These rolls are very similar to Kaye's Easy Homemade Rolls. They are sweet enough to be served as a dessert, or I've also had them as part of a meal and they are soo good. Don't let these directions fool you. These are easy.
To make these rolls you will need a pastry cover board and a sock cover for your rolling pin. You can make one out of cotton duck fabric sewn like a pillow case to fit over a board or thin piece of masonite. You can find the rolling pin socks at kitchen stores. These two things are the secret that makes the rolls so light. You rub the flour into the cloth and the dough doesn't pick up as much flour.
Start by proofing your yeast.
2 Tbl. yeast, disolved in 2/3 c. warm water with a small amount of sugar, about 1/2 tsp. (proofing the yeast)
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the following ingredients:
2 cups warm water
1/2 c. dry milk
3 Tbl. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs
Add your yeast mixture. Wisk in 4 c. flour. Add 2 additional c. flour with a wooden spoon. (6 - 6 1/2 c. flour total)
Cover dough and let raise approximately 1-2 hours, or until it doubles in size.
Roll dough out into a rectangle on floured board (rub flour into cloth and scrape off excess). Then, taking a stick of softened butter, spread about 1/4 of the stick on the dough, then fold the dough in half and roll out again. Do this 4 times and use about 3/4 of the stick of butter. You should end with folded over dough rolled to a rectangle.
In a small bowl melt about 3/4 stick of butter. Put about 3/4 c. sugar in a second bowl, and the zest of one orange in a third bowl. Sprinkle a little of the orange zest on the top of the sugar.
Using a sharp pizza cutter, cut the dough in half horizontally, the in 1/2 inch strips vertically.
Take each strip and wrap it around your index and second fingers of the left hand. Then dip it in melted butter, then into the sugar/zest mixture. The place the roll in a muffin pan (sprayed with PAM) so that the butter and sugar is on the bottom. You will be able to do a few rolls before you will need to sprinkle a little more zest on top of the sugar so that you get some zest on each roll.
Let them rise about 20 minutes in the pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. This dough rises so fast that I preheat the oven while I am rolling out the dough, and by the time I have got most of the rolls in the muffin pans the first ones have risen enough to put into the oven.
When the rolls are lightly browned, spread the orange glaze over the top of each roll like frosting on a cinnamon roll. Make the frosting from 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar and enough orange juice to make a glaze (2-3 Tbl.) You want it to be thick frosting.
This makes about 3 dozen rolls. They taste the best hot out of the oven, but don't store very well. They taste best when eaten the same day.
Edit: I used to make my orange zest by sticking the whole orange peel in the blender, and while very good, it was a little bitter. I have since gotten a zester similar to
this (only a few dollars at Target), and it makes all the difference. No more bitter peel flavor, just yummy orange goodness. And my
latest and greatest zester works even better.
