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Unbelievable Orange Sweet Rolls

Unbelievable Orange Sweet Rolls

There are many ways to make cinnamon rolls, but have you ever made orange cinnamon rolls? And, if so, have you ever made orange cinnamon rolls that are this simple?

Unbelievable Orange Sweet Rolls

I call this my shortcut cinnamon roll dough. By using Red Star Platinum and a carefully formulated dough, we can cut down to only 1 rise instead of the typical 2. The cinnamon rolls are still plenty fluffy and soft, but the prep time is cut in half! The dough comes together in about 10 minutes. It’s buttery and sweet with fresh orange juice and zest, pairing wonderfully with the sweet cinnamon filling.

Unbelievable Orange Sweet Rolls
Unbelievable Orange Sweet Rolls

After you roll the dough up and slice into rolls, allow it to rise in a warm environment. This should only take 60-90 minutes, especially when using Red Star Platinum. After that, it’s time for baking!

Unbelievable Orange Sweet Rolls

The rolls develop a beautiful golden color and smell absolutely scrumptious, but the best part is that luscious orange icing on top. It sinks down into the warm swirls, seeping in every swirl it can. That’s exactly why I call them unbelievable!

Unbelievable Orange Sweet Rolls

Unbelievable Orange Sweet Rolls

Unbelievable Orange Sweet Rolls
Super soft and sweet cinnamon rolls flavored with fresh orange! These irresistible rolls are topped with orange icing and will have your kitchen smelling like a bakery. Using Red Star Platinum yeast, there is only 1 rise with this easy yeasted dough, so it’s a quicker cinnamon roll recipe!
Yield 10 to 12 sweet rolls
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Reviews

Ingredients

Dough

  • 2 3/4 cups (344g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • 1 (0.25oz) package (7g) or 2 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast
  • 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk
  • 3 tablespoons (40g) unsalted butter
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 orange ( use 2 tablespoons juice and 1 tablespoon zest)

Filling

  • 3 tablespoons (45g) unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • Remaining zest from the orange (1-2 tablespoons)

Orange Glaze

  • 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
  • Remaining juice from the orange (about 2-3 tablespoons)

Instructions

  • Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast together. Set aside.
  • Heat the milk and butter together in the microwave until the butter is melted and the mixture is warm to touch (about 120-130°F). Stir in the 2 tablespoons of orange juice, 1 tablespoon orange zest, and the egg. Combine the butter mixture and the flour mixture and stir until it forms a soft dough. Poke it with your finger—it should bounce back. If not, stir in more flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
  • On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 1 minute. Place in a lightly greased bowl (I used non-stick spray) and let rest for about 10 minutes.
  • Fill the rolls: After 10 minutes, roll the dough out in a 14×8-inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter on top. Mix together the cinnamon, sugar, and remaining orange zest. Sprinkle it evenly all over the dough. Starting with the long edge (14-inch), roll up the dough tightly. Cut into 10-12 even rolls and arrange in a lightly greased 9-inch round cake pan or pie dish.
  • Loosely cover the rolls with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free environment for 60-90 minutes.
  • Bake the rolls: After the rolls have doubled in size, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake for 25-28 minutes* until lightly browned. *Cover the rolls with aluminum foil after 15 minutes to avoid over-browning on top.
  • Make the glaze: Whisk the confectioners' sugar and remaining orange juice together until smooth. Drizzle or spread over warm rolls.
  • Cover leftover frosted or unfrosted rolls tightly and store for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions: This dough can be made the night before through step 4. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, remove from the refrigerator and allow to rise in a warm environment, about 1 hour. Continue with step 6.
Freezing Instructions: Baked rolls can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up before enjoying. 
 
Recipe by Sally’s Baking Addiction.

Sally McKenney

Sally McKenney is a professional food photographer, cookbook author, and baker. She has written, photographed, and published more than 1,000 from-scratch recipes and written three cookbooks. Her thorough step-by-step tutorials give millions of followers the knowledge and confidence to bake from scratch.

Review & Comments

Dolores Inman | Reply

I only buy 1% milk. How can I adjust for the whole milk in the recipe?

Red Star Yeast | Reply

Hi Dolores,
While we recommend using whole milk to achieve the best flavor and texture, you can substitute 1:1 with 1% milk.
Happy baking!
Carol

LAURA SMITH | Reply

Would love options for gluten free on Sally’s recipes. I can’t use Platinum Red Star because of wheat.

Red Star Yeast | Reply

Hi Laura,
We have a gluten-free section with recipes you may enjoy trying. It is hard to convert a non-gluten free recipe to gluten free because the flour is very different. https://redstaryeast.com/recipes/gluten-free-recipes/
Happy baking!
Carol

Terry Paitrick | Reply

I love making sweet rolls in the Fall. And this orange sweet roll is my next bake.

Staci Carter | Reply

I see Orange Sweet Rolls in the near future

Diana Girard | Reply

I never cared for croissants until I made them at home- with red star yeast of course. They were easy and delicious! Nothing like the ones in a can. Yuck!

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