My subtly sweet, citrus-y, soft & fluffy orange rolls can be made in a stand mixer or by hand and includes plenty of notes, pictures, and a how-to video!
Homemade Orange Sweet Rolls
Adding to my collection of sweet rolls today with this sweet and citrus-y variation. It joins the ranks alongside my chocolate rolls, no yeast cinnamon rolls, and sticky buns.
While I understand that working with yeast can sometimes feel intimidating, especially to the beginner baker (been there myself), I just want to reassure you that you can do this. I’ll be walking you through all the steps with plenty of pictures, notes, and a how-to video.
As always, I’ve included plenty of notes for my fellow recipe nerds so you can see what it is that really makes this orange roll recipe work. Let’s get to it, starting with the ingredients…
What You Need
If you’ve made my sticky buns or sweet bread before, you’ve basically already made this dough and shouldn’t have any problems, but let’s go over a few of the key ingredients.
- Yeast. I prefer to use active dry and recommend this, but have included notes in the recipe if you would like to use rapid rise/instant yeast.
- Flour. You can use bread flour (which yields a slightly chewier roll) or all-purpose flour.
- Sugar. Granulated sugar sweetens and flavors the dough, while powdered is used to make the citrusy glaze on top.
- Oranges. The zest of an orange (or two) is what gives the orange rolls their distinct flavor. After zesting, save the orange to squeeze fresh juice from it for the glaze. All of the citrus flavor comes from the zest you use and the juice used in the glaze. It’s subtle, but present. If you’d like a more distinct flavor you can add a splash of orange extract when you add the butter to the dough. I purposely do not use orange juice in the dough as it can inhibit the growth of your yeast (and therefore inhibit a soft and fluffy texture).
- Unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter on hand, reduce the salt in the recipe to 1 ½ teaspoon.
SAM’S TIP: Make sure when zesting your oranges you avoid the papery white layer, or “pith”. The pith is bitter and doesn’t have the same orange flavor the bumpy orange surface does.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Dough for Orange Rolls
- Carefully proof the yeast by mixing with warm water and milk and a pinch of sugar. After 5-10 minutes, you should have a foamy cap on the surface.
- Add flour gradually, a scoop at a time, until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.
- Your dough is ready when it is tacky but not sticking to the bowl.
- Transfer the dough to a stand mixer or place on a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic and form a smooth ball when you’re finished.
At this point you need to let the orange rolls dough rise until doubled in size. Place it in a lightly oiled bowl (I use olive, canola, or vegetable oil and just smear a small bit all over the inside) and turn to coat. Cover tightly.
In my kitchen, doubling usually takes about 1 hour, but it may take as long as 2 hours or even longer.
Assembling Orange Rolls
- Punch down the dough once it has risen. Punching it down helps remove any gas bubbles and helps the ingredients to work together properly.
- Roll out dough into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
- Spread softened butter over the surface and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over the surface and roll the dough into a tight log.
- Cut the log into 12 even pieces and place, spacing evenly into a greased 9×13 pan. Cover with a towel and allow to rise in pan for about 30 minutes, or until the rolls are puffed and touching.
Once the orange rolls have risen for a second time, bake them until golden brown. Always take care to not over-bake orange rolls (or any bread of any kind) or they will be dense and dry rather than fluffy and moist.
SAM’S TIPS: The best way to tell if any bread is baked to perfection is to use an instant read thermometer (I use a meat thermometer). Insert it into the thickest part of a center roll and look for a temperature no higher than 190F (88C)
Finally, don’t forget the glaze. You can make this thin enough to drizzle over the orange rolls or you can leave it thicker and spread it over the tops. For the photos I used a thin glaze (it showcases the beautiful swirls better) but in reality (and in the video below) I like to spread a thick layer on top.
If you’re a fan of cream cheese frosting, try making these with the cream cheese icing I use in my 60-minute cinnamon rolls.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make these orange rolls a day in advance. Prepare according to instructions and arrange in the baking sheet. Cover very tightly with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge.
The next day, remove the pan from the fridge and cover with a clean towel. Let them sit while the oven comes to temperature, then bake as instructed.
