These homemade Orange Rolls are bursting with fresh orange flavor, soft swirls of sweet dough, and creamy citrus icing. Make ahead & meal-prep friendly!
Instructions
1
Stir together the warm water, yeast, and 2 Tbsp granulated sugar until the yeast is mostly dissolved. Let the mixture stand for about 5 minutes or until a thick layer of foam develops on the surface.
2
Once the yeast is activated, whisk in the milk, 2 Tbsp melted butter, orange juice, and zest from one orange.
3
In a separate bowl, stir together 1 cup of flour and ½ tsp salt. Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl with the flour and stir until smooth.
4
Begin adding more flour, ½ cup at a time, until a sticky ball of dough forms, and it becomes difficult to stir with a spoon. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
5
Knead the dough for 3 minutes, adding a small amount of flour as you go to prevent sticking. After kneading for a couple of minutes, the dough should be very soft, fairly smooth, and slightly tacky. Do not over-knead the dough or add too much flour, as this will make the dough stiff. You’ll use about 2.5 cups of flour total for the whole recipe.
6
Place the kneaded dough back into the mixing bowl and cover loosely with plastic. Let the dough rise for one hour or until it’s doubled in size.
7
Punch the dough down to deflate, then scrape it out onto a floured surface. Roll the dough into a 10x13-inch rectangle, sprinkling with flour as you go to prevent sticking.
8
To make the filling, stir together 6 Tbsp room-temperature butter, brown sugar, orange zest from a second orange, and ⅛ tsp salt until it forms a smooth paste. Spread the paste over the dough from edge to edge.
9
Roll the dough up (long side toward long side) to create a 13-inch log. Do not roll tightly, or this will make the center of your orange rolls pop up while baking. Slice the roll into 9 pieces, about 1.5 inches wide each.
10
Place the rolls into a 10x8-inch greased baking dish. Let rise for 10-15 minutes as you preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. The rolls will rise quite a bit in the oven, so it is okay if they have yet to rise much more at this point. Once the oven is preheated, bake the orange rolls for 30 minutes or until they are golden brown on top.
11
To make the icing, beat the room-temperature cream cheese, 2 Tbsp room-temperature butter, orange juice from the second orange, and vanilla extract together until smooth. Begin stirring in the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, until it is all incorporated.
12
After the orange rolls have baked, let them cool for 5-10 minutes before spreading the cream cheese icing on top. Enjoy warm, or wait until cooled, then dish up!
