Below, you’ll find the Sourdough Version and the Yeasted Version of the recipe
These orange rolls are a perfect balance of bright citrusy sweetness with just a hint of tang that beautifully complements the fresh orange flavor. Topped with a sprinkle of orange zest and a dusting of turbinado sugar, they offer a delightful textural crunch that contrasts with the soft, pillowy interior. Made with just one orange, this recipe yields six rolls—perfect for a cozy breakfast or a sweet snack.
This brioche style bread is perfect for a long overnight rise since it is a richer dough and takes longer to rise and for gluten to develop. Mix the dough with cold ingredients to further slow down activity, if your environment is especially warm. At a room temperature of 70-75F, a 10 hour overnight rise is just right for me. After shaping, I give the dough about 3 more hours to rise before baking. What you get are rolls with a discernible tang that balances out the sweetness and richness of the rolls and adds complexity in flavor.
If you prefer something faster, a yeasted version with a touch of greek yogurt works perfectly in mimicking the tangy flavor profile created by sourdough. The yeasted version is ready to shape within 1 hour after mixing and is ready to bake after another hour. You can find the yeasted recipe below the sourdough recipe, or click here.
Looking for more overnight recipes? Check these out:
- Overnight Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
- Overnight Sourdough Cream Cheese Stuffed Bagel Bites
- Rustic Overnight Sourdough Bread Rolls
- No-Knead Artisan Bread
Sourdough Version
Overnight Sourdough Orange Sweet Rolls
Equipment
- baking pan that fits 6 rolls
- Parchment Paper
- microplane or equivalent to zest the orange
- pastry brush to apply egg wash
Ingredients
- 1 orange, juice & zest roughly 30g of zest and 35g of juice
Dough
- 25 g sourdough starter or active discard
- 35 g milk
- 10 g orange zest about 1/3 of the orange zest from above
- 35 g orange juice about all of the orange juice from above
- 25 g egg about 1/2 an egg. remainder is used for egg wash
- 30 g cane sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 150 g all purpose flour
- 22 g unsalted butter room temperature
Filling
- 15 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 50 g turbino sugar
- 10 g orange zest about 1/3 of the orange zest from above
- 5 g corn starch
Topping
- 10 g orange zest about 1/3 of the orange zest from above
- 1 tbsp turbino sugar
Egg wash
- 25 g egg about 1/2 an egg
- 1 tsp milk
Instructions
Day 1
- 10:30pm: Zest and juice 1 orange. Some pulp is fine. Cover and set aside. We will use this to make the dough as well as use it in the filling and icing the next day.
- Mix together the Dough Ingredients: sourdough discard, milk, orange zest and juice, egg, sugar and salt until everything is well combined. Mix in flour and knead until a dough forms. Using your fingers, rub in butter and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise in a cool place for 8-10 hours.
- Cover and refridgerate the remaining of the organe zest, juice, and egg to be used the next day.
Day 2
- Lightly dust a work surface with flour and transfer the proofed dough to it. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to roughly a 6×12" sheet, with the 6" end facing you. Evenly spread the butter all over the dough. Mix together the remaining ingredients for the filling and sprinkle it on top of the butter and pat it in.
- Tightly roll up the dough from the short end facing you. With the seam side facing down, cut the dough into 6 even pieces. Transfer them onto a lined baking sheet, cover and let rise for 2-3 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Make the topping: combine orange zest and sugar. Set aside. Make the egg wash: combine egg and milk. Brush the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle the orange sugar topping mixture all over.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the roll starts turning golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for about 20 minutes.
Yeasted Version
Yeasted Orange Sweet Rolls
Equipment
- baking pan that fits 6 rolls
- Parchment Paper
- microplane or equivalent to zest the orange
- pastry brush to apply egg wash
Ingredients
- 1 orange juice & zest you need at least 30g of zest and juice. This will be used in the dough, filling, topping & icing.
Dough
- 150 g all purpose flour
- 35 g orange juice
- 30 g cane sugar
- 25 g egg use the remaining for egg wash
- 20 g greek yogurt
- 20 g milk
- 10 g orange zest
- 1 tsp yeast
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 22 g unsalted butter room temperature
Filling
- 15-20 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 50 g turbino sugar
- 10 g orange zest
- 5 g corn starch
Topping
- 10 g orange zest the remaining of the orange zest not used in the dough and filling
- 1 tbsp turbino sugar
Egg wash
- 25 g egg the remaining amount of the egg used in the dough
- 1 tsp milk
Instructions
- Zest and juice 1 orange. Some pulp is fine. Set aside.
- Mix together all the ingredients for the dough except butter and knead until a rough dough forms. Using your fingers, rub in butter and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise in a cool place ~1hr.
- Lightly dust a work surface with flour and transfer the proofed dough to it. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to roughly a 6×12" sheet, with the 6" end facing you. Evenly spread the butter all over the dough. Mix together the remaining ingredients for the filling and sprinkle it on top of the butter and pat it in.
- Tightly roll up the dough from the short end facing you. With the seam side facing down, cut the dough into 6 even pieces. Transfer them onto a lined baking sheet, cover and let rise for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Make the topping: combine orange zest and sugar. Set aside. Make the egg wash: combine egg and milk. Brush the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle the orange sugar topping mixture all over. Bake for 20 minutes or until the roll starts turning golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for about 20 minutes.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the roll starts turning golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for about 20 minutes.
