Sourdough Cranberry Orange Rolls
These sourdough sweet rolls are a sweet and tangy twist on classic sourdough cinnamon rolls. They feature a tart cranberry jam filling and are topped with a sweet orange cream cheese frosting. These are perfect for breakfast or brunch, especially during the holiday season.
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1¼ cup whole milk or oat milk + 2 tablespoons for brushing the rolls before baking
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ tablespoon orange zest about zest from ½ an orange
- ⅔ cup sourdough starter active and bubbly
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups flour
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
For the Cranberry Filling
- 1 cup water
- 12 oz fresh cranberries rinsed and picked through
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
For the Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- ½ tablespoon orange zest
- 1½ tablespoons orange juice
- 1¼ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
For the Dough
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add the milk and stir for 15 seconds to slightly warm it. Remove from heat.
- Add the brown sugar, orange zest and salt and stir until smooth.
- Add the sugar along with the flour and sourdough starter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Stir on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
- After the rest, knead the dough on low speed for 7 minutes. The dough should come together to form a smooth ball.
- Cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to proof until increased by about 50% in size. This can take anywhere from 5-10 hours depending on the temperature of your home.
- Meanwhile, make the cranberry sauce. In a small saucepan, bring the water, cranberries and sugar to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook until most of the cranberries have popped open. Allow to cool to room temperature. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Note: I recommend making the cranberry sauce about 2 hours before you are ready to fill the rolls. If you need to make it earlier in the day, cover the cranberries and refrigerate. When ready to fill, warm the cranberry sauce slightly by microwaving for 20-30 seconds. This will soften it and prevent it from inhibiting the proofing during the second rise.
Roll and Fill the Rolls
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into an approximate 12x22 inch (30x55 cm) rectangle. Use your hands, if needed, to shape the corners into as sharp of corners as you can so the end rolls are uniform with the rest of the rolls.
- Spread the cranberry filling evenly over the dough with a spoon.
- Roll the long edge of the dough towards you somewhat loosely until you have rolled the dough into a long cylinder. You don't want the dough to be rolled too tight or they will not adequately expand outward during the final proof.
- Use unscented dental floss or a sharp kitchen knife to cut the rolls into 12 equal sized rolls. The easiest way to do this is to cut the large roll in half, then cut those halves in half again. This allows you to visually cut the four smaller pieces of dough into three equal sized rolls.
- Place the rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Tip: place the end rolls upside down so the cut edge is facing up. Then, gently flatten the roll to the level of all the other rolls. This will help it appear similar to the other rolls once baked.
- Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and allow them to rise another 2 hours.Once the rolls have proofed, you can either bake them immediately or refrigerate overnight to bake the next day.
When Ready to Bake
- Preheat oven to 350℉
- Brush the rolls with remaining 2 tablespoons of milk.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. If you refrigerated the rolls prior to baking them, add an extra 5 minutes to the baking time. The rolls should reach an internal temperature of 195℉. Note: I highly recommend testing the temperature for doneness as different altitudes and ovens can result in a variable baking time. Allow to cool 20 minutes before spreading with the icing.
To Make the Icing
- Use a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed to cream together the softened butter and cream cheese. Add the orange zest, orange juice and powdered sugar, and continue to mix on low speed until fully combined and the icing is light and fluffy.
- Use a spoon or rubber spatula to spread the icing over the surface of the rolls. Serve warm.
Nutrition
Serving: 1rollCalories: 442kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 6gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 365mgPotassium: 133mgFiber: 2gSugar: 32gVitamin A: 541IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 2mg
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