap out the fresh orange zest for a different citrus fruit instead of the orange (lemon juice and zest, lime, grapefruit, etc.) Add some fresh herbs like chopped basil or rosemary to the dough for a savory flavor (orange and basil go particularly well together) Mix in some dried fruit or nuts to the dough before shaping it into rolls Top with my cream cheese frosting instead of the glaze for an extra decadent treat Top with some orange marmalade for an extra burst of flavor For a fun twist, add some chopped fresh cranberries or diced dried apricots to the dough Add some ground cinnamon to the dough for orange cinnamon rolls
More Bread Recipes
Homemade Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns Soft Homemade Potato Rolls Sweet Molasses Brown Bread Homemade French Bread
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Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see. This post was originally published in March, 2017. The photos and content were updated in December, 2022.
