Orange-Kissed Cranberry Walnut Rolls

 

Orange-Kissed Cranberry Walnut Rolls are soft, lightly sweet, jewel-red cranberry-studded rolls that scream holiday breakfast, or anytime the Christmas lights are still up!

These rolls have become my new December obsession. I was expecting dense, chewy fruit bread like the ones I grab at fancy bakeries, but these surprised me: they’re soft and almost feather-light inside with a thin, sugary-crisp lid. Think brioche meets a winter morning. They’re perfect warm with butter for Christmas dinner, but honestly? Split one the next morning, toast it lightly, and slather it with clotted cream and raspberry jam and you’ll hear angels sing.

One dough, two easy finishes:

Dinner version → egg wash + a few flakes of fleur de sel (so good with turkey or ham)

Breakfast version → egg wash + sparkling raw/turbinado sugar that crackles when you bite   

They freeze beautifully, so make a double batch now and you’ll have warm rolls ready through New Year’s!

Orange-Kissed Cranberry Walnut Rolls

 Makes 12 large rolls

 

 1 c. coarsely chopped walnuts

3½-4 c. bread flour (start with 3½)

1 T. packed dark brown sugar

1½ t. fast rising yeast

1½ t. salt

1½ c. whole milk

2 T. vegetable oil (plus a little for the bowl)

1 large egg

1 c. Melissa’s dried cranberries

Zest of 1 orange

 2-3 T. orange juice for soaking cranberries

1 egg, beaten (for glaze)

Raw (turbinado) sugar OR fleur de sel for topping

Toast walnuts in a dry skillet until fragrant, about 5 min. Cool.

Soak cranberries in orange juice 15–60 min; drain.

Warm milk to 95–100°F.

 In stand mixer with paddle: mix 3½ cups flour, brown sugar, yeast, salt. Add warm milk, oil, and 1 egg. Beat on low until a shaggy ball forms (~1 min). Add walnuts, drained cranberries, and orange zest. Switch to dough hook.

 Knead on low 4–5 minutes, adding flour 1 Tbsp at a time only if dough is very sticky. Finished dough should be smooth, elastic, and just slightly tacky.

 Knead by hand 1–2 minutes, shape into a ball, place in oiled bowl, cover, and let rise at room temp until almost doubled (1¾–2 hours).

 Divide into 12 equal pieces. Shape into tight, smooth balls (cup hand over dough and roll in small circles on the counter).

 Place on parchment-lined sheet, spray lightly with oil, cover loosely with plastic. Let rise until 1½ times size (~1½ hours).

 Brush with beaten egg, sprinkle with raw sugar (breakfast) or fleur de sel (dinner). Rest 15 more minutes.

 Preheat oven to 425°F → put rolls in, immediately drop temp to 400°F. Bake 15–17 minutes total, rotating pan halfway, until deep golden.

 Cool on rack. Serve warm or freeze up to 3 weeks (reheat wrapped in foil at 350°F for 10 min).

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