When my kids were still home, they kind of looked forward to this time of year. Along with the shorter days and colder weather came more time in the kitchen cooking and baking together. Our favorite days were when school was cancelled (hopefully, those are a long ways off yet) because we spent the day in the kitchen making sweet rolls together.
With the kids gone and Hiram and me watching our diets, I kind of miss making sweet rolls. So when the opportunity arose to bake breakfast goodies for our church women’s conference I volunteered for the job. Pictured above are four varieties of rolls (orange, cinnamon, caramel with nuts, caramel without nuts) made from the same dough recipe.
This sweet roll recipe is slightly different from the Family Camp recipe & varieties featured a couple months ago, though I used the same recipe for the orange roll filling. Below is my basic sweet roll recipe, adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens All-Time Favorite Recipes cookbook my mother-in-law gave me in 1979. This week, the orange rolls are featured. Next week, I’ll share the recipes for the caramel and cinnamon frosting variations.
Basic Sweet Roll Dough
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 – 2 1/2 cups white flour
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
In large mixer bowl, combine 1 cup of each kind of flour and the yeast. In a saucepan, melt the butter, then add the milk, sugar, and salt. Heat until warm (110 – 120 degrees), stirring constantly. Add to the flour mixture and stir well. Add eggs.
Beat at low speed of electric mixer for 1/2 minute, scraping sides of bowl. Beat 3 minutes on high. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as possible using the dough hook attachment if you have one. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead and work in enough extra flour to make the a moderately stiff dough. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 – 10 minutes. Shape into a ball.
Place ball into a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover. Let rise in a warm place until double (45 – 60 minutes). Punch down and turn onto lightly covered surface.
Roll dough into 12 x 16 rectangle. Spread surface with half the orange filling. Starting on one long side, roll dough into a snake. Slice snake into 24 pieces. Place in two – 9 inch square or round pans, or into one 9 x 13 pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until about double (35 minutes or more). Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Frost with remaining orange frosting.
