One of my favorite variations on a classic sourdough cinnamon roll are these orange rolls. They're loaded with sweet orange flavor, a have just a hint of cinnamon, and the rolls are perfectly soft with a slight tang from the slow rise. They're a perfect addition to any special brunch or breakfast!
Cinnamon roll season is in full swing, and this variation is so good! If you love all things orange, you have to try these.
Really you can eat these year-round, but they feel especially right from Christmas through Easter.
With orange zest in the dough, filling, and zest AND juice in the icing, these rolls have plenty of orange flavor.
And it is so satisfying!
The Dough
This dough will look familiar because it's the exact dough I use for my sourdough cinnamon rolls, with the addition of a tablespoon of orange zest.
It's very soft thanks to the butter, milk, and egg. It will be on the sticky side before the first rise, but will be surprisingly easy to handle after it rises.
I have this recipe written for mixing and kneading by hand, which I'm trying to do more of because I don't want owing a stand mixer to be a barrier to good bread. If you prefer to use a stand mixer here, you can definitely do so. Combine using the paddle attachment, then switch to the dough hook and knead on LOW speed for the amount of time listed in the recipe.
The Filling
Brown sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, and melted butter are mixed together for the filling here - it will be the texture of wet sand. This is my favorite way to do cinnamon roll filling because very little leaks out while doing the second rise/baking.
Shaping orange rolls
This is exactly like shaping any other sweet roll - don't overthink it!
Make sure your surface is floured enough to prevent sticking while rolling the dough. You'll want to check periodically by lifting the dough off the work surface and adding more flour if needed.
Once you've rolled it out to size, sprinkle with the filling and spread it with your hands. Leave a 1-inch strip along one of the longer sides uncovered by the filling. You want to be able to pinch it to form a seal.
Then, roll the dough beginning at the opposite long side. Roll into a tight log, then pinch to seal.
Then, cut into 2-inch rolls. You should get 8 or 9. Arrange them in a 9-inch round dish.
The second rise
After your rolls are cut and in the pan, cover them and let them do a second rise. They should be significantly puffed up and filled out by the end of it!
This can take anywhere from 1 to 4 hours. But don't rush it!
Toward the end of the second rise, preheat your oven.
Baking
These will bake for 30-40 minutes, which you may notice is a big range!
That's because how done you like your cinnamon rolls is largely a matter of personal preference.
If you like your rolls gooey and bordering on underbaked, check them at 30 minutes. If you like them to be firming up and browning on the exterior, you'll want to let them go closer to the 40-minute mark.
The icing
I love a cream cheese frosting with these! Whip it up with softened butter, powdered sugar, orange juice and zest, and some vanilla.
Add a splash of milk or a spoonful of additional powdered sugar if you need to adjust the consistency.
The perfect topping to some really good, soft sweet orange rolls.
An orange zest tip
You'll need the zest from 2 large oranges for this recipe. To streamline things, I recommend making the dough and icing at the same time. That way, you can zest a whole orange and use half of it in the dough and the other half in the icing. Just refrigerate the icing until you go to bake the rolls - you'll want it to warm up slightly before using.
Oh, and do you have a microplane? You will want one for this recipe!
Sourdough Sweet Orange Rolls
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter
- 175 grams whole milk
- 100 grams active sourdough starter
- 24 grams sugar
- 1 large egg
- 375 grams all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (from ½ an orange)
- ½ teaspoon (4 grams) salt
For the Filling
- ⅔ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange zest (from 1 orange)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
For the Icing
- 2 ounces softened cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (from ½ an orange)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
Making the Dough + First Rise
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Once melted, remove from heat and pour in the milk. Set aside to cool while you mix the other ingredients. You want it to be what feels like good bath water temperature before adding to the dough.In a large bowl, combine the starter, sugar, and egg. Add in the warm milk mixture. Add flour, orange zest, and salt and mix until no dry spots remain. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover, and rest for 30 minutes. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 3-4 minutes, until a smooth dough forms. Place in a large buttered bowl, cover, and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size - about 8-12 hours.
For the Filling
- Mash the brown sugar, zest, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl until fragrant. Stir in the melted butter - it should be the texture of wet sand.
Shaping the Rolls + Second Rise
- Butter a 9-inch round pan OR line it with parchment paper that's been balled up and unballed a couple times. Turn dough out onto a generously floured surface. Press it into a flat disc and shape into a rough rectangle with your hands. Roll it into a 12 by 20-inch rectangle, adding more flour as needed so it doesn't stick to the rolling pin or the work surface. Sprinkle the sugar filling over the dough, spreading evenly with your hands. Leave a 1-inch strip at one of the longer ends uncovered by filling. Starting at the opposite long end, begin rolling the dough tightly into a log. Pinch to seal.Use a bench scraper, knife, or unscented dental floss to cut into (8 or 9) 2-inch rolls. Place them in the prepared pan. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 1-4 hours, until significantly puffed up.
Baking the Rolls
- When the rolls are nearing the end of their second rise, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Bake on the middle rack for 30-40 minutes, until cooked to your liking. If you like gooey rolls, check closer to the 30-minute mark. Let the baked rolls cool for 10-15 minutes before icing.
For the Icing
- Whip the cream cheese and butter together in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer until light and fluffy - about 2 minutes on high speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the powdered sugar, orange zest and juice, and vanilla and continue mixing for a 1-2 minutes until well combined and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar or a splash of milk as needed to get the consistency you want.Ice the rolls and enjoy warm.
Traceran says
Excellent recipe….well written and explained. Icing is amazing! Thank you!
mandyjackson says
Love to hear this! So glad you liked these 🙂