The next morning, spread the dough with orange-infused sugar and just a hint of cinnamon and roll it into a cylinder. Slice the rolls and set them in a rectangular pan to rise for about 45 minutes. Bake, and glaze while still warm. You’ll have to serve them immediately since even the most hardwired sleepyheads won’t stay in bed when the scent of warm rolls wafts through the house.

Overnight Dough Will Rock Your World

You shouldn’t have to wait all day for a breakfast roll, right? That’s the beauty of overnight dough. It doesn’t have to be kneaded, and it rises in the fridge overnight instead of on a warm countertop, so it’s ready to shape, fill, and bake in the morning. How does that work?  The relatively wet and sticky dough uses time in the fridge to align the dough’s gluten molecules to create elasticity and strength, so no kneading. But wait, there’s more! An overnight rise gives the dough time to develop even more flavor and the buttery dough is much easier to handle when it is cold.

Tips for Making Orange Rolls

Rub finely grated orange zest into the sugar with your fingers. The oils in the orange zest permeate the sugar and bump up the orange essence.If your eggs are cold, immerse them in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for 5 minutes to bring them to room temperature.If your butter is cold, you’ll have to let it sit out for a while (45 minutes at least) to soften enough to add to the dough. To shorten the time, cut the butter into small cubes and spread them on a plate for about 15 minutes. Or use the same trick as for the eggs, above. Seal a stick of butter in a plastic baggie and submerge it in warm water for about 5 minutes.To give the dough extra strength and structure, stretch and fold it several times after mixing.Use a sheet of parchment to assist rolling the dough into a cylinder: Grasp the edges of the paper nearest you and roll away from your body. The parchment will help you roll the dough evenly.

More Cinnamon Roll Fun!

Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Overnight Milk Bread Cinnamon Rolls Raspberry Jam Sweet Rolls Cinnamon Sticky Buns

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest (from 1 orange)

2/3 cup whole milk

4 large eggs, at room temperature

4 cups (480g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast or standard yeast softened in 2 tablespoons warm water

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 teaspoon vegetable oil (for the rising bowl)

Soft, unsalted butter (for the baking pan) 

For the filling

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest (from 2 oranges)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch salt

For the glaze

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice, or to taste

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, unsalted butter

Pinch salt

Add the eggs to the measuring cup and beat with a fork until combined. Rotate the bowl by a few inches and repeat the stretch and fold 5 to 6 times, rotating the bowl each time and stretching and folding the dough all around the bowl. Cover and let rest for another 20 minutes. Scrape dough out of mixer bowl into an oiled bowl. Form the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. The dough should be around 3/8-inch thick. Position the dough so the long side is parallel to the edge of the counter. Lift the parchment paper and roll the dough away from your body to form a cylinder.  Firmly pinch the seam and turn the log so the seam side is down. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 to 60 minutes, or until they look puffy and have almost doubled in size. An instant read thermometer inserted into the center of a roll should register 195°F. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Using the parchment as handles, gently lift the rolls out of the pan and onto the rack. Slide the parchment out from under the rolls. Paint the remaining glaze over them, allowing the excess to drip onto the baking sheet.  Serve warm. Store leftovers tightly wrapped in foil at room temperature for up to 2 days. Did you love the recipe? Leave us stars below!