Orange Cinnamon Rolls

Name: Orange Cinnamon Rolls
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 3 h 45 min
Yield: 9 rolls
Ingredients: 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 110°F; 6 tbsp unsalted butter; 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast; ½ cup fresh orange juice; ⅓ cup granulated sugar; 1 large egg; 1 large egg yolk; 3 cups all-purpose flour; ¾ tsp salt; ½ cup heavy cream, warmed; Filling:; ½ cup packed brown sugar; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 2 tsp orange zest; ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened; Glaze:; 1 cup powdered sugar; 2 tbsp fresh orange juice; 1 tbsp softened butter; Orange zest for sprinkling

By Emma

Certified Culinary Professional

Published on 21 January 2026 • Recipe tested & approved

Yeast dough warmed to 110°F with butter and milk combo. Orange juice swapped in; heavy cream poured before baking adds softness. Brown sugar cinnamon filling, rolled tight, 9 rolls total. Double rise—roughly 1.5 hours then 45 minutes. Bake until golden top, internal hits 190°F. Glaze with icing, hint of orange zest garnish. Subtle spice, citrus tang, soft crumb; slight tackiness in dough is key; don’t overknead. Watch proofing, dough should nearly double not triple. If milk overheats, yeast dead. Heavy cream replaces some original liquids for richness here.

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 25 min

Total: 3h 45min

Servings: 9 rolls

#baking #breakfast #yeast dough #cinnamon rolls #orange zest #homemade pastries

Always wanted a twist on cinnamon rolls that doesn’t drown in sugary goo but carries a bright citrus punch. Skipping the usual milk-only liquids, swapping in fresh orange juice cuts through richness and packs aroma. Learned early: milk too hot kills yeast—the bubble magic gone. Heavy cream last-minute pour softens crust, which I swear is the secret for that bakery texture. Dough , sticky but not wet, handles best—knee too much and you lose that tender crumb come bake time. Watching dough rise is like waiting for magic—tripling size ruins shape. The floss trick for slicing? Game-changer here, no squished rolls. Tried leaving edges bare but found the filling hugging the edges caramelizes better. This combo? Just right for fall mornings.

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk, warmed to 110°F
6 tbsp unsalted butter
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
½ cup fresh orange juice
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ tsp salt
½ cup heavy cream, warmed
Filling:
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp orange zest
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tbsp softened butter
Orange zest for sprinkling

About the ingredients

Milk and butter warming? Use whole milk or swap half for almond if dairy challenge. Butter confirmed best unsalted here for control; salted makes sweetness weird. Active yeast better than instant for predictability, but instant’s fine if proofed in milk mix first. Orange juice fresh, no concentrate, adds essential zing but apple juice works in pinch, though less vibrant. Heavy cream optional but love how it perks crust—substitute evaporated milk or half and half if you lack cream. Brown sugar colors and caramelizes, swapping with turbinado sugar gives crunch but less moisture. Filling butter softened—not melted for spread control. Flour measured spooned in, not scooped or dough heavies up. Egg yolk’s richness plays well; whole eggs replaceable but adjust flour slightly. Salt crucial for flavor contrast, don’t skip, even in sweet applic.

Method

Warm milk and butter gently in small pan until about 110°F. Lukewarm, not hot or yeast kills off fast. Microwave 30 seconds is cheat way but watch closely.
Put warm mix in mixer bowl with paddle attachment. Sprinkle yeast evenly on top; wait 3 minutes until foamy, proofed well. If no foam, yeast dead—start over or use fresh.
Add orange juice, sugar, whole egg, yolk. Mix low speed just to blend, don’t overwork.
Switch out paddle for dough hook. Add flour and salt, then knead medium-low speed about 7–9 minutes. Watch dough pull away from bowl sides but still tacky, little sticky okay. Overkneading kills softness.
Grease medium bowl with oil spray, plop dough in. Turn dough once to lightly oil surface. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and kitchen towel. Leave in warm spot, aim for 1.5 hours rise until nearly doubled. More time is fine if cooler room.
Prepare baking pan (9x9 inches). Spray well, parchment lining optional to catch wafting juices. Prepares clean up and edges crisp.
Mix brown sugar, softened butter, cinnamon, and orange zest for filling until combined, spreadable consistency. No clumps.
Turn dough onto floured surface. Gently roll to rectangle about 9x14 inches. Spread filling evenly but leave about ½ inch border to keep tight roll.
Roll up dough tight from long edge, keep shape neat. Slice into 9 equal rolls using sharp knife or dental floss—floss avoids squish.
Arrange rolls snug in pan, cover again with plastic and towel. Final rise 35 to 60 minutes. Dough balloons but watch close—overproof makes fragile, misshapen rolls.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Warm heavy cream briefly, 15 seconds microwave, lukewarm touch.
Right before baking, pour cream gently over rolls; helps soft top and golden color.
Bake 20–22 minutes until tops light brown, internal temperature ~190°F. Check by poking with toothpick: moist crumbs, no gooey batter.
Cool 5–10 minutes; temp drops and settle. Mix glaze by whisking powdered sugar, butter, orange juice to thick drizzle consistency.
Drizzle glaze over rolls, sprinkle extra orange zest if you like for brightness and zing.