Absolutely! Simply substitute the orange zest for lemon zest and the juice for lemon juice.
Yes! When your orange sweet rolls are completely cooled you can put them in a Ziploc bag or wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze for several months. When you are ready to enjoy, let them thaw in the fridge overnight.
More Recipes To Try:
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!
Orange Rolls
Ingredients
Sweet Dough
- 1 cup (236 ml) whole milk
- ⅓ cup (78 ml) water
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast¹ 1 packet
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted but not too hot
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk room temperature preferred
- ⅓ cup (70 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 5 cups (625 g) all-purpose plain flour divided, plus additional as needed
- 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest ²
Filling
- ⅓ cup (70 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 6 Tablespoons butter softened/nearly melted, divided
Orange Glaze
- 1 ½ cups (190 g) powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter
- 2-4 Tablespoons orange juice
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
Sweet Dough
- Combine milk and water in a heatproof dish and warm in the microwave until 105-115F (40-46C) (stir before checking temperature).1 cup (236 ml) whole milk, ⅓ cup (78 ml) water
- Pour the milk mixture into a large bowl (you could also use a stand mixer for this recipe) and sprinkle in a generous pinch (about 1 teaspoon) of granulated sugar. Stir and allow to sit for about 5-10 minutes until yeast is foamy (if yeast does not foam see my FAQ section, you will need to start over).2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast¹ 1 packet, ⅓ cup (70 g) granulated sugar
- Once yeast is foamy, add ⅓ cup granulated sugar, melted butter, eggs, salt, 2 cups (250g) of flour, and orange zest. Stir well until ingredients are well-combined.5 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted, 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, 2 teaspoons salt, 5 cups (625 g) all-purpose plain flour, 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest ²
- Gradually add additional flour (if using a stand mixer use the dough hook attachment and low-speed) until the dough clings to itself and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Add flour until the dough is slightly tacky to the touch. If making by hand, transfer to a clean, lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic (if using stand mixer, mix on low/medium speed for 3-5 minutes). Add more flour as needed.
- Transfer to a large lightly oiled bowl and turn the dough to lightly coat the entire surface with oil. Cover and allow it to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size (about 1-2 hours).
Filling & Assembly
- Meanwhile, prepare your filling by whisking together ⅓ cup granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. If your butter for the filling is not easily spreadable, pop it in the microwave for a few seconds until slightly melty. Use 2 tablespoons of butter to generously grease the sides and bottom of a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.⅓ cup (70 g) granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, 6 Tablespoons butter
- Once dough has risen, punch down and transfer to a clean lightly floured surface. Roll to a 10×20” (25x50cm) rectangle.
- Spread 4 tablespoons of butter (reserve 2 tablespoons for greasing pan) evenly across the surface of the dough, leaving a ¼” (½ cm) perimeter of the dough unbuttered. Sprinkle evenly with cinnamon/sugar.
- Starting with one 20” (50cm) end, roll dough tightly into a log. Cut into 12 even pieces and space them evenly in greased pan. Cover with a clean towel and allow to rise until the gaps between the rolls have been mostly filled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F (190C).
- Once rolls have risen and oven is preheated, remove towel and bake in 350F (175C) oven for 25 minutes (if using a glass baking dish you may need longer) or until cooked through (I use a knife to check if the cinnamon rolls are cooked through or still gooey inside).
Orange Glaze
- While rolls are cooling, prepare your glaze by whisking together sugar, butter,and orange juice. Drizzle or spread over rolls while still warm. Enjoy!1 ½ cups (190 g) powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons melted butter, 2-4 Tablespoons orange juice
Notes
¹Yeast
You may substitute instant yeast. To do so combine yeast, sugar, salt, and half the flour and then add the warmed milk and water and stir well. Stir in butter, eggs, and then add remaining flour as needed and proceed with the recipe as written.²Orange zest
Make sure when zesting your orange you don’t go too deep; avoid the papery white “pith” layer as this is bitter and does not have the orange flavor you need.Storing
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Originally published March 25th, 2014
Sandra Henslee
Could you please tell me more about why you prefer active dry yeast instead of instant yeast? I haven’t known there was much of a difference and I would really like to hear your thoughts!
