My daughter is absolutely obsessed with these sweet orange rolls. The dough is my grandmother’s recipe, and it is very versatile; I use it for cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls, everything bagel rolls. The orange zest and orange glaze is so bright and fresh.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 6 hr 35 min |
| Active: | 55 min |
| Yield: | 12 rolls |
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
- One 1 1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- Zest of 2 oranges
- 4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 3 to 4 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
- For the orange rolls: In a small bowl, combine the warm water with the yeast and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. Set aside until the mixture starts to thicken and bubble slightly, about 5 minutes. (If the mixture doesn’t start to bubble, the yeast isn’t working. Check the expiration date and start over.)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together the oil, salt, egg and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. With the machine running on low, mix in the cold water and then the boiling water and continue to mix until combined. Add the yeast mixture and zest of 1 orange and beat on low speed until combined.
- Switch the paddle attachment to the dough hook. Add the flour a cup at a time in stages, starting with just 4 cups. Mix until the flour is incorporated after each addition, scraping the sides of the bowl in between. Once the 4 cups of flour have been incorporated, increase the speed of the beating to medium-high and continue to beat until the dough is smooth and elastic, 10 to 14 minutes.
- (If the dough midway through kneading is still fairly wet and sticky, add another 1/2 cup flour and continue to mix until incorporated. After the kneading has been finished, the dough should be smooth and elastic.)
- Grease a large bowl with melted butter and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free area to rise until doubled in size, 2 to 3 hours.
- Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar and zest of 1 orange in a small bowl and mix to combine. Set aside. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon melted butter using a pastry brush.
- On a lightly floured surface, place the risen dough and gently roll into a rectangle that is 20 by 10 inches, with the long edge facing you. Using the pastry brush, spread 1/4 cup of the melted butter over the top of the dough. Sprinkle the orange sugar mixture evenly over the dough.
- Roll up the dough, starting with the long edge facing you, into a tight cylinder. Gently squeeze the seams and ends of the dough together to seal. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 12 even rounds. Place the rounds, cut side up, into the prepared baking dish with some space in between. Brush the tops of the rolls with the remaining tablespoon melted butter. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake until the rolls are golden and puffed, 35 to 40 minutes.
- For the orange icing: Meanwhile, whisk the confectioners’ sugar with the orange juice in a small bowl. When the rolls come out of the oven, drizzle the icing over and serve warm.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 416 |
| Total Fat | 11 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 74 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 36 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 31 mg |
| Sodium | 324 mg |
Reviews
Yes – just the dough. Testing whether or not the cinnamon buns will stay fresher longer than one day. Hoping this recipe is the answer. Thank you, Ms. Katie.
This was amazing. The dough was so fluffy and soft. Best roll dough ever.
I loved this recipe! I have found that the printed recipe doesn’t always match what we see on TV, so I’ve learned to print the recipe, rewatch the show and make notes. The same goes for this recipe!
I was confused by the cinnamon as well. I figured it should have been noted as a “variation” on the recipe instead of being printed with no where to go.
This recipe took me the full 6 hours to make. Having fresh yeast is critical to the risings that must occur. I found the dough recipe an absolute keeper and will use it for other things. I received lots of + reviews from the people I shared the final product with. I used 1/2 of the frosting recipe as I needed to cut some of that sugar down; I also added a little orange zest to the icing to enhance the flavor there too.
I wish there was a way FN would ensure that the instructions for their TV recipes worked well.
Very good. Ignore the cinnamon in the recipe. It’s there in error. I watched The Kitchen episode and Katie Lee doesn’t use it. Dough is easy to work with. The rolls are flavorful and the orange glaze/frosting adds a great punch of orange flavor. I added some mini chocolate chips to half the rolled out dough and that added a nice variation. My husband loved them. These won’t take the place of cinnamon rolls for me (my absolute favorite sweet roll), but they are good enough to make again.
Making this now. Not sure where to put the cinnamon??? I would think this would be an easy recipe to edit on this site if a step was missed or if the cinnamon is a mistaken ingredient???
I made these and not bad but not as tasty as Jeff Mauro’s wife’s recipe that literally just aired on Dec 2, 2023 ” Light Up Your Holidays” episode. Katie has made her grandmother’s recipe before, albeit a few different ingredients. I guess I’m wondering if there was not something more creative of a recipe to come up with for this latest episode of Destination Dishes. I feel it may have felt threatening to KLB that someone else has family roll recipes they can share without her being intimidated by it.
I haven’t tried these yet but was wondering if the cinnamon was a mistake. So, When I saw it in the ingredients I rewatched the show again and couldn’t find it. But we used to get orange Tiffin rolls at a bakery in Cincinnati that had cinnamon and dried currents spread on the rolled out dough and an orange glaze after baking. Unfortunately they don’t have these anymore but I’m going to try these!
I started them yesterday and baked them this morning. I mixed the cinnamon in with the sugar and orange zest. So delicious!
Made them today and exactly as shown on tv. The dough alone is a keeper.
The cinnamon would only be if you wanted to make cinnamon rolls.
I think it’s because they are sweet orange rolls, not cinnamon rolls?