You may think that having fresh-from-the-oven buttery gooey orange rolls before noon is impossible, it can be done. Just mix the Overnight Orange Rolls dough in the evening and refrigerate. The next morning roll, shape, and bake.
Tips for baking with yeast
- There are two different types of yeast Dry active & Instant or Rapid Rise. Dry active yeast needs to be activated in warm water but instant yeast can be added directly to your recipe. Instant can be added directly into the recipe.
- Yeast will always be your friend as long as you don’t kill it with water that is too hot. Water should be warm to the touch. Not hot. Slightly warmer than room temperature.
- Never let the salt come in direct contact with the yeast. When you’re proofing the yeast or dissolving it in water, sugar can be added, but never salt.
- Yeast feeds on sugar. This is the reason that several recipes call for a small amount of sugar to be added to your proofing mixture. However, you do not need sugar to activate the yeast.
- Because yeast feeds and reproduces best at a warmer temperature, its best to have a place where it can rise around 80℉. If your house it cold, the dough will take longer to rise.
- Less yeast and a longer rise time make for better-flavored bread. Placing the dough in a refrigerator will give it a longer fermentation time and will enhance the flavor.
Making Overnight Orange Rolls
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9- Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Set aside.
- Mix 3 eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer.
- Stir in sugar and salt. Set aside
- Melt butter in a small saucepan. Once the butter has melted completely and begins to bubble slightly, pour in milk and remove from heat immediately. The temperature of the butter and milk should not be hotter than 110℉.
- With the mixer running, carefully add the warm butter mixture to the egg mixture and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Stir in the dissolved yeast.
- Mix in 2 cups flour until dough is smooth. Add remaining flour 1 cup at a time mixing well after each addition. When the fourth cup of flour is added, let the mixer run for about 3-5 minutes. This is when I determine just how much more flour needs to be added. NEVER, let me repeat that NEVER add more than 5 cups of flour to this recipe. I rarely add more than 4 1/2 cups of flour. You do NOT want the dough too stiff.
- One good way to tell if you have added enough flour is to look at the sides of the bowl. Add flour just until the dough starts to pull away from the sides. Remember the dough is very sticky.
- Use a dough scraper to scrape down the sides of the bowl to form a ball of dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or more.
NOTE: You can see how sticky the dough is when I poke my finger in. That is perfect.
Orange Filling
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4- In a small bowl stir melted butter and sugar together.
- Add the zest from one orange.
- Squeeze in the juice from 1/2 of the orange.
- Stir together.
When Ready to Bake
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9- Generously grease muffin tins. Make sure the bottoms, sides, and tops of the tin are well greased. Set aside.
- Remove roll dough from refrigerator. You can see from the picture, that the dough did rise during refrigeration.
- Gently remove dough from bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Roll chilled dough into a rectangle about 12 x 24-inches.
- Spread prepared orange butter mixture over the top of the rolled out dough.
- Begin to roll the dough like you are making cinnamon rolls.
- I like to take a clean, dry pastry brush and brush off any excess flour as I’m rolling.
- Cut dough into 1-inch slices.
- Place the sliced dough in the prepared muffin tin. Tip: Place the muffin tin on a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet. This will prevent the filling from spilling onto the bottom on your oven and it is easier to remove from oven because the filling is dang hot! Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for an hour or longer depending on the room temperature. To test the rolls to see if they are ready to bake, gently press your finger into the dough, If the indention does not stay, then the rolls are ready to bake.
- Bake in a preheated 375℉ oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Once the rolls are baked, immediately tip out of muffin tin onto a parchment or silicone sheet. Allow the glaze to drip from the pan onto the rolls. Be very careful the filling is very hot on these wonderful sticky orange buns.
Overnight Orange Rolls
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 24 rolls
Calories 129 kcal
Ingredients
Dough
- ¼ cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon yeast
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup butter unsalted
- ¾ cup milk
- ½ cup sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 4 ½ - 5 cups flour
Orange filling
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 cup sugar
- Juice from 1/2 orange
- Zest from 1 orange
Instructions
Dough
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Dissolve yeast in warm water, set aside for 5 minutes. In a large mixing bowl mix together eggs, sugar, and salt. Set aside.
