Sourdough Orange Cinnamon Rolls
Sourdough orange cinnamon rolls offer the same soft, gooey bite as classic cinnamon rolls, but with a bright and citrusy burst of fresh orange flavor throughout.
Servings: 12 rolls
Equipment
- 1 microplane or citrus zester
Ingredients
Rolls
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter bubbly and active
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup neutral oil
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Filling
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
Orange glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
- Combine the active sourdough starter, water, orange juice, flour, oil, honey, eggs, and zest in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook. Bring the dough together on low speed, then knead on medium for 6 - 8 minutes until soft, smooth, and passes the windowpane test.
- Add the dough to a greased bowl, cover it tightly, and let it rest at room temperature overnight for the bulk fermentation.
- After the bulk rise, add baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the dough. Mix in the stand mixer for five minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the dough onto a very lightly floured surface and shape into a rectangle that is roughly 12"x14" and 1/4" thick.
- Make the cinnamon roll filling by mixing the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and orange zest in a small bowl.
- Spread the orange cinnamon filling evenly onto the dough, then roll the dough up tightly. Close the rolls by pinching the dough together and forming a seam.
- Slice into 12 rolls using a bench scraper, a sharp knife, thread, or unflavored dental floss. Place the rolls onto a greased baking dish or a baking dish lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown. Make the orange glaze by whisking the powdered sugar with freshly squeezed orange juice. Drizzle the glaze after the rolls have cooled for 10 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
- Please double check amounts when using the multiplying feature in the recipe card.
- If you are looking for gram measurements, toggle to the “metric” version in the recipe card.
- If your dough feels too soft for slicing the rolls after assembly, you can pop the whole roll in the freezer for a few minutes to make it a little easier to handle.
- Fresh orange juice and zest will give the best results for these delicious sourdough orange rolls.
- When rolling out the dough, a small amount of flour is fine to keep it from sticking. However, try using a bench scraper to encourage the dough off the counter without flour. I don't always need flour when I use this tool, but too much added flour can affect the texture of the rolls.
- The tighter the roll, the better the orange cinnamon swirl will be.
- Keep a close eye on the rolls as they bake. Overbaking dries them out, so remove from the oven as soon as they are golden.
- For the glaze, adjust the powdered sugar to your preference. More powdered sugar for a thicker glaze; less for a thinner glaze.
- Swap the orange glaze for my cream cheese frosting, if you'd like, but add some orange zest!
Nutrition
Serving: 1roll | Calories: 452kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 332mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 302IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 2mg