One Hour Orange Rolls

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My kids LOVE when I make cinnamon rolls for breakfast.  It is one of our favorite holiday and special occasion traditions, but most recipes are SO time-consuming.  You have to make the dough the night before and then wake up very early so they can rise for several hours before you bake them.  For years, I would purchase frozen rolls that I could set out the night before to raise and we were happy with that.

Then one day I came across this pin for One-hour Cinnamon Rolls.  Yes, that’s right-fresh baked, soft, delicious cinnamon rolls made in ONE HOUR. We tried them, loved them, and have been making them ever since.  The original recipe makes 24 rolls and can be found HERE.  Since we don’t need that many cinnamon rolls, I cut the recipe in half and modified it slightly.  Sometimes I make this recipe as cinnamon rolls, sometimes I make it as orange rolls.  Both variations are amazing.

One Hour Orange Rolls

1 3/4 cup warm water

3/8 cup sugar

1/4 cup oil

2 Tbsp. yeast (I use SAF Instant)

1/2 Tbsp. salt

2 eggs, beaten

5 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup of softened butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 Tb. cinnamon

Stir water, sugar, oil, and yeast in a big mixer (I use my KitchenAid).  If you are not using SAF yeast, then you will need 3 Tbsp. of regular yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes until mixture is foamy.  Add salt, eggs, and flour.  Using the dough hook, mix for 5-10 minutes.  Turn off mixer, cover bowl with a towel and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Spray a cutting board with oil and dump out the dough.  Do not use extra flour.  Press dough into a rectangle. If you spray some oil on your hands first, it helps the dough not stick to your hands.

Spread 1/4 cup softened butter on the dough and then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  I included measurements for the cinnamon and sugar, but I actually don’t measure when I make them.  I just sprinkle what looks right. 🙂  Starting from the bottom, roll dough into a long roll.

Using a piece of thread or a thin knife, divide dough into four sections.  Then cut each section into three pieces so you have twelve rolls total.  Lightly grease a jelly roll pan (11×17) and place rolls on the pan.

At this point, I turned the oven on to 400.  The rolls will rise for about 10 minutes while the oven is preheating.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until rolls have a nice golden brown appearance.

Orange Frosting

1/4 cup butter, softened

dash of salt

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups powder sugar

2 Tbsp. orange juice concentrate

1-2 Tbsp. milk if needed

Combine ingredients in a bowl with hand mixer.  If frosting is dry, add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until it reaches desired consistency.  Allow rolls to cool for a couple minutes and then frost while still warm.  If you want to make cinnamon rolls, omit the orange juice.

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