Baking Classics
The Technique
Classic Orange Sweet Rolls
If there is one baked sweetened yeast bread that makes Southerners weak in the knees, it is orange rolls. There are many restaurants known for including this iconic gem in the bread basket no matter the time of day even though the dough is filled, baked & covered in sugary goodness. Classic Orange Sweet Rolls With Fresh Orange Glaze are surprisingly easy to prepare. As with any yeast risen dough, the key factor to making a stellar batch lies in patience & not rushing the process at any point in the recipe. Learn how to make these irresistible rolls.
Classic Orange Sweet Rolls With Fresh Orange Glaze
makes 2 dozen
1/2 cup warm water
1 {1/4-oz} package active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
8 Tbsp softened butter, divided
1 egg, at room temperature
2/3 cup whole milk, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp packed fresh orange zest
Fresh Orange Glaze
Stir together the water, the yeast & 1 tsp sugar in a measuring cup. Let stand 5 minutes or until foamy. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, 3 tablespoons sugar & the salt in the work bowl of an electric stand mixer. Add 3 tablespoons of the butter, the egg & the milk. Blend on Low speed 30 seconds. Add the yeast mixture & blend on Low speed 30 seconds. Once the dough comes together, blend on Medium speed 5 minutes. Stop the mixer. The dough will be slightly sticky. Sprinkle a little flour over the dough & transfer it from the bowl using a dough scrapper onto a cutting board. Form the dough into a ball & place in a large lightly greased bowl. Coat the surface with cooking spray & cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot free from drafts 1 hour to 1 hour & 30 minutes or until the dough increases by half its original size. The dough should feel very soft & light for its’ size. Meanwhile, beat the remaining 5 tablespoons butter, the 3/4 cup sugar & the orange zest with an electric hand mixer on Medium-High speed until blended, light & fluffy. Set aside.
Punch the dough down & place onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough to a 12 x 20-inch rectangle. Spread the sweetened orange butter over the dough surface leaving a 1/2-inch border. Roll the dough lengthwise jelly roll fashion. Cut the dough in the center. Cut each piece in half. Cut the 4 pieces into sixths for a total of 24 dough spirals. The dough will flatten slightly when cut. Gently reshape the dough pieces & place them into 2 standard {12-cup} muffin tins that have been generously coated with cooking spray. The dough should fill each cup approximately halfway up the sides. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot free from drafts 45 minutes or until the dough increases by half its original size.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap. Transfer the muffin tins to parchment paper-lined half sheet pans. Bake one pan at a time on the center rack in the oven 15 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned. Remove from the oven. Let stand about 1 minute then loosen the rolls with a small palate knife & invert them upside down in the tin. Drizzle additional glaze from the bottom of the tin over the rolls if desired. Let stand 10 minutes. Transfer the rolls to a parchment paper-lined half sheet pan. Cool 20 minutes. Prepare the Fresh Orange Glaze & drizzle over the sweet rolls.
FROM THE KITCHEN OF BUTTERMILK LIPSTICK
{testing notes}
How To Make Classic Orange Sweet Rolls
Classic Orange Sweet Rolls have long been a favorite breakfast treat in our household. As the sugar, the butter & the orange zest melt in the filling during baking, some of this syrup pools in the bottom of each muffin cup creating a glorious natural, sticky glaze. For this reason, I prefer to serve the rolls inverted. The Fresh Orange Glaze is then drizzled over it to impart additional citrus flavor. Inverted or not, it is up to you as to how you prefer to finish the sweet rolls for a lovely presentation.
The Technique
Patience is the key to beautiful breakfast rolls. Do not rush the rise time be it the first or the second. A few tool & equipment essentials will be necessary in order to complete the task. Assess the items ahead of time. Here’s what you should know.
No. 1
Blending the butter, the sugar & the orange zest for the filling using an electric hand mixer allows you the spread it over the dough easily & quickly. Towards the end of the rise time, complete this task before handling the dough again so that it is ready to use.