Sam
Hi Sandra! It’s really recipe dependent. I choose prefer the results with the active dry yeast in this recipe. 🙂
Amy CW
I am intimidated by yeast recipes, but this was an easy one to follow. My rolls turned our absolutely delicious and my family and neighbors devoured all of them in 24 hours. Some little changes I made included using the small cutie oranges for zest and juice. They have very little pith. I also put a 1/2 c-2/3 cup zest in the dough and a 1/3 cup in the glaze. I added 2 splashes of Gran Marnier and a splash of vanilla to the glaze to enhance the flavor. It was a rich intense orange flavor. I learned that I rolled the dough too tight and my middles rose like cinnamon chimneys , so no awards for presentation. I also used a good dose of Cardamom with my cinnamon-brown sugar – butter filling. I am making more this weekend!! Thank you for this recipe.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Your version sounds divine, Amy! Thanks for commenting 😊
Meribeth
Delicious!! Thank you so much!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you enjoyed them, Meribeth! Thanks for coming back to leave a review ❤
Megan
These rolls turned out perfectly! I made them the night before. Instead of doing the second proof, I put them in the fridge overnight.
Lori D
These looks delicious! I’ll try this recipe really soon!
Sam
I hope you love it! 🙂
Casey Threatte
Love your recipes, just sayin’. However, I just made this for the first time and while you put ‘orange zest’ under the dough ingredients you don’t remind us to add it when we are mixing in the eggs, sugar, flour gradually. At least I didn’t ‘see’ it and therefore forgot to put the darn stuff in ;o(.
Sam
Oh no 😞, you’re completely right. I’m so sorry I missed that and I really appreciate you bringing this to my attention, I just fixed it. I’ve slept about 4 collective hours in the past two days (teething baby) and am going to chalk missing it up to that, but I am very sorry, I always triple check my recipes and can’t believe I missed this!
Chris
I have a grandchild who is allergic to cinnamon and citrus. Do you have a recipe for sweet rolls without those 2 ingredients?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Chris! I just published a chocolate sweet roll today actually. I hope that you enjoy the recipe. 🙂
Carisa Simpson
Wow! Fabulous rolls!
Sam
Thank you so much, Carisa! 🙂
Frani Olson
Hi, I’d like to prepare my rolls the night before & bake them in the morning. Have you tried this with this recipe?
Sam
I have not tried it, but it should work just fine. ☺️
Laurel
Under filling ingredients you list 3 cups 10x sugar. What is 10x? Also, I don’t see where you use 3 cups of sugar in the filling.
Sam
Hi Laurel,
10x sugar is powdered sugar, or confectioners sugar. It is under the icing and not the filling. Hope this helps!
Laurel
Thanks!
Melissa
These were loved by all and I enjoyed making them. One of my new favorite recipes!! Thanks for sharing 😊
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed these so much! 🙂
ATasteOfMadness
Hahah, I am totally like you. I probably eat more cookie dough while baking cookies than actual cookies. I just want it NOW!!
These definitely look worth the wait. I love this!
Sam
I think that’s the reason I started to really like baking… that cookie dough… yum.
Thanks!
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely
Oh my goodness, I love orange sweet rolls! Almost more than cinnamon rolls. Probably because since there’s fruit in it I don’t feel so guilty and I tell myself I’m basically eating a salad. Haha! Citrus is perfect for this time of year.
And I do the same thing and sneak bites of the raw dough, even though I will surely die of salmonella poisoning. It’s just too good! We’re about to move to a place with a big backyard and I’ve been thinking about getting chickens : )
Sam
Hahaha I love the way you think about desserts with fruit!
And chickens are pretty low maintenance and you don’t need too many of them to get a LOT of eggs.
Kathi @ Deliciously Yum!
I was right – your sweet rolls look and sound amazing. I love anything that contains any form of citrus, so needless to say these rolls are right up my alley. Yum!!
Sam
Thank you Kathi 🙂