Alabama Orange Rolls

These Alabama Orange Rolls are so deliciously "orangey" in such a good way. And there's no cinnamon involved... just orange and more orange to flavor, fill, and glaze them. 

Alabama Orange Rolls (or simply Orange Rolls in Alabama) are a sweet, sticky, and gooey treat you'll enjoy for breakfast, brunch, tea, or even dessert. Serve them with mimosas for a fun morning hanging out with friends. 

Evidently, the Alabama Orange Roll originated in Cullman, Alabama at the legendary All Steak Restaurant. In fact, they are featured in 100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama. These days, they are offered to guests at the end of their meals. You can also buy the unbaked version to finish at home. 

The originals appear to be a little bit smaller than these, and come in muffin tin liners that are encrusted in glaze and sticky citrus filling that is hard to resist. 

These rolls are larger, and are baked nestled against each other in a cake pan, similar to cinnamon rolls. Of course, you could try making these in a muffin tin. Just make them smaller and pay attention to the baking time. 

Ingredients in these Orange Rolls:

Unbleached All Purpose Flour: For soft fluffy rolls but with great structure. 

Sugar: For the dough, filling, and glaze. 

Orange Juice and Orange Zest: You will use the juice in the dough and the glaze, and the zest in the filling. Definitely use fresh squeezed orange juice. I found that two large navel oranges were just enough. If your oranges are smaller, you might want to buy a third for insurance.

Be sure to zest the orange before squeezing out the juice. It's so much easier! 

P.S. Orange juice, added to whole wheat bread is great for mellowing the flavor. 

Instant Yeast: This recipe calls for 2 1/4  teaspoons (one packet). My dough did take a bit longer to rise (both the first and second rise) as orange juice can sometimes inhibit the yeast. I was nervous when I placed them in the oven, but the oven spring (how much they rose after placing them in the oven) was amazing. 

You could also try SAF Gold yeast, which is great when baking with an enriched dough. 

Heavy Cream: For the dough and glaze. 

Unsalted Butter: For the dough, filling, and glaze. 

Egg and Egg Yolk: To enrich the dough and soften the crumb. 

Salt. 

To Shape These Orange Rolls for Baking: 

After the first rise, roll the dough out into a 8 inch by 16 inch rectangle and spread butter over the dough with an offset spatula. Sprinkle the buttered dough with a mixture of sugar infused with orange zest. 

Beginning with one of the long ends of the dough rectangle, roll up the dough into log and pinch the seam to seal it. You should have a sixteen inch log, enough for eight orange rolls. 

Next, using a serrated knife, cut the log crosswise into eight two-inch pieces and arrange them in a greased and parchment lined nine-inch cake pan. I used a dark pan for extra browning. While the pan is not the best for cakes, it's great for deep dish pizzas. You can use a lighter colored pan and just bake them slightly longer. 

These rolls should take about 60 to 90 minutes to proof until doubled. They will also rise quite a bit in the oven. 

Recipe Variations: 

As mentioned, you can bake these rolls in a muffin tin by making them slightly smaller. 

For a stronger orange flavor in the dough, you could add a few drops of orange oil along with the orange juice. 

To help with timing, you can refrigerate the dough overnight after the first rise is almost finished or after shaping the rolls and then finishing the final proof the next day. 

Storage: 

These orange rolls are best served warm on the first day. Keep leftovers in an airtight container for one or two days, and reheat them briefly in the microwave. 

Bread Bakers Rolls and Buns:

This month's theme is Rolls and Buns. Check out everyone's recipes! 

• Alabama Orange Rolls from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Cheesy and Spicy Wild Garlic Stuffed Spelt Rolls from Cook with Renu
• Filled Wool Rolls from Passion Kneaded
• Hoagie Rolls from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Käsebrötchen from Food Lust People Love
• Orange Date Sticky Toffee Buns from A Messy Kitchen
• Soft and Fluffy Sourdough Hamburger Buns from Sneha's Recipe

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Alabama Orange Rolls

Yield: 8 Rolls

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 1 HourCook time: 45 MinInactive time: 3 H & 30 MTotal time: 5 H & 15 M

These Alabama Orange Rolls are so deliciously "orangey" in such a good way. And there's no cinnamon involved... just orange and more orange to flavor, fill, and glaze them. 

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 425 grams (3 cups) unbleached all purpose flour
• 50 grams (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, warmed to 110 degrees F
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened cut into cubes
• 1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk

For the Filling

• 99 grams (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

For the Glaze

• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 50 grams (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook, combine all of the dough ingredients and knead for two minutes on medium low speed.
2. Change the speed to medium high and knead for eight minutes more, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
3. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 90 to 120 minutes.
4. Spray a nine-inch round cake pan with spray oil and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Spray the parchment with oil. Combine the sugar and zest for the filling in a bowl and mix thoroughly with your fingers.
5. Roll the dough out into an eight inch by 16 inch rectangle and spread the butter over the top with an offset spatula. Sprinkle the top evenly with the sugar and zest mixture.
6. Using one of the long ends, roll the rectangle into a 16 inch log. Pinch the seam closed and place the log, seam side down on your work surface. Using a serrated knife, cut the log, crosswise, into eight two-inch rounds. Arrange them in the cake pan with one round in the middle and the other seven around the side of the pan. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 60 to 90 minutes.
7. Heat the oven to 325 degrees F.
8. Bake the rolls for 40 to 50 minutes. The internal temperature of the center roll should be about 195 degrees F.
9. Let the rolls cool in the pan for 30 minutes while making the glaze.
10. To make the glaze, combine the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for about five minutes, until slightly thickened.
11. Remove the rolls from the pan in one piece and place them on a platter. Brush the rolls with the glaze.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

502

Fat (grams)

21 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

13 g

Carbs (grams)

71 g

Fiber (grams)

3 g

Net carbs

67 g

Sugar (grams)

27 g

Protein (grams)

9 g

Cholesterol (grams)

77 mg

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Recipe adapted from Cook's Country Magazine, Feb/March, 2016.