Sweet!
Sweet orange rolls, to be exact.
These sweet orange rolls are a zesty twist on the breakfast classic! The citrus flavour lightens and brightens these up for a delicious breakfast treat that doesn’t feel too heavy. It also adds a bit of Vitamin C to your breakfast.
How they’re different from Cinnamon Rolls:
Made with the same sweet, fluffy dough as my Cinnamon Rolls, these zesty sweet orange rolls are a bright twist on cinnamon rolls. Replace the cinnamon with orange zest and add a squeeze of orange juice to the cream cheese frosting, and you have these yummy sweet orange rolls. It’s truly a game changer. If you love cinnamon rolls, you need to give these a try.
Prepare Ahead:
I love to make these the night before. Give yourself about 2 hours before you go to bed to allow enough time to mix these up and let them rise.
Then, pop them in the fridge overnight and in the morning you’ll have these delicious, pillowy, zesty orange rolls waiting for you.
Just don’t skip the bread flour. It really makes all the difference. Bread flour completely transforms the texture and rise of these rolls. In a pinch, you can substitute all purpose (AP), but I highly encourage you to splurge on a bag of bread flour.
These are the perfect companion for a lazy Sunday morning. Who said lazy mornings have to mean cereal? Spend a few minutes whipping these together Saturday night, and Sunday morning you simply need to plop them in the oven for a wonderful homemade breakfast that the whole family can enjoy.
To make these:
If you have a stand mixer, you don’t even have to knead the dough. Simply attach the dough hook and let the machine work for you while you finish tidying up the kitchen. The dough is finished kneading when it is smooth and supple, and forms a ball.
Then simply let the dough rest until it’s doubled in size, punch it down, and knead again for a few minutes. Roll out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle, spread all over with melted butter, and rub in sugar and orange zest. Roll into a tight log, and cut with a bench scraper or sharp knife.
Place rolls in a well oiled pie dish (my secret is to use coconut oil–it ads an additional touch of sweetness), and allow to rise overnight in the fridge.
If you give these a try, please let me know what you think! Leave a review below. And as always, tag me on Instagram if you give them a try. I’d love to see your food photos!
Sweet Orange Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup filtered water warm
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- ¾ Tbsp active dry yeast
- 2 Tbsp oil I use coconut
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 cups bread flour
Filling
- 1 Tbsp melted butter
- ¼ cup white sugar more or less to taste
- Zest of 1 orange
Icing
- 2 Tbsp butter softened
- 2 oz cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp orange extract
- 1 Tbsp orange juice
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix sugar and warm water until sugar dissolves. Stir in yeast and allow to proof until the mixture resembles a creamy foam (5-10 minutes).
- Add oil and salt and mix. Add flour one cup at a time and mix until incorporated. If using a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook and knead until dough is smooth and supple and forms a ball. If mixing by hand, turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Return dough to mixing bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle, roughly 14”x9”. Spread all over with melted butter–all the way to the edges and on the sides. Sprinkle with sugar and orange zest. Rub into butter.
- Starting from the longer side, tightly roll dough into a log, gently pressing down as you go. End seam side down.
- Using a bench scraper, sharp knife, or string, cut into 1 inch sections. Place in a greased pie dish or baking pan.
- Place in oven and allow to rise overnight.
- Take the rolls out of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until just starting to brown on the edges.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl beat butter and cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange extract and beat until combined. Spread over slightly cooled rolls. Top with additional orange zest. Enjoy!
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