Glazed Orange Sweet Rolls
The perfect balance of tangy citrus and sweet, gooey glaze, perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a special treat, these homemade rolls are sure to impress! With a melt-in-your-mouth texture and a zesty orange flavor, they’re a crowd-pleaser every time.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1/2 cup warm water between 105-110°F
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest from 1 medium-large Navel orange
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 3 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
For the filling:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter very soft
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1-2 teaspoons orange zest
For the glaze:
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons orange juice
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
Instructions
- Make the dough. Measure warm water into a small liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle yeast over the top and set aside briefly.1/2 cup warm water, 2 and 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- In a large bowl, combine sugar and orange zest. Rub the mixture between your fingers for about 1 minute to infuse the sugar with orange flavor. Add the yeast and water.1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon orange zest
- Add the orange juice, egg, butter or coconut oil, and salt to the mixture. Add 2 cups of the flour and beat well with either an electric mixer or by hand until the mixture is smooth.1/2 cup orange juice, 1 large egg, 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil, 1 teaspoon table salt, 3 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- Add the remaining 1 and 1/4 cups flour. Switch to the dough hook, if using a stand mixer, and knead the mixture until a dough pulls together, then becomes smooth and elastic. Add up to 1/4 cup more flour if necessary. The dough should cleanly clear the sides of the bowl and come together into a ball that is slightly tacky to the touch, but does not adhere to your fingers.
- First rise. When the dough is ready, lightly coat a large bowl with cooking spray or oil. Place the dough in the bowl, and turn it to coat with the spray or oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. This usually takes 1-2 hours, depending on how warm your environment is.
- Prep filling. While the dough rises, prepare your filling ingredients, pan, and the glaze. Set out butter to soften, and combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and zest in a small bowl; set aside.1/4 cup unsalted butter, 1/3 cup light brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1-2 teaspoons orange zest
- Coat a 9x13-inch baking pan lightly with cooking spray.
- Make the orange glaze. Combine sugar, orange juice, butter, and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and let the mixture bubble rapidly for 60-90 seconds, then remove from the heat and pour into the greased pan. Gently spread the glaze evenly across the bottom.1/3 cup granulated sugar, 3 Tablespoons orange juice, 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
- Shape the rolls. When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. (A pastry mat is great for this.) Roll it out into a large rectangle, approximately 12”x16”. Spread evenly with the softened butter, then sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar.
- Use a pizza wheel or sharp knife to cut the dough rectangle into 12 fairly equal strips, then gently roll each strip up into a cinnamon roll shape. Arrange them over the glaze in the pan, leaving space between the rolls. (You also can roll up the whole log, then slice that into 12 equal pieces; this is the more traditional method, but I find the "cut, then roll" method transformative for keeping the rolls tall, round, and even.)
- Second rise. Cover the pan with plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise in a warm place for 30-45 minutes, until they are puffy and fill the entire pan.
- Make ahead option. You alternatively can store the plastic wrap-covered pan in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to bake, remove rolls from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature to rise again. After 45-60 minutes, they should appear puffy and fill the pan.
- Bake. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350°F. Bake rolls for 25-30 minutes, until lightly golden on top. (You can use an instant read thermometer to verify that the rolls are baked through; they should reach about 190°F.) If necessary, cover the pan with aluminum foil toward the end of the baking time to reduce browning.
- Flip and serve. Lay a platter or a piece of parchment paper larger than the baking pan out on the counter. After removing rolls from the oven, quickly turn the pan upside down onto the platter or parchment. Leave the pan upside-down for 2-3 minutes, then gently lift it up and away. The rolls should fall out onto the plate, with the orange glaze on top.
- Serve warm, garnished with an extra sprinkle of orange zest, if desired.
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Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 291 kcal, Carbohydrates: 48 g, Protein: 5 g, Fat: 9 g, Saturated Fat: 6 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g, Trans Fat: 0.3 g, Cholesterol: 36 mg, Sodium: 207 mg, Potassium: 107 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 20 g, Vitamin A: 318 IU, Vitamin C: 8 mg, Calcium: 26 mg, Iron: 2 mg