Who doesn’t love the smell of homemade bread or rolls in their home?  Even better is that first warm bite that just fills your soul.

About 18 years ago, or so, I was introduced to the best bread/roll recipe that I have ever had the pleasure of tasting.  

Two sister missionaries–whose apartment had a gas leak–were given permission to sleep over at our house one Sunday evening.  Monday was their P-Day, which stands for preparation day–missionaries use the first portion of this day to clean, shop for groceries, run errands, do laundry, etc.  I was lucky to have these girls in my home on P-Day because one of them asked permission to do some baking.  Um, yeah.  You sure can!

I took off for errands and picking the girls up from school and came home to a house that was oozing with the wonderful aroma of homemade bread and cinnamon rolls.  I was into my second piece of amazing before I even knew it.  Melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon rolls that would rock your world.  They sure rocked mine.

I was able to get the recipe and wrote it inside my family cookbook.  I have only used it once.  I don’t know why!  Maybe because I would eat the whole batch.

I decided it was time to pull that recipe out and make rolls for Christmas Eve dinner.  It makes a lot so I divided it and used the other half for some delicious orange rolls.

You’re welcome!!!!

We are still having Recipe Card format issues, so I am going to copy this straight from how I wrote it in my cookbook. Read through the recipe to make sure you have all of your ingredients, which I have written in BOLD.

1. Combine 4 T. yeast, 2 t. sugar, 1 cup warm  water (110 degrees F.) and set aside.
2. Mix 4 c. flour, 1/2 c. instant powdered milk, 4 c. water, 1 and 1/3 c. sugar, 3 beaten eggs,  and 4 t. salt.
3. Add 2 sticks of melted butter (1 cup).
4. Add yeast mixture and mix well, stirring in 10 cups of flour.
5. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.
6. Grease a large bowl and place the dough in that. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled.

I divided my dough into two bowls since I was doing a batch of rolls and a batch of orange rolls.

Once the dough has doubled, take it out of the bowl and place it on a floured surface.  Roll out and cut for rolls, place in a greased or buttered pan and bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes.

If you are baking bread, form loaves and place in greased loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes.

If you want delicious orange rolls, do the following:  a regular size navel orange will yield the orange zest and juice you will need.

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  
2.  Stir together 1/2 t. cinnamon, 1 T. orange zest and 1/3 c. of sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
3.  Spray counter top with non-stick cooking spray and roll dough out into a large rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.  Brush dough with 3 T. melted  butter, then spread with cinnamon/sugar/orange zest mixture.
4.  Starting with one of the long sides of the rectangle, roll dough up tightly, working from one end to the other end horizontally, then back again.  pinch the seams closed at the end.  Use a sharp, thin knife (I like to used non-waxed/unflavored dental floss) to cut the roll in half, then each half in half.  You will have 4 sections. cut each section  into thirds.
5. Set rolls in a greased or buttered  9 x 13 pan and bake for 12-14 minutes.
6. Whisk together 2 c. powdered sugar, 2 T. melted butter and 3 T. orange juice. Spread over warm rolls.

Roll Recipe Source:  Sis. Stanger of the Arizona Tucson Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ca. 1996-2002.

Orange Rolls Variation Recipe:  Butter with a Side of Bread.