Whipping Up Alabama Orange Rolls with Ease in a Bread Machine
Sneak Preview: These Alabama Orange Rolls are my best copycat version of the rolls served at All-Steak restaurant in Alabama. They may not be identical, but they are incredibly addicting, especially for orange lovers. The recipe includes directions for mixing and kneading in a bread machine, but you can do it by hand or use a stand mixer. See the recipe notes for details.
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A food magazine that printed a recipe for the famous orange rolls served at a steak house in Alabama inspired me. Of course, the first step was to figure out how to use my bread machine to mix and knead it. No problem.
Unfortunately, the rolls from that recipe in the magazine didn’t turn out quite like the famous ones. But that inspired me to see if I could do better.
Why You Might Want To Try These Orange Rolls
- The orange flavor is much stronger than most orange roll recipes due to orange juice concentrate and grated orange peel. If you love orange, these are for you.
- There is no cinnamon in these rolls. In other words, they are not cinnamon rolls with orange icing. They are orange rolls through and through.
- Make the DOUGH in your bread machine, then shape the rolls by hand. See the recipe notes if you prefer or need to mix the dough with a stand mixer or by hand.
(If you would like to know how to convert almost any regular bread recipe to use in your bread machine, see this post.)
Recipe Inspiration
My sister from Alabama has been talking about the famous orange rolls for years. She often encouraged me to come up with a recipe to make them herself at home.
During my annual visit last year, we stopped by the restaurant and picked up some orange rolls. They were still hot and a bit doughy. They were extraordinarily orange in color and taste. The sweet stuff on top was a glaze, not icing like you might put on traditional cinnamon rolls.
Parting thoughts: These rolls are mighty tasty and so fabulous that I wanted to eat half the pan. Therefore, I’m declaring this experiment DONE!
Although these Alabama orange rolls aren’t exactly like the famous orange rolls from the restaurant, they have earned a space in my bread machine roll collection.
Posts Related to Alabama Orange Rolls
Help at Your Fingertips: For questions or suggestions, email Paula at saladinajar.com. If you need help, I’m happy to troubleshoot via email (faster than leaving a comment). Attach pictures and as many details as possible for the best advice.
Alabama Orange Rolls: A Bread Machine Recipe
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Ingredients
Dough:
- ¼ cup (57 g) milk
- ½ cup (120 g) frozen orange juice concentrate (thawed to room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon table or sea salt
- 1 large (68 g) egg plus 1 yolk
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups (360 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons bread machine or instant yeast
Filling:
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons grated orange zest from two medium oranges
Glaze:
- ¼ cup (51 g) heavy cream
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add ingredients to a bread machine pan in order given: 1/4 cup (57 g) milk , 1/2 cup (120 g) frozen orange juice concentrate, 1 teaspoon table or sea salt, 1 large (68 g) egg plus 1 yolk, 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, softened, 3 cups (360 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, and 2 teaspoons bread machine or instant yeast Select the DOUGH cycle and press START.
- Check the dough at least twice by lifting the lid to take a peek. Do this right after the machine starts to see if the paddles are correctly engaged and the dough is starting to form a ball.Recheck the consistency of the dough again 15 minutes into the DOUGH cycle.If your dough is too wet, add flour one tablespoon at a time. The dough should stick to the side, then pull away cleanly.Conversely, if the dough is too dry, add one tablespoon of liquid at a time until the dough looks just right. Find out more about this surprising secret to success with a bread machine here.
- When the dough cycle finishes, check to make sure the dough has doubled in size. If not, allow dough to continue to rise in the pan until it is double the original volume. IMPORTANT NOTE: Because this is a highly enriched dough, it takes longer than usual to rise. Allow at least an extra hour for this.
- Remove the dough from the bread machine pan onto a floured surface. Roll into a rectangle measuring approximately 12 x 17 inches.
- Spread 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, softened over rolled-out dough until it is completely covered. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons grated orange zest and 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar evenly over butter.
- Begin rolling dough from the long side. Roll as tightly as you can. Cut long roll in quarters. Cut each quarter into 5 evenly-sized rolls.
- Place inside a buttered 9 x 13 inch pan, cover with a tea towel, and allow to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes before baking.
- Preheat oven to 325˚F (165˚C). Bake rolls for 25-30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 190˚F (88˚C).
- Mix the glaze while the rolls bake. Combine all ingredients:1/4 cup (51 g) heavy cream, 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate, 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, and 1/8 teaspoon (⅛ teaspoon) salt into a small saucepan and heat over medium temperature until the mixture turns syrupy and coats the back of a spoon. Set aside to cool.
- Pour glaze over hot rolls as soon as they come out of the oven.
Notes
- To make this recipe in a heavy-duty stand mixer: Add ingredients to the bowl in the same order. Turn on LOW to mix until all ingredients are moistened. Then, using a dough hook, turn the speed to 2 or 3. Continue beating/kneading until dough becomes smooth and elastic (about 5-10 minutes). Cover and allow to rise in a warm place. Deflate dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
- If making by hand: Combine all ingredients into a shaggy ball in a large bowl. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead with your hands until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Kneading will likely take 10-20 minutes, depending on your experience. Place the dough ball into a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise until double. Deflate the dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
- Please note: If you only have active dry yeast, use 1/4 teaspoon more than called for in the recipe. It no longer needs to be dissolved first, but you can if you prefer.
Equipment
Nutrition
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com
Paula Rhodes, owner
As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to share my belief that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my specialty.