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In a small saucepan, melt butter then add milk. Slowly pour into egg mixture mixing all the time. Add yeast mixture and stir. Add 2 cups flour and mix until dough is smooth. When the fourth cup of flour is added, let the mixer run for about 3-5 minutes. This is when I determine just how much more flour needs to be added. I never add more than 4 1/2 cups of flour. DO NOT ADD MORE THAN 5 CUPS OF FLOUR. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a dough scraper and form a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight or 8 hours.
Orange filling
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Combine all ingredients in a medium-size bowl and stir to blend. Set aside.
To assemble Orange Rolls
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Butter or grease 24 muffin tins. Make sure to grease sides, bottom, and the top of the muffin tin. Set aside.
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Roll dough into a rectangle approximately 12 x 24-inches. Spread the butter and orange mixture on top of the dough leaving a ½-inch border around the sides. Roll dough from the long end. Cut roll into 24 slices and place in prepared muffin pans.
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Bake in a preheated 375℉ oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately flip rolls out onto the baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Allow all the orange glaze to drizzle over the rolls. Caution: Rolls and filling are extremely HOT!
Recipe Notes
Tips for baking with yeast:
- There are two different types of yeast Dry active & Instant or Rapid Rise. Dry active yeast needs to be activated in warm water but instant yeast can be added directly to your recipe. Instant can be added directly into the recipe.
- Yeast will always be your friend as long as you don't kill it with water that is too hot. Water should be warm to the touch. Not hot. Slightly warmer than room temperature.
- Never let the salt come in direct contact with the yeast. When you're proofing the yeast or dissolving it in water, sugar can be added, but never salt.
- Yeast feeds on sugar. This is the reason that several recipes call for a small amount of sugar to be added to your proofing mixture. However, you do not need sugar to activate the yeast.
- Because yeast feeds and reproduces best at a warmer temperature, its best to have a place where it can rise around 80℉. If your house it cold, the dough will take longer to rise.
- Less yeast and a longer rise time make for better-flavored bread. Placing the dough in a refrigerator will give it a longer fermentation time and will enhance the flavor.
Helpful Tips for roll success:
- When the fourth cup of flour is added, let the mixer run for about 3-5 minutes. This is when I determine just how much more flour needs to be added. NEVER, let me repeat that NEVER add more than 5 cups of flour to this recipe. I rarely add more than 4 1/2 cups of flour. You do NOT want the dough too stiff. One good way to tell if you have added enough flour is to look at the sides of the bowl. Add flour just until the dough starts to pull away from the sides. Remember the dough is very sticky.
- Tip: Place the muffin tin on a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet. This will prevent the filling from spilling onto the bottom on your oven and it is easier to remove from the oven because the filling is dang hot!
- To test the rolls to see if they are ready to bake, gently press your finger into the dough, If the indention does not stay, then the rolls are ready to bake.
- Before removing rolls from the oven prepare another baking sheet parchment or a silicone sheet. This will help with clean up and prevent rolls from sticking to an unlined baking sheet.
- Immediately flip the hot rolls out onto the prepared sheet. Allow the glaze to drip from the pan onto the rolls. Be very careful the filling is very hot.
Nutrition Facts
Overnight Orange Rolls
Amount Per Serving (1 roll)
Calories 129
Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 5g25%
Cholesterol 41mg14%
Sodium 151mg6%
Potassium 19mg1%
Carbohydrates 12g4%
Fiber 0g0%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 280IU6%
Calcium 14mg1%
Iron 0.1mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe was originally posted in 2011. Additional notes, nutrition, updated photos, and recipe cards have been added.
