Is there anything better than the scent of oranges on a cold winter day?

As someone who loves experimenting with yeast doughs, I’ve been thinking about this recipe for a while. After some tests, I’ve adjusted the balance of sweetness, flavor, and richness to match the taste that I wanted to achieve. The result? Fluffy & soft orange rolls with a hint of cardamom and a rich, zesty butter filling. They are delicious on their own or paired with cream cheese, for example. Add a freshly brewed coffee and you have prepared yourself a delicious breakfast.

Ingredients for 12 rolls

Active time: 1 h

Total time: 12 h rise overnight + max. 2 h rise the next day + 1 hour (making the dough, forming and baking)

Dough:

500 g all-purpose flour (Type 550)
21 g fresh yeast
250 ml warm milk (about 37°C/98°F)
70 g granulated sugar
80 g unsalted butter
1 large egg
5 g salt
2 g crushed cardamom seeds
Zest from 1 organic orange (6 g)

Filling:

100 g unsalted butter, softened
60 g granulated sugar
Zest of 2 organic oranges (10-15 g)
1 pinch of salt
(Optional) 1 tbsp orange juice

For the syrup

50 g sugar
25 g orange juice

Sugar Glaze (for some of the buns):

50 g confectioners' sugar
1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Dehydrated oranges (Optional, for the looks)

1 small organic orange cut in 7 slices

Step 1: Prepare the Dough

Add everything in the bowl of a stand mixer and knead the dough for about 10 min, until it becomes smooth and elastic. If the dough feels too sticky, add a small amount of flour as needed.
Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a bowl, cover and let it rest overnight in the fridge.

Step 2: Prepare Filling

In a small bowl, rub the sugar and orange zest together until the mixture becomes moist. Then add the softened butter and mix until smooth. If needed add also 1 tbsp of orange juice.

Step 3: Shape the Rolls

Cover a rectangular baking tin with baking paper (approx. 20 x 30 cm).
Punch down the risen dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle, about 45 x 40 cm.
Spread the filling evenly over the dough.
Starting from the long side, roll the dough tightly into a log. Slice the log into 12 equal pieces (4 cm each).
Place the rolls in the prepared baking tin, leaving a bit of space between each roll for expansion. Turn on the oven for 30 seconds to one minute at 180°C/356°F and let the buns rise uncovered for 1h30min or until they have doubled in size.

Step 4: Bake

After 1h30min remove the tray from the oven and preheat it at 180°C/356°F.
Gently press down the rolls if they’ve risen too much in the center. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top and cooked through.

Step 5: Prepare the syrup

Bring 50 g sugar & 25 ml orange juice to a boil and let it cool until the rolls are done.

Step 6: Prepare the sugar glaze (Optional)

For an extra citrus kick, you can make a sugar glaze and drizzle it over some of the buns. If you want to glaze all the buns, simply double the ingredients.
To make the glaze, mix sugar with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, adding more juice if needed to achieve a smooth, pourable consistency.

Step 7: Glaze and Serve

Brush the hot buns with syrup.
Add the glaze to some of them, after they are cooled off.
Enjoy!

Step 8: Dehydrated Orange Slices

If you want to take the look of your orange rolls to the next level, try topping them with dehydrated orange slices. I used my multicooker’s dehydrating function to make these, but you can easily achieve similar results in the oven as well.

Slice an organic orange into thin to medium slices (around 5 mm thick).

Arrange the slices on the dehydrating tray in a single layer.
Set the temperature to 60°C (140°F) and dehydrate for 3–4 hours, checking occasionally to make sure they look just right. They should look translucent.

Let the slices cool completely before adding them as a beautiful finishing touch to your rolls.

Note:

These rolls remain soft and delicious the next day if kept in a sealed container.
If you want to save some for later, freeze them for up to 2–3 months. When you’re ready, simply let them thaw and reheat gently in the oven.

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Fluffy Orange Rolls