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Orange Rolls with Sour Cream Butter Glaze

Orange rolls with sour cream butter glaze—soft, swirled sweet rolls filled with orange zest and baked until golden. Finished with a thick citrus glaze that pools into every crevice for glossy, bright flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
rising 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the rolls
  • 3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2.25 tsp instant yeast
  • 0.25 cup sugar
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup warm milk
  • 0.25 cup warm water
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbsp butter, softened
For the orange filling
  • 4 tbsp butter, softened
  • 0.33 cup sugar
  • 2 zest of 2 oranges
For the sour cream butter glaze
  • 0.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp sour cream
  • 2 tbsp butter, softened
  • 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make and rise the dough
  1. Combine all-purpose flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt in the bowl. Add warm milk, warm water, egg, and softened butter, then knead until smooth.
  2. Cover the dough and let it rise for 1 hour until doubled in size. The dough should look puffy and airy when ready.
Prepare the filling
  1. Mix softened butter, sugar, and orange zest together in a bowl until it forms a spreadable filling. Keep the mixture ready for rolling.
Shape and bake the rolls
  1. Roll the dough into a rectangle and spread the orange filling evenly over the surface.
  2. Roll the dough up tightly into a log, then slice into 12 rolls.
  3. Place the rolls in a greased 9x13 dish, cover, and let rest 20 minutes. The rolls should rise slightly before baking.
  4. Bake at 375°F for 20–25 minutes until the tops are golden. Look for an evenly browned surface across the pan.
Glaze and serve
  1. Beat powdered sugar, sour cream, softened butter, fresh orange juice, and vanilla extract until smooth. The glaze should be thick but pourable.
  2. Pour the glaze over the warm rolls immediately. Watch it drip into crevices for a glossy finish.

Notes

Pro tip: use warm (not hot) milk and water so the yeast rises steadily, then bake until deeply golden to support the thick glaze pooling. Store baked rolls covered in the fridge up to 3 days and rewarm gently. Freeze unglazed rolls up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and glaze after reheating. For a dairy-light option, substitute a plant-based butter and sour-cream style substitute in the glaze (texture may be slightly thinner).