These orange rolls are the best I’ve ever had! The rolls are super soft and fluffy and that orange glaze over the top is to die for!
These are fantastic. We really do love them. They are light and fluffy, fresh and easy. Plus, you can put the glaze on them and then your kids, family and friends will think you are the coolest person ever for serving the ultimate roll at dinner You’re welcome!
Can You Freeze Orange Sweet Rolls?
You can freeze the rolls, baked but unfrosted.
Later, you can thaw them out, warm them for just a few minutes in the oven, and ice them while warm.
OR you can freeze the rolls completely iced and finished.
Just allow them to cool, then cover with plastic wrap and foil.
This roll recipe is actually our famous potato roll recipe (see the link under the recipe) that someone gave us years ago, but we switched it up a little by turning them into orange rolls. The recipe is actually quite easy to make. You just scald the milk to make a fluffier roll and while I don’t understand the science of it I can tell you that we have experimented a lot, and the rolls made with scalded milk (which is just heated milk, never boiled) are always lighter, fluffier and tastier.
Add the potato flakes, butter etc, and cool to luke warm and mix in the remaining ingredients per the instructions. Let them rise, roll out the dough, butter half, fold it over and press to seal. The next part is up to you. You could make crescent roll shaped rolls but I prefer to tie them in knots and tuck the tails under. They just look prettier in my opinion. And they get so big and fluffy everyone can’t wait to dig in.
We had these babies for our Sunday dinner and I couldn’t stop picking in them the rest of the evening. I think you guys will love them too. So, switch things up and instead of making a basic roll recipe try out these orange rolls! I promise you wont regret it.
Are Orange Rolls Dessert?
These orange sweet rolls are a great breakfast, roll to eat with dinner, or dessert.
What is the Difference Between Instant Yeast and Active Dry Yeast?
Active dry yeast and instant (or rapid-rise) yeast are the two most common yeasts available to us as home bakers.
The two yeasts can be used interchangeably in recipes, but active dry yeast needs to be dissolved in water before using while instant yeast can be mixed right into the dough.
Orange Rolls
Orange Rolls
Description
Ingredients
Potato Rolls
- 3/4 Cup Sugar
- 3/4 Cup Butter or shortening, plus extra for buttering the dough, about 1/3 cup extra butter
- 3 Cups Scalded Milk * see note
- 1 Cup Potato Flakes
- 1 Tb Salt
- 4 Eggs
- 1 Tablespoon SAF Instant Yeast or 2 Tablespoons Fleishmans yeast, we use fleishman
- 7 Cups Flour
- Zest of 1 large Orange
Glaze
- 2 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 Teaspoons Orange Zest
- 4 Tablespoons Orange Juice
- 2 Tablespoons Butter, softened
- Pinch Zalt
Instructions
Potato Rolls
- Mix the sugar, butter or shortening, scalded milk, potato flakes, and salt until lukewarm.
- Add the yeast and let sit for 1 minute and then whisk in the eggs and zest
- Add 6 cups of the flour and stir until the dough has come together, but is still soft, you may need to add an extra 1/2 cup, but reserve the last 1/2 cup for heavily flouring the counter and dough when it's time to roll them out. This is not like a bread dough. It is a slightly sticky dough.
- Let dough rise for one hour.
- Push down and divide dough into 3 parts.
- Flour your counter and the top of the dough.
- Roll out to 1/2" thick and butter 1/2 of dough.
- Fold the dough over and cut into 1" wide strips.
- Tie into knots and place on cookie sheet.
- Let rise for 1-2 hours more.
- Bake at 350 until golden brown, (14-20 min)
Glaze
- Mix together, all of the ingredients until a thicker glaze forms.
- Once rolls have cooled slightly glaze them!
Notes
Nutrition
Recommended Products
The BEST Potato Rolls
These are the best rolls you’ll ever make. Soft, fluffy and completely no knead.
Carel
These sound marvelous and Thank-you for sharing. Lemon or lime sounds like a change in the summer.
Sweet Basil
Thank you Carel! Yes! We love them as lemon rolls too! Now you have me longing for summer! 🙂
Mary
I made this recipe for Easter and they turned out AMAZING. Thank you for the awesome recipe!!
Sweet Basil
YAY!! Thank you!
Erin K
Do you think these would work with gluten-free flour?
Sweet Basil
Unfortunately we haven’t had any luck with that.
Ana
These look RIDICULOUS! What do you think if I parbake the rolls and freeze them? There is no way I’m making 36 rolls cause if they are as good as they look i WILL eat them! So was hoping to freeze half just not sure st what stage to do so…..or maybe after making them into knots and before the second rise?
Sweet Basil
Hi Ana, You can definitely freeze the rolls once shaped. 🙂 And I know what you mean about eating them all. Sweet deliciousness…
Sue
I am going to use this recipe to make loaves rather than rolls. We love orange bread–toasted–with papaya halves sprinkled with lime juive for bteakfast@
Sweet Basil
Oh yum!!!
Ana
We don’t have potato flakes here in the Philippines but I want to try making these..can I just leave it out or is there any substitute? Thanks..
Sweet Basil
You could use a little less than 2/3 cup mashed potatoes
Kelly Riley
First things first. your potato rolls are my new favorite comfort food! But I’m curios if there is another way to roll and cut them? I’m horrible at knots, for the orange rolls is there any other way to roll and cut these? Like a traditional cinnamon roll?
Nancy
The orange rolls sound so yummy, I was at the store looking for potato flakes and could not find any. Are the potato flakes what they call mashed potatoes in the box? I thought there was something called potato flakes years ago? I am in California.
Barbara
I use the plain mashed potato flakes. Check the ingredients list to see if it is just dried potatoes.
Sweet Basil
Yes, that definitely works.
Lin
Could these be made up to the point of placing the knots on the cookie sheet and then refrigerated overnight and baked in the morning? They sound amazing!
Sweet Basil
Hi Lin,
Absolutely! Just make sure you cover with saran wrap so the dough doesn’t dry out and give the pan time on the counter to get rid of the chill before baking.
Charla
Just curious, in the recipe it lists butter as an ingredient, but in the instructions, it says shortening. Do you use butter or shortening? Thanks!
Charla
Also, you don’t say when you add the orange zest for the dough. With the flour I’m guessing?
Sweet Basil
Sorry about that Charla, it should have read, butter OR shortening and the zest goes in after the eggs. 🙂
Brigetta
I absolutely LOVE orange sweet rolls I’m going to make these rolls this weekend and again for Easter.
YUMM!
Marisa
Oh yum!!!! I LOVE orange rolls and had totally forgotten about them (if that makes any sense at all….I just haven't made them for a long time). I can't wait to try your recipe!
Jessica
I love orange rolls! These look amazing, I am going to have to make these. 🙂
Sarah
I don't know if I love anything more than orange rolls – maybe cinnamon, maybe…
Gourmified
Oh my gosh! I completely {HEART} orange rolls. I HAVE to make these!!! YUMMMM! Congrats on your girl, too! So exciting!
Melody
Great recipe! I've never seen the orange zest incorporated into the dough. My mom would use a orange zest, sugar and butter mixture and spread it on the dough like you would the cinnamon for cinnamon rolls. This recipe is a much “lighter” version. I would love to try these!
Mary Ann
I can't believe I have never made these. I love them and always think about making them, but haven't done it.
Maria
We love orange rolls too!