Skip the grocery store tubes of orange rolls and make them right at home with this homemade orange rolls recipe. Once you taste the difference, you'll skip the grocery store next time!
Make the dough: In a large bowl, toss the flour, the sugar, salt, and yeast together. Set aside.
Heat the milk and butter together in the microwave until the butter is melted and the mixture is warm to touch (about 110°F). Stir in the orange juice, 1 Tbsp. orange zest, and the egg. Combine the butter mixture and the flour mixture and stir until it forms a soft dough that is smooth and bounces back when you poke it. If not, stir in 1 Tbsp of flour at a time until it is.
On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 1 minute. Place in a lightly greased bowl and let rest for about 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, roll the dough out in a 14x8 inch rectangle. Mix the softened butter and orange oil together and spread on top. In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon, sugar, and remaining orange zest. Sprinkle it over the dough with a spoon.
Roll up the dough tightly and pinch down the edge to seal it. Cut into 10-12 even rolls (using dental floss will make cutting easier) and arrange in a lightly greased 9-inch round cake pan or pie pan. Loosely cover the rolls with aluminum foil or plastic wrap (so the risen dough won't stick to it) and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free environment for 60-90 minutes. After the rolls have doubled in size, preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bake for 25-28 minutes until lightly browned. If the rolls brown too quickly, cover them with foil.
Make the glaze: Whisk the confectioners' sugar, remaining orange juice, and extract together until smooth. Drizzle or spread over warm rolls.
Notes
Prep time includes rising (passive) time.Make ahead/overnight option: This dough can be made the night before through step 4. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, remove from the refrigerator and allow to rise in a warm environment, about 1 hour.