We were needing a little something special for breakfast, so I whipped out my trusty Southern Living All-Time Favorites Cookbook and browsed through the yeast breads section.
I love working with yeast rolls and breads and these Orange Rolls with a Warm Sour Cream Butter Glaze jumped right out at me - especially that sour cream butter glaze.
There was no photo, so I was curious to see how they would turn out.
They turned out great! The soft yeast dough triangles are sprinkled with a sugar/orange zest mixture, rolled up, baked, then smothered in an awesome warm sour cream butter glaze.
You may think it's a lot of glaze, but when cooled, it's perfect, so make sure and use all of it!
I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I ate one of these warm and just glazed orange rolls. They're soft and a little chewy, and the orange flavor comes through without being overpowering.
Be sure and set aside plenty of time for the dough to rise. Besides that, they're not difficult at all to make. Just make sure your yeast is fresh (but you know that).
We ate these for breakfast, but found ourselves sneaking them for snacks, too. Warm them up for 10 or 15 seconds and they're back to being perfect again.
Try these Orange Rolls with a Warm Sour Cream Butter Glaze. Your family and friends will be enormously grateful and think you're the best baker ever.

Orange Rolls with Sour Cream Butter Glaze
Excellent orange yeast rolls with a warm buttery glaze.
Ingredients
- 1 pkg active dry yeast
- ¼ C warm water (100 to 110°)
- 1 C sugar, divided
- ½ C butter, melted and divided
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ C sour cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 ¼ C all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon orange zest (from 2 large oranges)
- Glaze
- ¾ C sugar
- ½ C sour cream
- ½ C butter
- 2 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Combine the yeast and warm water, stir, and let stand for 5 minutes to bloom.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast mixture, ¼ cup of the sugar, 6 tablespoons of the butter, eggs, sour cream and salt until smooth. Gradually add 2 cups of the flour, ½ cup at a time, and beat at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add another cup and fourth of flour in until it creates a soft dough (you may not need all of the flour).
- Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes). Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 ½ hours, or until almost doubled in bulk.
- Combine the orange zest and remaining ¾ cup of sugar in a bowl and stir until well combined.
- Grease a 13x9" baking pan. Punch dough down and divide in half. Roll out one of the halves into a 12 inch circle and brush with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter. Sprinkle evenly with one-half of the orange zest/sugar mixture.
- Cut each circle into 12 even wedges, roll up each wedge starting at the wide end. Place each wedge, point side down, in the greased pan (with the other half of the dough there will end up being 3 rows of 8 rolls). Repeat with the other half of the dough, using the rest of the butter and orange zest/sugar mixture.
- Cover the pan and let rise in a warm place, about 1 hour or until the rolls are almost doubled. Preheat the oven to 350° and bake the rolls for 22 minutes, turning the pan at 12 minutes.
- Remove the baked rolls from the oven and start the glaze.
- For the Glaze: Stir the sugar, sour cream, butter, orange juice and pinch of salt together in a medium pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir constantly for 3 minutes. Remove from heat (makes about 1 ½ cups).
- Pour the glaze evenly over the still warm rolls, making sure to get down in the nooks and crannies. Makes 2 dozen rolls.
Notes
Tips and Stuff:
Use your discretion on the flour amount in the dough. It shouldn't be sticky and should roll into a soft, smooth ball when removed from the mixer.
If the risen dough springs back while you're trying to roll it out, let it sit another five minutes before trying to roll again. It should relax the dough some.
Use all of the glaze! It looks like it will make the rolls soggy, but it won't.
Refrigerate any leftovers and microwave cold rolls about 20 seconds before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 rollAmount Per Serving: Calories: 216Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 173mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 3g
Nutrition Values are Approximate
I received this recipe 55 years ago at my first nursing job. It came as a refrigerated dough recipe for cinnamon rolls or orange rolls. The orange sauce is the BEST and the rolls delicious made as descriBetter than cinnamon rolls by far.
That sauce would make a baseball taste good, right? I love remembering where the tried-and-true recipes came from in my life. It sounds like you do, too, Trisha!
Have you ever frozen them before the 2nd rises I’m wondering if they could be made ahead, thawed, risen, and then baked?
I've never tried freezing them, Julie, but I can't think of a reason why they couldn't be.
Can you start making the dough in bread machine?
Hi Gayle - yes, definitely!
I have my mother’s Pillsbury Bake
Off recipe book from 50-55 years ago. This recipe was one that won a $5000.00 Second Grand Prize. It was called “ Orange Butter Coffee Cake”. The only difference is she put 3/4 cup coconut In with the sugar and orange rind filling. It’s divine ♥️
I can definitely see these winning a prize. They ARE divine! 🙂