Easy Overnight Orange Rolls (Printable Version)

Fluffy rolls enriched with fresh orange zest and a sweet citrus glaze, ideal for a relaxed brunch.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 1/4 teaspoons instant dry yeast
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 3/4 cup whole milk, lukewarm
06 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - Zest of 2 large oranges

→ Filling

09 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
10 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
11 - Zest of 1 large orange

→ Glaze

12 - 1 cup powdered sugar
13 - 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
14 - 1 teaspoon orange zest

# Method:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, yeast, and salt until evenly distributed.
02 - In a separate bowl, combine lukewarm milk, melted butter, room temperature eggs, and orange zest.
03 - Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until a sticky dough forms.
04 - Knead by hand or with a stand mixer using the dough hook attachment for 7 to 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
05 - Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours until doubled in size.
06 - Punch down the dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a 10 by 16 inch rectangle.
07 - Spread softened butter over the dough, then sprinkle with sugar and orange zest from the filling ingredients.
08 - Roll up the dough tightly from the longer edge and cut into 12 even rolls using a sharp knife or dental floss.
09 - Arrange rolls in a greased 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
10 - In the morning, let the rolls sit at room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes until puffy and risen.
11 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
12 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until the rolls are golden brown.
13 - While rolls bake, prepare the glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, orange juice, and zest until smooth and pourable.
14 - Drizzle glaze over warm rolls immediately before serving.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • You get to sleep in because the hard work happens the night before, leaving just a quick proof and bake in the morning.
  • Fresh orange zest transforms simple dough into something that tastes like you spent hours on it, when really the magic is just good timing.
  • The overnight method makes these rolls impossibly tender and forgiving, almost impossible to mess up even if your kitchen runs cold.
02 -
  • Room temperature eggs and milk make an enormous difference in how quickly your dough develops—cold ingredients will shock the yeast and slow everything down, so pull them out about 30 minutes early.
  • The overnight cold proof in the refrigerator is actually the secret to these rolls being so tender, because slow fermentation develops flavor and texture that you simply can't rush, no matter how warm your kitchen gets.
  • Don't skip the final room temperature proof in the morning, even though you're impatient—those 45 to 60 minutes are when the rolls puff up enough to bake through completely without drying out.
03 -
  • If your kitchen is particularly cold, turn on the oven light during the first rise and crack the door open just a tiny bit—it creates a warm pocket without being too hot.
  • Dental floss or a piece of strong thread actually cuts roll dough cleaner than a knife because it doesn't compress the soft dough the way a blade does, leaving the rolls fluffier.
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