There's nothing better than freshly-baked sweet rolls and these are so fresh and bright - the perfect combination of orange, fresh ginger and brown sugar. These rolls are a light and not-too-sweet made from scratch treat that everyone loves.
2 ¼teaspoonactive dry yeastor one ¾ ounce envelope
3tablespoonsbuttersoftened
½teaspoonfresh gingergrated
1teaspoonlemon zest
2tablespoonsorange zestabout 2 oranges
1teaspoonsalt
3tablespoonssugar
3cupsflour
Filling
2teaspoonsbuttermelted
⅓cupbrown sugarpacked
⅛teaspooncinnamon
⅛teaspoonnutmeg
Glaze
1cuppowdered sugar
1teaspoonsoftened butter
½teaspoonvanilla
1tablespoonorange juicefreshly squeezed
pinchof salt
Instructions
Heat orange juice and milk to 120° and combine with yeast, allow to sit for a few minutes before adding the remaining sweet roll ingredients in a stand mixer (or large bowl with a sturdy spoon for stirring). Using the bread hook, stir until combined and the dough is smooth and elastic. (If using a bowl and spoon, you'll want to knead the dough for a few minutes on a floured surface.)Place dough in a greased bowl and turn to grease top. Cover and let rise for about an hour. While the dough rises, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside. In another small bowl, whisk the glaze ingredients and set aside. After the dough has doubled in size, turn onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 18"x 8" rectangle. I highly recommend using a silicone pastry mat. It helps gauge the size of the dough when you roll it out and how large each roll is when you are dividing them. Spread melted butter on top, followed by the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg mixture. Starting with a long side, roll up tightly. Slice the dough into 1" sections and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or in greased muffin cups. Allow to rise for about an hour. Bake in preheated 375° F oven for about 9-11 minutes. Place rolls on a cooling rack and allow to cool for a few minutes, but drizzle with icing while still warm.
Notes
For fresh baked sweet rolls any time, after rolling and slicing, place the rolls in muffin cups, then place in the freezer until frozen solid. Remove the rolls from the muffin cups and place the frozen rolls in a zip-top freezer bag. On the night before you plan to enjoy freshly baked rolls in the morning, remove the rolls from the freezer and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.The sweet rolls will defrost overnight on your kitchen counter. In the morning, bake as usual and enjoy fresh sweet rolls with your morning coffee or tea. For another delicious breakfast idea, enjoy scratch-made Carrot and Banana Muffins or Blueberry Rhubarb Muffins.