Rosemary Orange Bread Roll Wreath
 
 
This citrusy bread roll wreath, made with soft yeast rolls infused with a hint of orange zest and fresh rosemary, makes a lovely centerpiece for your Holiday table.
Author:
Recipe type: Yeast Rolls
Serves: 20 rolls
Ingredients
  • 1 cup water (240 grams), plus 1-2 Tbsp. (15 - 30 grams) extra if needed
  • 1 large egg (beaten, if making dough by hand)
  • 2-3 Tbsp. butter (28 - 43 grams), softened
  • 3 ¼ cups (455 grams) all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting work surface)
  • ⅛ – ¼ cup sugar (30 - 55 grams) **See notes**
  • 1 tsp salt (5 grams)
  • 2 tsp (6 grams) instant or bread machine yeast (reduce to 1 tsp. if making dough ahead)
  • 1-2 Tbsp. rosemary, finely chopped (or to taste)
  • 1 – 8 oz. orange, finely zested
  • 2 Tbsp. butter, melted, for brushing tops of rolls after baking
Instructions
Preparing dough in bread machine:
  1. Place all ingredients, except the melted butter, orange zest and chopped rosemary in the bread machine pan in the order suggested by your manufacturer. (For my bread machine, the liquid ingredients are added first, then the flour, salt, sugar. Then make a well in the center of the flour, add the yeast, and cover with flour.)
  2. Select the Dough/Manual cycle. After the machine beeps or stops the initial mixing, add the orange zest and rosemary. Let the machine finish the mixing and proofing cycles.
  3. Once the dough cycle is finished and the machine beeps, remove the dough to a lightly floured work surface and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
  4. Line your pan or baking sheet with parchment. I used a 16” pizza pan. Place a 2-3” biscuit/cookie cutter or canning ring in the center of the pan.
  5. Divide the dough into 20 equal pieces. (My dough weighed 853 grams so each piece was about 42-43 grams) Shape each piece into a ball. Place 7 balls around the ring/cutter leaving space for the rolls to rise. Form the outer ring of the wreath using the remaining 13 balls. Depending on the size of your ring/cutter, you may only need 6 balls around the center or 8. Just space them as evenly as you can.
Preparing the dough by hand
  1. In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together, flour, sugar, salt, yeast, orange zest and chopped rosemary.
  2. In a separate bowl or container, beat the egg. Add the water to the egg and mix to combine. Pour the water/egg mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well.
  3. Cover and let the dough rest for 20-30 minutes to develop the gluten before adding the butter.
  4. Work in the softened butter until it forms a soft dough.
  5. Cover and let the dough proof for about 2 hours. After one hour, stretch and fold the dough over itself. Cover and let the dough rest an additional hour, or until doubled.
  6. Line your pan or baking sheet with parchment. Place a 2-3” biscuit/cookie cutter or canning ring in the center of the pan.
  7. Divide the dough into 20 equal pieces. (My dough weighed 853 grams so each piece was about 42-43 grams) Shape each piece into a ball. Place 7 balls around the ring/cutter leaving space for the rolls to rise. Form the outer ring of the wreath using the remaining 13 balls. Depending on the size of your ring/cutter, you may only need 6 balls around the center or 8. Just space them as evenly as you can.
Baking the wreath the same day
  1. Cover and let the rolls rise until double in size, approximately 40 minutes to 1 hour. (Dough will be ready when indentation remains when lightly touched.)
  2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. While the rolls are rising. Uncover the wreath, bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Rotate the pan partway through the bake cycle for even baking.
  3. Brush tops of rolls with melted butter, if desired. Serve warm or slightly cooled.
Making the wreath ahead, and baking the next day
  1. Cover and let the rolls rise for about 30 minutes, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator overnight.
  2. The next day, remove the wreath from the refrigerator and let it warm up while the oven is preheating to 375 degrees F.
  3. Uncover the wreath, bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Rotate the pan partway through the bake cycle for even baking.
  4. Brush tops of rolls with melted butter, if desired. Serve warm or slightly cooled.
Notes
*Sugar acts as a tenderizer. The additional sugar isn’t necessary for flavor; however, the rolls will be a little softer when using ¼ cup of sugar.

**I used 2 teaspoons of instant yeast for the dough made in the bread machine and 1 teaspoon for the dough made by hand. When making the dough by hand, even if you bake the rolls the same day, you probably only need 1 teaspoon, or if you use more, reduce the proofing time so the rolls don’t over proof.

***Reduce prep time by chopping the rosemary and zesting the orange the day before you make the dough. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Recipe by Bread Experience at https://www.breadexperience.com/rosemary-orange-bread-roll-wreath/