No. 2
Whisk together the flour, 3 tablespoons of sugar & the salt in the work bowl of an electric stand mixer. Add 3 tablespoons of the butter, the egg & the milk. Blend on Low speed 30 seconds. Add the yeast mixture & blend on Low speed 30 seconds. Once the dough comes together, blend on Medium speed 5 minutes. You’re looking for a soft, supple dough that isn’t tight. Approximately 2-inches of the dough will cling to the bottom of the bowl as it mixes. When the kneading process is complete, expect a soft dough that clings to the hook. Sprinkle a generous amount of flour around the outer portion of the dough & begin removing it from the work bowl & equipment onto a floured surface.
No. 3
The dough should feel smooth & light. Place it on a lightly floured surface & flatten the dough into a circle using your hands. The dimples over the surface are from my finger tips indicating the texture of the dough.
3a
Gather the outside of the dough & press sections of it to the center around the entire circumference until it all meets evenly in the middle. Flip the dough over. A few quick spins between your hands will have it shaped into a ball. The dough is now ready to be placed into a large, lightly greased bowl.
No. 4
Allow the dough to rest & rise. Place the smooth surface in a lightly greased bowl & flip it over so that the greased side faces upwards. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap & place it in an area in your kitchen free from drafts. Covering the dough will keep it from developing a tough skin.
4a
Allow the dough to rise in a warm spot free from drafts until the dough increases by half its original size. The dough should feel very soft & light for its’ size. This can take anywhere from an hour to an hour & a half depending on the temperature of your kitchen. If it’s rising slowly, turn on the oven & place the bowl of dough beside it to speed along the process. Once it has risen, punch the dough down. Remove the dough from the bowl & place it onto a lightly floured surface.
No. 5
It should be noted that while the dough is rising, you will need to beat the remaining 5 tablespoons butter, the 3/4 cup sugar & the orange zest with an electric hand mixer on Medium-High speed until blended, light & fluffy. Have this mixture ready. Roll the dough using a pastry pin to a 12 x 20-inch rectangle. Spread the sweetened orange butter over the dough surface leaving a 1/2-inch border. Roll the dough lengthwise jelly roll fashion. Cut the dough in the center.
5a
Cut each piece in half. Cut the 4 pieces into sixths for a total of 24 dough spirals. The dough will flatten slightly when cut.
5b
Gently reshape the dough pieces & place them into 2 standard {12-cup} muffin tins that have been generously coated with cooking spray.
No. 6
The dough should fill each cup approximately halfway up the sides. Cover loosely with plastic wrap.
6a
Let rise in a warm spot free from drafts 45 minutes or until the dough increases by half its original size. It will reach within about a 1/4-inch of the tin surface.
No. 7
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap. Transfer the muffin tins to parchment paper-lined half sheet pans. Bake one pan at a time on the center rack in the oven 15 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned. Remove from the oven. Let stand about 1 minute then loosen the rolls with a small palate knife & invert them upside down in the tin. If the muffins stay in the pans too long, they will be difficult to remove so take care to complete this step as instructed.
7a
Drizzle additional glaze from the bottom of the tin over the rolls if desired. Let stand 10 minutes. Transfer the rolls, inverted, to a parchment paper-lined half sheet pan with the top side down. Cool 20 minutes. Prepare the glaze & drizzle it over the sweet rolls.
No. 8
Prepare to make these irresistible rolls for spring showers & luncheons or tuck them into an Easter bread basket for a lovely sweet variety of choices. They pair beautifully with Scrambled Eggs, Sunny Side Up Eggs, Bacon & Classic Grits Casserole or compliment Bourbon-Orange Baked Ham & Rosemary-Garlic Pork Tenderloin main dish offerings.
The Tune
“I’ve Got Rhythm” Dinah Shore & Peggy Lee
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Be sweet.
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