THE pictures drew me in because they look so beautiful and delicious. I am usually pretty decent when it comes to baking, but I do have a baby and am incredibly sleep deprived right now. So naturally I decided to make these because come on, they look and sound so good. I definitely messed up the method. I forgot to let them rise in the pan. also by the time I got the filling on, the dough was room temp. Talk about a mess. However even without the 2nd proof they were delicious and surprisingly soft. They don’t look so pretty, but have a great flavor. I book marked the recipe to try again when I can follow directions. This seems like a great Christmas breakfast idea.
Bless your heart. I remember those baby days. Life is just exhausting. Bravo to you for being so brave to attempt these rolls. You can always just use room temperature butter that way the butter won’t ooze out all over. I have had that same messy problem! I’m glad they turned out in the end. xo- Janet
The tips you give for yeast are precious and not real well known.I have been frightened for the longest time because ;
!-I did not know the real difference between instant and rapid-rise and regular yeasti just thought instant would rise faster.
2-i did not know why some recipes would allow you to add the yeast right to the flour and other ingredients.
3-i could remember my mom making bread and never knew her to ever take temperature of water.So i just thought it was hot water. ugh!
so many factors could spell disaster. I have made bread with success in past with regular yeast. but now i know as well that i can use the instant and have fantastic results as well.
Thank you so much for posting this. I’m so glad you are having success with bread. It’s amazing how such a small thing can make all the difference in baking bread and rolls.
people enjoyed them and they weren’t too much trouble to make.
Awesome! Thank you so much for sharing.
hi, im Fotini from Greece, i ve made the rolls this evening but they are mostly like bread than cake, not so soft.Sorry to ask but is the photo of your rolls, real? The color of mines is dark even though i covered them in the oven.And the orange filling seemed to much, i used the half of it.Wanna make the receip again but dont know where i was wrong.I just love the rolls of your photo..
Hi Fontini, Yes, the photo's are real. The rolls are a bread type not a cake. I don't retouch my photos because I want to show how the food really looks after being prepared. Ovens vary so you may have to lower the temperature just a bit. I use a lot of filling because I like the rolls to be very gooey. You can cut the recipe is half for the filling if you prefer. Let me know if you have any more trouble. So happy to hear from Greece.
Just a quick question, do we HAVE to refrigerate the dough overnight? Or can we leave it on the counter for a couple of hours to rise and then use it? 🙂
Hellow Aarthi from India. I think I'd rather be eating an Eastern Indian feast instead of Turkey…really.
These are NOT too labor intensive for the big day especially if you make the dough the day before. Pshhh. YES!! I'm ready to get back to running…snow and all.
This looks so orangy goodness janet..Totally heaven..Yummy..Enjoy thanksgiving dear..
Hope you will upload pictures of that in ur next post..
These look really beautiful, and so delicate. I'll be giving these a try. Thank you x
You little stinker, Janet . . . You make everything look too darn easy! These little babies look far too labor intensive for Thanksgiving Day?! You are my idol girl, seriously! Pick you up Monday AM… Wear your snowshoes!
Beautiful Orange rolls, I want to come to your house for thanksgiving! I will be trying this recipe for sure, thanks!
I'm so thrilled to meet you, Shaina. I have always loved Whitney. She was good friends with my son during high school. She was kind enough to ask him to a dance and I'm certain it was the worst night of her life. Yet, she still speaks to me. She is a great resource…for anything! Thank you for commenting and reading my blog. Oh – I love running too.
Yum, these look GOOD–my family likes to make orange rolls on Christmas morning. mmm
Oh–by the way, my name is Shaina White. I live in WA with my husband and 2 kids. I'm a runner and a reader. I went to SVU. I love peanut butter. My cousin-in-law-in-law (our husbands are cousins) is the kitchen-goddess Whitney Olsen. That's who told me about your decadent blog. I love your recipes. I have 2 food blogs that I check regularly, and yours is one of them! I've enjoyed your blog for more than 2 years now, and I've never commented or anything. So I thought I'd say hi and thanks, and tell you how heavenly that peach cranberry pie is. I just made it and ate a hot piece with ice cream on top. The resulting euphoria gave me courage to type you a little note of gratitude. 🙂