Orange Sweet Rolls

I grew up eating Orange Sweet Rolls... you know, the kind that came in the terrifying pop can (I swear they still scare me). Were they packed with artificial flavors? Sure. Were they super duper sweet? You betcha... But they were so dang good.

My childhood friend and I would polish off the orange rolls and then move on to pizza rolls and cherry 7up for lunch/dinner... All while watching SNL. Classy, right?

When I stumbled across this recipe, I knew I had to try it... Do you want to know a secret though? I'm terrified of yeast. Mix too much and you're eating hockey pucks... Make the water too cold when mixing and the yeast wont rise. That's too much pressure, y'all...

These rolls were fairly easy though and rose perfectly and had a delicious buttery-yeasty taste. The orange isn't too overpowering nor the frosting too sweet. They. Are. Perfection.

For the Dough:
3 (2 1/4 ounce) packets active dry yeast
1 3/4 cups warm water
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs, beaten
4-6 cups all-purpose flour

For the Filling:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 teaspoon orange zest

For the Frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2-3/4 teaspoon orange flavoring (optional)

Preheat your oven to 170 degrees, when it reaches temperature shut off.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together the yeast and warm water and allow it to sit for 5 minutes until it bubbles.
Add in the honey, melted butter, salt, and beaten egg. Whisk to combine.
Attach the dough hook and add in your flour, 1 cup at a time until you reach 4 cups. After that, add a 1/2 cup at a time until the dough comes together and pulls away from the bowl. The dough will be sticky but shouldn't stick to your fingers. Oil a large bowl and place the dough inside. Cover and allow to sit in the warm water until the dough has doubled in size, around 45 minutes.
When the dough has finished proofing, place on a large floured surface and roll out to a 16"x24" rectangle.

Combine filling ingredients in a large bowl and spread out in an even layer over the rectangle...

Butter a large baking pan, about 13x9". Starting at the farthest width, roll into a jelly-roll shape, towards you, seam should be on the bottom. Cut into 24 even rounds, about 1 inch in size using a sharp knife. Place in your buttered dish...

Cover with a towel and place in your warm oven to proof again, around 20 minutes or until the rolls are doubled in size.

Remove the rolls from the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown and cooked through. Meanwhile, make your frosting...

Whisk together all of the ingredients for your frosting, you may need to add more powdered sugar or cream to reach desired consistency. The frosting should coat the back of a spoon but still be pour-able. Drizzle over the warm rolls and serve.

Light, doughy, and slightly tangy... Heaven. 

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