Homemade Orange Rolls

We all love cinnamon rolls, but from time to time we all like a change. With Summer being practically here, I decided to use my cinnamon roll dough recipe for these homemade orange rolls. I'm using the same dough because I love how they come out soft, fluffy, and not sweet. The filling is buttery, citrusy and so good. The topping is more of the same. The thing I love about these rolls, besides their summer flavor and the texture, is that they maintain that texture over a couple of days. That's all due to our starter. I love this variation of rolls and I'm sure you will too.

How to Make My Homemade Orange Rolls:

• Combine the flour, water and milk and whisk well until combined. Microwave in 20-second increments and whisk well in between. Microwave for a minute. The mixture should be thicker out of the microwave. Set aside to cool to warm.

• Pour the buttermilk and whole milk into a large measuring cup and microwave for 20-30 seconds until lukewarm. Pour the buttermilk/milk mixture into a large bowl, along with your starter. Begin to whisk well until most of the start dissolves into the milk.

• Combine both flours in a bowl and set aside.
• In the buttermilk/milk/starter mixture, add in the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Add in the yeast and 2 ½ cups of the flour. Fold the flour in gently until just combined. Flour still should be very visible.

• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes, dump in the sugar and salt all at once and fold in those ingredients the best you can without over-mixing.
• Begin to add the softened butter in a couple of chunks at a time. Make sure to fold in the butter as you go. As you add in more butter, the dough will become stickier and harder to fold in ingredients, but that's normal.  (If you're using a stand mixer, I'd begin using it at this point and the rest of the way, using the dough hook. Use the machine for the kneading step as well if you'd like. Just be careful not to over-mix though.)
• Once all the butter is in, dump in all the flour and just fold one or two times. The flour will be still very visible and not mixed in.

• Dump everything from the bowl to an unfloured surface. Begin to knead the dough and flour for 5-8 minutes until the flour and butter become well absorbed and the ball of dough becomes a smooth uniform ball of dough.
• This dough is stickier than most, but that's one of the reasons it yields a fluffy, soft roll. Feel free to use a tablespoon or two of flour as you go on your work surface or hands, depending on the humidity of your kitchen. If you find it's sticking a bit too much, use a bit of flour on your hands or the table. I try my best to limit the flour usage, understanding it's a sticky dough and I want it to stay that way.

• Spray a large bowl with cooking spray well and place the bowl of dough in the bowl. Make sure the bowl is large enough for your dough to expand. Place a damp lint-free towel over the top of the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm spot. I used my microwave since it's enclosed, dark, and warm. The oven, turned off, of course, is also a great proofing area. Allow the dough to proof for 1 ½ hours.
• After the dough proofs, remove the towel, place some plastic wrap over the bowl and make sure the plastic isn't touching the surface of the dough. Refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, take the dough out of the fridge. Allow the dough to come up to room temp for an hour.

• In the meantime, make the filling by creaming together the unsalted butter, confectioner sugar, salt, extracts, orange juice, and zest. Mix on low to begin and then bump up the speed to medium-high to high until the mixture is well combined. The result should look like icing.

• When the dough has rested out of the fridge for an hour, begin to pat out the dough until you get a rectangle. The size doesn't matter, just do the best you can to get a uniform rectangle.

• Slather the filling onto the rectangle as evenly as possible. Begin on the long side to roll up the dough inwards tightly, but gently. You can use food-grade string, twine, a knife, or even unflavored dental floss. I ended up using my handy dandy mini spatula. Cut off the outside edge first. You can bake them off as scraps, but there won't be much flavor in them. Cut as many 1" slices as you can.

• Place the slices into a well-greased 10" square pan, placing them about ½" apart if possible.  Cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic isn't touching the surface and leave on the counter for an hour.  The rolls should have risen and proofed up well.
• After the rolls have been proofed, combine the egg wash ingredients in a small bowl and whisk. Brush the egg wash on top of them as evenly as you can.

• Place the pan in a preheated oven at 425°F for five minutes. Turn the heat down to 375°F and bake for 20-30 minutes. Mine needed about 23 minutes. (Some ovens run hot and some run cool. An oven thermometer would be helpful or even an infrared thermometer, so you can determine exactly when it's done. The internal temperature should be around 190°F.  They should be tall and golden brown when done baking.)
• Take the rolls out of the oven and allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes.

• While the rolls are cooling, make your icing by combining all your ingredients and mixing until smooth.
• Once the rolls are still warm but have cooled for 10-15 minutes, pour and spread the cream cheese glaze over the top. Make sure to spread evenly.

Enjoy!

