These sourdough orange sweet rolls are pillowy soft and citrusy sweet. They are perfect for slow mornings, breakfast and brunch.

Sourdough orange sweet rolls are naturally leavened with the wild yeasts from sourdough, flexible with timing and our family’s favorite for a special morning breakfast treat.

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For an easy step-by-step guide to creating your own sourdough starter, you can find my simple process here: How to Make a Sourdough Starter from Scratch

5 from 1 vote

Sourdough Orange Sweet Rolls

These sourdough orange sweet rolls are pillowy soft and citrusy sweet. They are perfect for slow mornings, breakfast and brunch.

Print Recipe

Servings: 12 rolls

Prep Time:1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time:16 minutes mins

Resting & Rising Time:12 hours hrs

Total Time:13 hours hrs 46 minutes mins

Ingredients

• ½ cup sourdough starter, active 100g
• 5 tbsp salted butter, softened 71g
• 4 cups King Arthur bread flour or all-purpose 580g
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar 26g
• 2 tbsp orange juice, fresh squeezed
• 1 tbsp orange zest, fresh zest of 1 medium-sized orange
• 2 eggs, large
• 1 tsp salt 5g
• ½ cup whole milk 120g or 4 fl. oz.

Sweet Roll Filling

• 1 tbsp cinnamon, ground 7g
• ½ cup brown sugar 102g
• 3 tbsp butter, softened 44g
• 1 tbsp orange zest zest of 1 medium-sized orange

Orange Icing

• 1 ¼ cup confectioner's (powdered) sugar, sifted 125g
• 3 tbsp orange juice, fresh squeezed juice of 1 medium-sized orange
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Mixing the Dough

• First, add all of the dough ingredients to a large 4 or 5 quart mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Using the dough hook attachment on your mixer, or a dough whisk if mixing by hand, mix the ingredients until fully combined forming a pliable dough. The dough should be smooth and elastic, pulling away from the sides of the bowl. It should not feel tacky—soft, but easy to handle.

Troubleshooting Dough Consistency

• For dough that feels wet and sticky, give it a few minutes covered to rest before testing the consistency again. If after 10 minutes the dough is still tacky, add a dusting more of bread flour, knead for a few minutes and see if the dough will pull away from the sides of the bowl with ease.
• If the dough looks too dry, get your hands slightly wet and knead the dough for a few more minutes. You want a nice, glossy ball of dough.

Allow the Dough to Rest

• Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a moist towel and let it rest for 30 minutes. This allows the flour to hydrate and helps begin gluten development.
• Covering the bowl with lightly oiled plastic wrap, an airtight lid or a damp tea towel will prevent the surface from drying out.

Stretch and Folds

• Perform 3 sets of stretch and folds, spaced every 30 minutes to 1 hour apart.
• To do a stretch and fold, gently stretch one side of the dough upward and fold it over itself into the center of the ball of dough. Rotate the bowl and repeat until all sides have been folded over.
• This encourages gluten development, strengthens the dough and improves structure for pillowy sourdough orange sweet rolls that rise beautifully.

Bulk Fermentation

• After the three sets of stretch and folds, cover the dough again and allow it to bulk ferment until doubled in size. The time needed will depend on the temperature of your kitchen and the activity of your starter. (Anywhere from 8-16 hours from my experience leaving the dough on the counter)

Long Fermentation Option

• For a longer, slower ferment, place the dough in the refrigerator overnight and up to 72 hours. This process adds more of a tangy flavor with the longer fermentation, helps break down harder to digest properties in the flour and allows flexibility with baking. Slowing down the rise process in the fridge allows you to pull the dough out of the fridge to bake at your convenience.

Prepare the Filling

• While the dough is in the process of bulk fermentation, mix together the filling ingredients and set aside.

Shaping the Rolls

• Roll the dough out into a 12 x 18-inch rectangle.
• Spread softened butter evenly over the dough, then evenly coat with the filling mixture on top of the butter.
• Slice the dough into 1-inch strips along the 12 inch side. This will result in 12 sourdough orange sweet rolls.
• Roll each strip individually and firmly. Place each roll into a 9 x 13-inch pan.

Final Rise

• Cover the pan with a moist tea towel and let the rolls rise for about 2 hours, or until puffy.

Bake

• Move the top rack to the center level inside the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• After the oven has fully preheated, bake the rolls for 16-20 minutes until lightly golden on the tops and baked through. If any part of the roll looks gooey or shiny, add a few more minutes to baking. *Note: Oven performance can vary. Know your oven and start at the lower end of the baking time if you are unsure. Add time in 1-2 minute increments as needed.

Mix up the Orange Icing

• While the rolls are baking, mix up the icing ingredients in a small bowl.

Finish and Serve

• Remove the rolls from the oven and allow them to cool slightly. Top with icing while still warm. Sourdough orange sweet rolls are delicious served warm or at room temperature.

Storing and Freezing Sourdough Orange Sweet Rolls

• Store sweet rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Freezer Options

• Freeze the dough after bulk fermentation and before rolling
• Freeze shaped rolls before baking
• Thaw, allow to rise, and bake as directed.

