Blueberry-Citrus Rolls with Orange Glaze

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Switch up your blueberry muffin routine with these sweet rolls.

Blueberry-Citrus Rolls with Orange Glaze
Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Active Time:
30 mins
Rise Time:
2 hrs 30 mins
Bake Time:
25 mins
Cool Time:
5 mins
Total Time:
3 hrs 30 mins
Yield:
16

Get ready to say adieu to blueberry muffins: these Blueberry-Citrus Rolls with Orange Glaze might just be your new go-to breakfast pastry. This summer, Southern Living's baker extraordinaire Pam Lolley developed a collection of sweet recipes that all feature one of our favorite seasonal fruits: Blueberries. Pam's bright and sunny take on cinnamon rolls replaces the usual brown sugar-and-cinnamon filling with jammy berries and orange zest and adds a sweet citrus glaze.

It all starts with a tender, fluffy yeasted dough, spiked with butter and—the secret ingredient—orange juice. Then the dough gets swirled up with a zesty citrus filling, sprinkled with whole blueberries, and proofed until light and puffy. After the rolls bake, they're brushed with a simple citrus glaze, which keeps them moist and shiny. With heavenly citrus flavors coming from the filling and the glaze and the warm, jammy pops of blueberry, these rolls are simply out of this world.

Ingredients

Dough

  • 1 (¼-oz.) envelope active dry yeast 

  • ¼ cup warm water (100°F to 115°F) 

  • ½ cup plus 1 tsp. granulated sugar, divided 

  • ½ cup butter, softened 

  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 

  • 1 cup whole milk 

  • 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice (from 1 orange)

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 5 cups bread flour, divided, plus more for work surface 

  • ½ cup very soft butter 

Citrus Filling

  • 1 cup granulated sugar 

  • 2 tablespoons grated orange zest (from 1 orange)

  • 1 cup fresh blueberries (from 1 [6-oz.] container)

Citrus Glaze

  • 2 cups powdered sugar 

  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened 

  • 2 teaspoons grated orange zest plus 3 Tbsp. fresh juice (from 1 orange)

Directions

  1. Prepare the Dough: Stir together yeast, warm water, and 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar in a glass measuring cup; let stand 5 minutes.

  2. Meanwhile, beat ½ cup softened butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add remaining ½ cup sugar, beating until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add eggs, milk, and orange juice; beat until just blended, about 30 seconds. Beat in yeast mixture until combined.

  3. Stir together salt and 4 ½ cups of the bread flour. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating on low speed until well blended, about 1 ½ minutes.

  4. Heavily flour a work surface. Turn Dough out; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding up to ½ cup of the remaining bread flour as needed to prevent sticking. Place in a lightly greased (with cooking spray) large bowl, turning to grease top. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, 1 ½ to 2 hours.

  5. Punch Dough down; turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 22- x 12-inch rectangle. Spread with ½ cup very soft butter, leaving a 1-inch border around edges.

  6. Prepare the Citrus Filling: Stir together sugar and orange zest. Sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over buttered rectangle; sprinkle blueberries evenly over sugar mixture.

  7. Roll up rectangle, jelly-roll style, starting at 1 long side. Cut into 16 (about 1 ¼-inch-thick) slices. Place rolls, cut side down, in 2 lightly greased (with cooking spray) 9-inch round cake pans. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

  8. Preheat oven to 350°F. Uncover rolls, and bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool rolls in pans 5 minutes on wire racks.

  9. Meanwhile, prepare the Citrus Glaze: Stir together powdered sugar, butter, orange zest, and orange juice in a medium bowl until well combined and smooth. Brush glaze over warm rolls; serve.

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