Orange Blossoms
These tender pull-apart buns are drizzled with a sunny citrus glaze. The recipe makes two pans: one to keep and another to share.
Prep
30 mins
Bake
20 to 23 mins
Total
3 hrs 20 mins
Instructions
Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.
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To make the dough: Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. In a large bowl, combine the ingredients in the order listed and mix until a soft, smooth dough forms. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead it for 7 minutes, or knead in a stand mixer at medium-low for 5 minutes.
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Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours; it'll be puffy (it won't quite double in bulk) and less sticky than directly after kneading.
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Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a greased work surface. Divide it into 24 golf ball-sized pieces, about 1 1/2 ounces (41g) each.
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Roll the dough into balls, and place into two greased 9" round cake pans.
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Cover the pans with lightly greased plastic wrap and allow let rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours, until puffy.
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Toward the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 350°F.
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If desired, snip a cross in the top of each roll in a star pattern, cutting 1/2" deep, to make "petals."
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Bake the rolls for 20 to 23 minutes, or until they're a light, golden brown.
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Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring the rolls to a rack to finish cooling completely.
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To make the glaze: Combine the sugar, orange juice, and orange blossom water until smooth; drizzle the glaze over the lukewarm rolls.
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Store, covered on the counter for up to 3 days, or freeze for longer storage.
Tips from our Bakers
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Unless you have a 1-pound machine, your bread machine should be able to handle this capacity of flour, even if your usual recipe calls for 3 cups of flour. Since the dough won't be baking in the machine, you don't have to worry about over-expansion.
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Different sugars will give varying finishes to the buns: a confectioners' sugar will leave an opaque glaze, while using Baker's Special Sugar, sanding, or castor sugar — all very finely granulated sugars — will leave a more transparent finish on the buns. The level of sweetness will not change.
