Orange Rolls

Ever since I saw these orange rolls, I've been wanting to try them.  We decided to make a batch for our annual Christmas get-together with Greg's parents.  They were divine!!!!  The leftovers were still delicious the next day, so I might make them a day in advance next time.

Orange Rolls

Dough

3 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

One ¼-oz. packet yeast (we used Fleischmann's RapidRise Instant)

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)

1/2 cup buttermilk (used Greek yogurt and milk substitution)

2 large eggs, lightly whisked

Filling

6 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 cup orange marmalade

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

Orange Glaze

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups confectioners' sugar

Pinch of salt

About 3 tbsp. milk or cream, as needed for consistency

2 tsp. orange zest

Instructions

To a large mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, yeast, and salt; set aside.

In microwave-safe bowl, add butter.  Heat to melt, about 1 minute on high.

Add buttermilk to melted butter and heat in microwave about 45 seconds on high. (Follow temperature instructions for the yeast you are using.  Err on the cooler rather than hotter side so you don't kill the yeast.)  Whisk it to smooth.

Add butter-buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients in mixing bowl.

In a small bowl, crack and lightly whisk eggs, and then add eggs to mixing bowl.

Stir mixture 7 to 10 minutes, switching to your hands when it becomes difficult. If 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 mixing bowl, oil a large bowl (used veggie oil), place dough in the bowl, and flip it over once so it's lightly oiled both top and bottom.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free place to rise for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size. (At this time, remove butter from fridge so it can soften to room temp while dough rises.)  A great place for rising is the oven.  Turn it to 400 F for 1 minute, and then turn it off.  Place the covered bowl inside, and shut the door.

While dough rises, butter a 9x13-inch pan; set aside.

After dough has doubled in size, punch it down. Turn dough out onto floured counter. With a rolling pin, roll it out to about 26-by-13-inches. Use the 13-inch side of the 9x13 pan to eyeball it, no need to use a ruler.

Using a knife, evenly spread butter over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch bare margin.

Add about a cup of marmalade, and smooth it with a knife. It should be a thin 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 brown sugar over top, and lightly pat it down with your fingertips to help it adhere.

Starting with a long edge (26-inch side), roll 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). Hash marks create less guesswork once you start slicing.

Use plain dental floss to slice rolls (wrap around and keep pulling ends until they slice through). Floss does not squish or compact the log like knives do.

Arrange rolls in prepared pan, 5 rows of 4 across. Cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.  (Or...to make overnight, don't let rolls rise. Place pan in frig up to 16 hours. Before baking, let rolls rise at room temp until they have nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.)

Bake 375 F for about 15 minutes, or until lightly golden on top and cooked through (cooking times vary, so be watchful - they won't taste nearly as good overdone).

In a medium bowl, add orange juice, vanilla, confectioners' sugar, and salt, and whisk to combine; mixture will be thick.  Drizzle in milk as needed until mixture can be whisked smooth and is to desired consistency.

Whisk in zest.  Evenly pour glaze over rolls.

Serve immediately or keep in airtight container at room temp (they'll dry out in the fridge) up to 4 days; if desired, reheat in micro about 5 seconds to soften as desired.