SOME MORE GREAT ROLL RECIPES:

• Cinnamon Roll Bites
• Overnight Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls
• Moist & Fluffy Pumpkin Roll

Homemade Orange Rolls

Homemade Orange Rolls

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 day d

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 day d 30 minutes mins

Course Brunch

Servings 11

Ingredients

  

• Starter:
• 3 tablespoons 43 g water
• 3 tablespoons 43 g whole milk
• 2 tablespoons 14 g bread flour
• Rolls:
• 1 starter
• 82.5 g buttermilk
• 82.5 g whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
• 220.5 g cake flour
• 220.5 g bread flour + more for dusting and for getting the dough to a "shaggy" texture if necessary
• 2 eggs
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, room temp
• Filling:
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large oranges zest and juice
• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Egg Wash:
• 1 whole egg
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• Cream Cheese Glaze:
• 4 oz cream cheese softened
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• ½ cup confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 large orange zest and juice
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

 

• Combine the flour, water and milk and whisk well until combined. Microwave in 20-second increments and whisk well in between. Microwave for a minute. The mixture should be thicker out of the microwave. Set aside to cool to warm.
• Pour the buttermilk and whole milk in a large measuring cup and microwave for 20-30 seconds until lukewarm. Pour the buttermilk/milk mixture into a large bowl, along with your starter. Begin to whisk well until most of the start dissolves into the milk. 
• Combine both flours in a bowl and set aside.
• In the buttermilk/milk/starter mixture, add in the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Add in the yeast and 2 ½ cups of the flour. Fold the flour in gently until just combined. Flour still should be very visible.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes, dump in the sugar and salt all at once and fold in those ingredients the best you can without over-mixing. 
• Begin to add in the softened butter in a couple of chunks at a time. Making sure to fold in the butter as you go. As you add in more butter, the dough will become stickier and harder to fold in ingredients, but that's normal.  (If you're using a stand mixer, I'd begin using it at this point and the rest of the way, using the dough hook. Use the machine for the kneading step as well if you'd like. Just be careful not to over-mix though.)
• Once all the butter is in, dump in all the flour and just fold one or two times. The flour will be still very visible and not mixed in. 
• Dump everything from the bowl to an unfloured surface. Begin to knead the dough and flour for 5-8 minutes until the flour and butter become well absorbed and the ball of dough becomes a smooth uniform ball of dough. 
• This dough is stickier than most, but that's one of the reasons it yields a fluffy, soft roll. Feel free to use a tablespoon or two of flour as you go on your work surface or hands, depending on the humidity of your kitchen. If you find it's sticking a bit too much, use a bit of flour on your hands or on the table. I try my best to limit the flour usage, understanding it's a sticky dough and I want it to stay that way. 
• Spray a large bowl with cooking spray well and place the bowl of dough in the bowl. Make sure the bowl is large enough for your dough to expand. Place a damp lint-free towel over the top of the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm spot. I used my microwave since it's enclosed, dark, and warm. The oven, turned off, of course, is also a great proofing area. Allow the dough to proof for 1 ½ hours.
• After the dough proofs, remove the towel, place some plastic wrap over the bowl and make sure the plastic isn't touching the surface of the dough. Refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, take the dough out of the fridge. Allow the dough to come up to room temp for an hour.
• In the meantime, make the filling by creaming together the unsalted butter, confectioners sugar, salt, extracts, orange juice, and zest. Mix on low to begin and then bump up the speed to medium-high to high until the mixture is well-combined. The end result should look like icing. 
• When the dough has rested out of the fridge for an hour, begin to pat out the dough until you get a rectangle. The size doesn't matter, just do the best you can to get a uniform rectangle. 
• Slather the filling onto the rectangle as evenly as possible. Begin on the long side to roll up the dough inwards tightly, but gently. You can use food-grade string, twine, a knife, or even unflavored dental floss. I ended up using my handy dandy mini spatula. Cut off the outside edge first. You can bake them off as scraps, but there won't be much flavor in them. Cut as many 1" slices as you can. 
• Place the slices into a well-greased 10" square pan, placing them about ½" apart if possible.  Cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic isn't touching the surface and leave on the counter for an hour.  The rolls should have risen and proofed up well.
• After the rolls have proofed, combine the egg wash ingredients in a small bowl and whisk. Brush the egg wash on top of them as evenly as you can.
• Place the pan in a preheated oven at 425°F for five minutes. Turn the heat down to 375°F and bake for 20-30 minutes. Mine needed about 23 minutes. (Some ovens run hot and some run cool. An oven thermometer would be helpful or even an infrared thermometer, so you can determine exactly when it's done. The internal temperature should be around 190°F.  They should be tall and golden brown when done baking.)
• Take the rolls out of the oven and allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes. 
• While the rolls are cooling, make your icing by combining all your ingredients and mixing until smooth.
• Once the rolls are still warm but have cooled for 10-15 minutes, pour and spread the cream cheese glaze over the top. Make sure to spread evenly.
• Enjoy!

Video

Notes

You can make this recipe by hand or with a stand mixer.

Store covered at room temp for up to three days.