Deborah's Knotted Orange Sweet Rolls

Name: Deborah's Knotted Orange Sweet Rolls
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 24 rolls
Ingredients: 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar; 2 Tablespoons active dry yeast; 1/2 cup warm water; 1 1/3 cups whole milk; 2 large eggs; 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; 1 Tablespoon orange zest; 5 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup salted butter; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 2 Tablespoons orange zest; 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar; 1 Tablespoon orange zest; 2-3 Tablespoons orange juice

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5.0

144 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings
24 rolls
Calories
181 kcal
Course
Bread
Cuisine
American

Deborah's Knotted Orange Sweet Rolls

Felix Long

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Soft, buttery rolls made with orange zest and a citrus glaze make these Knotted Orange Sweet Rolls the perfect choice for Easter brunch or Easter dinner!

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Ingredients

Servings

Orange Rolls

4 Tablespoons granulated sugar divided
2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 1/3 cups whole milk scalded
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon orange zest (from 1 orange)
5 cups all-purpose flour (625g)

Filling

1/2 cup salted butter softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons orange zest (from 2 oranges)

Orange Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon orange zest
2-3 Tablespoons orange juice

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Instructions

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 by heating it in a small saucepan over medium-high heat without stirring just until bubbles form around the edge of the pan and the milk starts to steam a bit. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
Once the yeast has proofed, stir in the other 2 tablespoons of sugar and the salt. Add eggs and slightly cooled scaled milk along with 2 cups of the flour and orange zest. Beat with the paddle attachment until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Switch to the dough hook. Add remaining flour 1 cup at a time, kneading until a smooth, soft dough is formed, about 5 minutes on medium speed. Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for one hour or until doubled in size.
Roll out the dough into a large rectangle. Spread softened butter evenly over the surface of the dough, then sprinkle with granulated sugar and reserved orange zest.
Fold one long edge of the dough over about 1/3 of the way, then do the same with the other side sort of like folding a piece of paper to fit in an envelope but lengthwise. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut into 16-20 strips that are about 1-inch wide.
Pick up one strip of dough and cross the ends over to form a loop. Push one end of the strip through the loop to form a knot and place the roll on a baking sheet.
Repeat with the remaining dough to shape all the rolls, then cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let them rise for 30 minutes until puffy.
Bake at 400°F for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
Make glaze by combining ingredients and whisking until smooth. Brush or drizzle glaze over the rolls, then let it set up for 30-45 minutes before serving.

Notes

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.
Deborah's Method: I have updated this post a bit since first publishing it with a slightly modified method of shaping the dough and adding a layer of sugar and orange zest as a filling. The original shaping instructions are to roll out half of the dough and cut out 1-inch by 7-inch strips of dough. Instead of spreading softened butter on the dough, you melt the butter and dip the dough strips in the melted butter to coat. Then loop the ends around each other to form a loose knot, tucking the loose ends of the knot under the roll. They are more buttery tasting and aren't quite as sweet since they don't have the sugar filling, but shaping them is a little harder because the melted butter isn't as easy to work with. Both versions are delicious though!