Cooking tips

Milk temp measured with instant thermometer every time; too hot kills yeast fast, no excuses. Let yeast foam in lukewarm milk-butter mix, see tiny bubbles forming—not just dissolved, that’s activation check. Mixing only until combined keeps gluten develop controlled, no rubbery challenge after bake. Kneading with dough hook low speed saves arms and ensures even gluten structure, 8 minutes roughly—watch dough carefully. Too wet? Add flour a teaspoon at a time but avoid stiff dough or rolls get heavy. First rise covered but don’t stuff bowl in cold spot, aim for warm (about 75°F), proof doubles size visibly, not just puffy surface. Rolling out floured surface key to avoid tearing but don’t add too much, or dough dries out edges. Rolling tightly in log avoids gaps while slicing with floss avoids compression—sharp knife dulls rolls by pushing in. Second rise must gently puff rolls or dough won’t bake soft inside, but overproof causes collapse—check with soft poke, springs back slowly. Pouring warm heavy cream just before baking? Adds caramelization and soft finish skin. Bake by color and crackling smell; golden top signals crust formed. Internal temp check optional but sure sign rolls baked through. Cooling briefly lets texture set, glaze right after stops runoff but glazing hot rolls melts icing into sweetness pool, losing texture contrast.

Chef's notes

💡 Milk temp critical here. Keep it just warm, around 110°F or yeast dies fast. Use instant thermometer every time. Overheated milk kills bubbles, no foam, start fresh. Lukewarm butter mix helps too but watch closely.
💡 Dough texture tells more than timing. Should pull cleanly from bowl sides but still sticky, tacky is good. Too stiff? Rolls turn heavy. Knead 7 to 9 mins low speed with dough hook. Overdoing crushes softness here.
💡 Rolling out, use floured surface but don’t pack flour in. Tear risk if dry edges. Rectangle about 9x14 inches, spread filling leaving ½ inch border. Tight but neat roll important; gaps cause filling leak, mess in oven.
💡 Slicing with dental floss beats knife every time. Sharp knife presses in, squashes rolls. Floss slides cleanly, keeps shape. Try it, cuts are cleaner, no dough destruction. Rolls sit snug in pan, final rise 35-60 mins. Overproof and dough collapses, be ready to poke test.
💡 Warm heavy cream just before baking, microwaved 15 seconds lukewarm. Pour gently over rolls. Adds crust softness and color, subtle caramel notes while baking. Substitute evaporated milk or half and half if no cream. Watch glaze timing—too hot melts icing to glue.

Common questions

How to know if yeast is alive?

Look for foam on top of liquid—tiny bubbles not just dissolving. No foam means dead yeast, restart. Proof in warm milk-butter mix around 110°F, no hotter. Can try fresh yeast or instant but proofing always key.

Can I use other juices?

Orange juice best for brightness. Apple juice works too but less zing, maybe flatter taste. No concentrates, fresh squeeze preferred. When swapping liquids, keep close to milk temp for yeast survival. Adjust flour if dough too loose from juice.

Dough too sticky or dry?

Sticky okay but no wet pools. Add flour teaspoon by teaspoon if too wet. Dry means less rise and hard rolls later. Knead low speed, 7-9 minutes for good gluten develop. Overkneading makes tough dough. Watch texture, not clock.

How to store rolls?

Cool completely or glaze melts off. Store airtight at room temp 1-2 days. Fridge dries faster, wrap tight. Freeze unbaked rolls wrapped in plastic then foil up to 3 months. Thaw overnight, bake slower. Glaze after warming.