High-Altitude Orange Rolls

Coming atcha with a sweet spring recipe today- these Orange Crumb Rolls are the perfect thing for Easter morning, or for any old Tuesday too. If you’ve never had an orange roll, it’s like a cinnamon roll, but, you guessed it, orange instead of cinnamon.

This is a bit of a project bake since we’ve got a few components to work with- the dough, filling, streusel, and icing. Honestly, the results are so yummy though, and I think it’s the perfect balance of sweetness without going overboard. I love a good streusel topping, and this is the perfect place- Let’s get to it!

How to Make High-Altitude Orange Rolls

We’re starting with the dough for these rolls, which comes together quickly. It’s easiest to use a stand mixer if you have one, but you can make this dough by hand with some extra work along the way. This dough uses a cooked flour paste, which comes together quickly on the stove and then gets kneaded in with everything else.

We’re using softened butter, milk, and an egg to enrich this dough and make it super soft and smooth. Here’s what it looks like before and after rising- I always recommend taking a quick picture of your dough with your phone so you can easily see how much it’s risen.

While the dough rises, it’s time to make a quick orange filling with butter, sugar, orange zest, and a pinch of salt. The mixture should be thick but spreadable, and your butter needs to be at room temp in order to get the right texture here.

Next, on to the streusel topping. We’re starting out again with some butter, sugar, and orange zest, and then adding in flour and salt and working the mixture into a crumbly consistency. If you find that your mixture is too wet, and holds together but doesn’t crumble apart, add in another 1-2 tbs. of flour. If it’s too dry, adding in 1-2 tsp. of water will help it come together.

Onto the simple icing- I’m using a sour cream icing here because I find it’s a little easier to work with and easier to have on hand than cream cheese. Simply whisk everything together until you have a thick but drizzle-able icing. Cover and set this aside until the rolls have finished baking.

To shape the rolls, roll out your dough into a large rectangle, and spread the filling mixture evenly all over the dough, using all of the filling. Roll the dough into a log starting on the long side of the rectangle, and then slice into 9 even rolls. Place the rolls into your prepared baking pan to rise for about 20 minutes.

Then top the rolls generously with your crumble mixture, and it’s off to the oven to bake until everything is lightly golden brown all over and cooked through. Let the rolls cool for about 10 minutes before drizzling the icing over the top and serving warm. Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks for the Perfect Orange Rolls

Here are all my tips and tricks to make the perfect high-altitude orange rolls:

• Do I need a stand mixer? No, you can make this dough by hand, but it will take a little longer to knead everything together fully by hand.
• What’s the point of the cooked flour paste? This method uses a cooked flour paste, which helps create a softer, fluffier dough in the end. The texture is worth the extra step!
• Do I need to use orange zest? Yes, this recipe uses the zest of two large oranges to be used across the filling, streusel, and icing. Citrus zest offers a bright orange flavor that works perfectly in this recipe.
• Do I have to make the streusel? You can skip the streusel if you prefer, although I really love the texture it brings to these rolls!
• Do I have to make the icing? I think the icing is worth making here, though you can skip it. I recommend that you include at least the streusel or the icing- if you omit both, you’ll find the recipe is not very sweet on it’s own. Both are lovely additions in full though!
• How do I know when the dough is finished rising? The dough should rise by about 1/3 in size, and should look significantly puffed. During the second rise, you may not see much of a difference, but the rolls will rise more while they bake.
• What if my streusel isn’t the right texture? Streusel can vary based on your butter and your environment. If it’s too wet, add a little more flour, and if it’s too dry, add a little bit of water. The mixture should hold together when pressed, but crumble apart easily.
• I’m at about 5,000 ft above sea level, and I find that most people who live between about 3,000-7,000 ft. above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes.

Enjoy!

5 from 1 vote

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High-Altitude Orange Rolls

Servings 9 rolls

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 1 cup whole milk plus 1/4 cup separated
• 3 tbs. brown sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 egg
• 5 tbs softened butter
• 3-4 cups all-purpose flour plus 2 tbs separated
• 1 tsp. salt

For the filling:

• 6 tbs. softened butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbs. orange zest
• 1/8 tsp. salt

For the streusel:

• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbs. orange zest
• 1 tsp. orange extract optional
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt

For the icing:

• 1-2 tbs. orange juice
• 1 tbs. orange zest
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tbs. sour cream
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

For the dough:

1. In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, cook together 1/4 cup milk with 2 tablespoons of flour, whisking constantly, until a thick paste forms. Remove and cool completely. In a microwave safe bowl, heat together the remaining 3/4 cup whole milk with the brown sugar until it is about 110 degrees, or warm to the touch. Stir in the yeast, and set aside until puffy and bloomed.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix together the egg and softened butter, and then stir in the bloomed yeast mixture. Then add in 3 cups flour and the salt, and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Add in the cooked flour paste and begin to knead the dough.
3. Knead the dough with the dough hook for about 10 minutes or until the dough is soft and smooth. It should be still a little wet, and may stick to the bottom of your bowl slightly while kneading. Avoid adding too much flour, but you can add a bit more if it’s just globbing entirely on the bottom of the bowl.
4. Scrape the dough into a ball, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for about 30 minutes, or until it has almost doubled in size.

For the filling:

1. In a medium bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, and orange zest until well combined and smooth.

For the streusel:

1. In a medium bowl, add in the softened butter, sugar, extract, and orange zest, and blend until well combined. Add in the flour and salt and use a fork to work the mixture together until a crumbly topping forms. If your crumble is too wet, add 1-2 tbs more flour. Too dry, add 1-2 tsp. of water.

For the icing:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange juice, zest, salt, and sour cream until combined. Whisk in the powdered sugar until you have thick, drizzle-able consistency. Cover and set aside until after the rolls are baked.

For the rolls:

1. Once your dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 12 by 14 inches (this doesn’t have to be perfect). Spread the filling mixture evenly all over the dough, and roll into a tight log lengthwise.
2. Grease an 8×8 inch cake pan and set aside. Slice the roll into 9 even slices, and place each individual roll into your greased pan. Cover and let the rolls rise for about 20 minutes.
3. While the rolls rise, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Once the rolls have risen for about 20 minutes, they should be slightly puffed, but they won’t look much different. Generously sprinkle the streusel topping all over the top of the rolls, and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are a light golden brown all over.
4. Let the rolls cool for 10 minutes before drizzling the icing all over the top, and enjoy warm!

Dough-Eyed

Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!

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