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Keyword: sourdough, sourdough baking

Author: Amanda Brecto

Tools for Making Sourdough Orange Sweet Rolls

*This post contains affiliate links. By using the provided links I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

• 5-quart mixing bowl (I prefer using glass or stainless steel when working with sourdough)
• Stand mixer (this is nice but not necessary)
• Dough whisk (or dough hook attachment for the stand mixer)
• Bowl scraper
• Bench scraper
• Parchment paper
• 9 x 13 baking dish or large cast iron pan
• Pastry wheel or pizza slicer
• Zester
• Citrus juicer
• Sifter
• Tea towels, plastic wrap or beeswax wrap
• Spatula
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons
• Kitchen scale
• Measuring tape or ruler (I like to use a silicone baking mat with measurements along the side)
• Water Filtration (I always use filtered water in my sourdough starter. This one is our favorite.)

Tips for Baking Sourdough Orange Sweet Rolls

1. Use your sourdough starter when it is at peak activity. A sourdough starter at peak activity is nice and bubbly and floats in water. A sourdough starter that is not at peak activity will work, though you will get the best results from a sourdough starter at its peak after feeding. For more details on sourdough maintenance, check out my feeding and maintenance guide here.
2. Individually cut and roll the sourdough orange sweet rolls. The look of individually cut and rolled sweet rolls is clean and beautiful. Make sure you roll each roll firmly to avoid the center of the roll spiraling upwards during baking. The traditional rolling and slicing cinnamon roll technique will work just fine for these rolls if you prefer.
3. Use King Arthur bread flour. Bread flour has a higher protein content, which makes it ideal for breads that need to rise. King Arthur bread flour is the commercial flour I have found to work the best, though other high-protein milled flour options will also work. Alternatively, you can use all-purpose flour and still get good results with these sweet rolls.
4. Know your oven. Each oven performs a little differently. If you are unsure how your oven typically bakes, place the rack in the center level of the oven and bake the rolls at the minimum bake time (16 minutes) to start. Check on the rolls and if they still look glossy or gooey, add time in 2-3 minute increments until the rolls look risen, dry on the surface, and golden brown in color.

Ingredients

Step-by-Step Baking Schedule for Sourdough Orange Sweet Rolls

Mixing the Dough

First, add all of the dough ingredients to a large 4 or 5-quart mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.

Using the dough hook attachment on your mixer, or a dough whisk if mixing by hand, mix the ingredients until fully combined, forming a pliable dough. The dough should be smooth and elastic, pulling away from the sides of the bowl. It should not feel tacky—soft, but easy to handle.

Troubleshooting Dough Consistency

For dough that feels wet and sticky, give it a few minutes covered to rest before testing the consistency again. If after 10 minutes the dough is still tacky, add a dusting more of bread flour, knead for a few minutes and see if the dough will pull away from the sides of the bowl with ease.

If the dough looks too dry, get your hands slightly wet and knead the dough for a few more minutes. You want a nice, glossy ball of dough.

Allow the Dough to Rest

Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a moist towel and let it rest for 30 minutes. This allows the flour to hydrate and helps begin gluten development.

Covering the bowl with lightly oiled plastic wrap, an airtight lid or a damp tea towel will prevent the surface from drying out.

Stretch and Folds

Perform 3 sets of stretch and folds, spaced every 30 minutes to 1 hour apart. 

To do a stretch and fold, gently stretch one side of the dough upward and fold it over itself into the center of the ball of dough. Rotate the bowl and repeat until all sides have been folded over.

This encourages gluten development, strengthens the dough and improves structure for pillowy sourdough orange sweet rolls that rise beautifully.

Bulk Fermentation

After the three sets of stretch and folds, cover the dough again and allow it to bulk ferment until doubled in size. The time needed will depend on the temperature of your kitchen and the activity of your starter. (Anywhere from 8-16 hours from my experience, leaving the dough on the counter)

Long Fermentation Option

For a longer, slower ferment, place the dough in the refrigerator overnight and up to 72 hours. This process adds more of a tangy flavor with the longer fermentation, helps break down harder-to-digest properties in the flour and allows flexibility with baking. Slowing down the rise process in the fridge allows you to pull the dough out of the fridge to bake at your convenience. 

Prepare the Filling

While the dough is in the process of bulk fermentation, mix the filling ingredients (brown sugar, cinnamon, and orange zest) and set aside.

Shaping the Rolls

Roll the dough out into a 12 x 18-inch rectangle.

Spread softened butter evenly over the dough, then evenly coat with the filling mixture on top of the butter.

Slice the dough into 1-inch strips along the 12-inch side. This will result in 12 sourdough orange sweet rolls. 

Roll each strip individually and firmly. Place each roll into a 9 x 13-inch pan.

Final Rise

Cover the pan with a moist tea towel and let the rolls rise for about 2 hours, or until puffy.

Bake

Move the top rack to the center level inside the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

After the oven has fully preheated, bake the rolls for 16-20 minutes until lightly golden on the tops and baked through. If any part of the roll looks gooey or shiny, add a few more minutes to the baking time.

*Note: Oven performance can vary. Know your oven and start at the lower end of the baking time if you are unsure. Add time in 1-2 minute increments as needed.

Mix up the Orange Icing

While the rolls are baking, mix up the icing ingredients in a small bowl. 

Finish and Serve

Remove the rolls from the oven and allow them to cool slightly. Top with icing while still warm. Sourdough orange sweet rolls are delicious served warm or at room temperature.

Storing and Freezing Sourdough Orange Sweet Rolls

Store sweet rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Freezer Options

• Freeze the dough after bulk fermentation and before rolling
  
• Freeze shaped rolls before baking
  

Thaw, allow to rise, and bake as directed.

Did you make these sourdough orange sweet rolls? Please leave a rating & share with a friend! I would love to hear your comments down below!

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