The Best Glazed Orange Rolls
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4.5
186 reviews
Excellent
The Best Glazed Orange Rolls
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The Best Glazed Orange Rolls feature a soft yeast dough enriched with butter, buttermilk, and eggs, layered with a filling of butter, orange marmalade, and brown sugar, and finished with a sweet orange glaze boasting citrus zest and vanilla. These rolls combine the tender, fluffy texture of well-risen dough with the bright, sweet flavor of orange throughout. The glaze adds both sweetness and a tangy orange aroma, complementing the rich filling. Ideal for breakfast or brunch, they offer a pleasant balance of sweet and citrus notes in a classic roll format.
Description
The Best Glazed Orange Rolls start with a yeast dough composed of flour, sugar, melted butter, warm buttermilk, and eggs, resulting in a rich, tender base. The dough is rolled out and spread with a filling made from softened butter, orange marmalade, and brown sugar, which caramelizes during baking to create a sticky, fruity center. The recipe includes an orange glaze prepared with fresh orange juice, vanilla extract, confectioners’ sugar, and orange zest to drizzle over the warm rolls, enhancing their citrus profile.
The rolls bake until golden and fluffy with a slight caramelization from the brown sugar filling. Together with the citrus glaze, they deliver a balance of buttery sweetness and bright orange flavor. These rolls work well for breakfast, brunch, or a dessert, and the marmalade adds a distinctive fruity contrast to the soft dough.
A practical tip is that the rolls can be prepared in advance; after slicing and placing in the pan, they can be refrigerated overnight before the final rise and baking. For bulk preparation, baking first and freezing the finished rolls for up to six months is recommended, thawing and glazing before serving for best results.
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Ingredients
Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour or as needed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant dry yeast one 1/4-ounce packet, I use Red Star Platinum
- pinch salt to taste
- ½ cup butter melted (1 stick, unsalted
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 egg lightly whisked, large
Filling
- 6 tablespoons butter 3/4 of 1 stick, very soft - let it sit out while dough rises, unsalted
- orange marmalade about 1 cup
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
Orange Glaze
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract orange extract may be substituted
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- pinch salt optional and to taste (helps balance the sweetness)
- milk or as needed for consistency, about 3 tablespoons, or cream
- 3 teaspoons orange zest divided
Instructions
- Make the Dough
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or use a large mixing bowl and wooden spoon and your hands), add 3 cups flour, sugar, yeast, salt; set aside.
- In 2-cup glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl, and the butter and heat to melt, about 1 minute on high power.
- Add buttermilk to melted butter and warm to temperature, about 45 seconds on high power in the microwave. (Based on the type of yeast used, milk temperatures will vary. Red Star Platinum yeast calls for warmer temperatures than most, 120 to 130F; other brands and yeast call for much lower temperatures, about 95 to 105F. Heat the mixture according to manufacturer’s recommendations on the packaging. Taking the temperature with a digital thermometer is highly recommended, but if you’re not, make sure the milk is warm, not hot. Err on the cooler rather than hotter side so you don’t kill the yeast.) If the milk separates or gets a little funny looking after being warmed, whisk it to smooth it out.
- Add butter-buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients in mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl, crack and lightly whisk the eggs, and then add eggs to mixing bowl.
- Turn mixer on low speed and allow it to knead dough for about 5 to 7 minutes (about 7 to 10 minutes by hand using a wooden spoon and then switching to your hands). 3 cups of flour and 5 minutes is perfect for me, but if after 5 minutes your dough is very sloppy, wet, and won’t come together, add up to 1/4 cup flour, or as needed until it does come together. However, the more flour added, the denser and heavier the rolls will be; wetter dough is preferred to overly dry. If dough is dry or crumbly, drizzle in buttermilk until it comes together.
- Remove dough from the mixing bowl, spray a large bowl with cooking spray, place the dough in the bowl, and flip it over once so it’s lightly oiled on both top and bottom.
- Cover bowl with plasticwrap and place it in a warm, draft-free place to rise for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or doubled in size. I keep my bowl inside a powered-off oven that I preheated for 1 minute to 400F, then it’s powered off. Do not, repeat do not, keep the oven on. The pre-heated, warm oven creates a nice 85F-ish environment, ideal for yeast. If your rising spot is cold, rising will likely take longer than 2 1/2 hours.
- While dough rises, line a 9×13-inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- Roll Out the Dough & Fill
- After dough has doubled in size, punch it down. Turn dough out onto a Silpat or floured countertop.
- With a rolling pin, roll it out to about 26-by-13-inches. Use the 13-inch side of the 9-x13 pan to eyeball it, no need use a ruler.
- Using a knife, evenly spread butter over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch bare margin.
- Add about 3/4 cup marmalade, more as needed, and smooth it with a knife. It should be a thin-ish layer; too much and you risk it leaking, but not enough and the rolls aren’t orangey enough; use your judgment. The butter and marmalade get smeared together, which is okay.
- Evenly sprinkle the brown sugar over the top, and lightly pat it down with your fingertips to help it adhere.
- Slice the Dough
- Starting with a long edge (the 26-inch side), roll the dough into a tightly wound log, with the seam side down.
- Using a knife, make small hash marks so there will be 20 evenly sized rolls (about 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide; or make bigger rolls and yield 12 to 16). Hash marks create less guesswork once you start slicing and things get messier and harder to eyeball where to slice; the hash marks are nice place-markers.
- Use plain, unwaxed dental floss to slice the rolls. I highly recommend slicing the rolls with floss, not knives. Floss does not squish or compact the log like knives do.
- Arrange the rolls in the prepared pan, 5 rows of 4 rolls across. Cover with plastic wrap.
- Let rise in a warm, draft-free place until the rolls have nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour. (See note below)*
- Bake the Orange Rolls
- Bake at 375F for about 15 minutes, or until lightly golden on top and cooked through (ovens, dough, and climates vary and so will baking duration, but 1 to 2 minutes matters in this recipe). Watch rolls like a hawk and don’t overbake or they won’t taste nearly as good.
- Make the Orange Glaze
- In a medium bowl, add the orange juice, vanilla, confectioners’ sugar, optional salt, and whisk to combine; mixture will be thick.
- Drizzle in the milk as needed until mixture can be whisked smooth and is to desired consistency.
- Whisk in 2 teaspoons zest; set aside remainder.
- Evenly pour glaze over rolls.
- Evenly sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon zest.
- Serve immediately. Rolls are best warm and fresh, but will keep airtight at room temp for up to 4 days; reheat in micro for about 5 seconds to re-soften or as desired. I am comfortable keeping glazed rolls at room temp and do not recommend storing them in the fridge because they will dry out.
Notes
- After slicing, cover and refrigerate rolls for up to 16 hours before baking to prepare the night before.
- Let rolls rise at room temperature about 1 hour after refrigeration before baking.
- For make-ahead batches, bake the rolls fully, then freeze for up to 6 months; thaw and glaze just before serving.
- Avoid freezing unbaked dough to maintain texture and quality.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1
Calories
319kcal
(16%)
Carbohydrates
50g
(17%)
Protein
4g
(8%)
Fat
12g
(18%)
Saturated Fat
7g
(35%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
5g
(29%)
Cholesterol
42mg
(14%)
Sodium
93mg
(4%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
28g
(56%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 20rolls
Amount Per Serving
Calories 319 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 319kcal | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 50g | 17% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 12g | 18% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 5g | 29% |
| Cholesterol | 42mg | 14% |
| Sodium | 93mg | 4% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 28g | 56% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.5
186 reviews
Excellent
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