Salted Caramel Orange Breakfast Rolls

Phil (after taking a bite): Alyson, I don't wish to alarm you, but if I weren't already married, I would marry these things and maybe keep you on the side as my mistress.

Me: Oh, are they good?

Him: Mmph. 

Me: I'll take it, since your mouth is full of caramel, that they are.

They are, people. Oh, they are. The buns soak up some of the caramel as they bake, and get all gorgeously glazed. The recipe is based on one over on Cooking Light (Pecan Rolls, or something like that) that I may have made more fatty.

You need fat in the morning though, right? Right?

This could be your breakfast.

Ingredients


Dough:
3/4  cup  warm milk
1/4  cup  granulated sugar
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1  package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/4  cup  warm water
2 eggs
3  tablespoons  butter, melted and cooled
½ tsp vanilla
18  ounces  all-purpose flour (about 4 cups), divided
Cooking spray

Caramel
3/4  cup  packed dark brown sugar
3  tablespoons  butter, melted
2  tablespoons  hot water
½ tsp flake sea salt

Filling
2/3  cup  granulated sugar
zest of one orange
1 1/2  tablespoons  butter, melted


If you've never made your own bread before, I highly recommend doing it. I promise, it's not as hard as you'd think!

1. To prepare dough, combine the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Stir yeast mixture into milk mixture. Add eggs, vanilla and 3 tablespoons melted butter; stir until well combined.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 16.8 ounces (about 3 3/4 cups) flour to yeast mixture; stir until smooth. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel slightly soft and tacky). Now, I did all of this in my kitchen aid mixer, except for a final quick kneading at the end.

4. If planning on eating the same day: Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray; turn to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes. Punch dough down and turn over in bowl; lightly coat with cooking spray. Cover and let rise another 45 minutes. Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes.

How my dough looked after an overnight stay in the fridge.
Not how I'm used to seeing dough look, but it turned out
just fine!

If wanting a leasurely morning where you DON'T have to spend 2 hours waiting for your sweet deliciousness: Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray; turn to coat top. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight. I punched the dough down once, just before going to bed, and as a consequence the dough didn't really rise again. The next morning, pull the dough out of the fridge, punch it down (if it needs punching), and let sit at room temperature while you get the other ingredients ready.

5. To prepare sauce, combine brown sugar, 3 tablespoons butter, and 2 tablespoons hot water in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth.

Mmm. Soon to be caramel.

Scrape sugar mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking pan coated with cooking spray (or two smaller pans, if your 9 x 13" one is rusty), spreading evenly over bottom of pan with a spatula. Sprinkle sugar mixture evenly with salt, and set aside.

Glorious salt.

Salt flakes in caramel.

You can (and I did) make the sauce in advance and keep it in the fridge overnight.

6. To prepare filling, combine 2/3 cup granulated sugar and zest in a small bowl.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; pat dough into a 16 x 12–inch rectangle. To be honest, I never measure, I just rolled it out until it felt right.

Looks big enough to me!

Brush surface of dough with 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border.

Mmm. Sugar + zest = happy

Beginning with a long side, roll up dough jelly-roll fashion; pinch seam to seal (do not seal ends of roll).

All rolled up and ready to cut.

Cut roll into 1 inch (or so) slices.

I mark them off as I go before fully cutting them.

Arrange slices, cut sides up, in prepared pan. Lightly coat rolls with cooking spray; cover with  tea towel and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Ready to sit for 30 minutes.

7. Bake at 350º for 20-30 minutes until lightly brown. Pull out of oven and let stand for 1 minute before inverting onto a platter.

Letting cool so the caramel firms up a bit

8. Try to restrain yourself from eating them all.

Look at all those crevices for the caramel!

No. Seriously. It's harder than it looks.

Served on my Nana's china with nature's other perfect food: bacon.

Next time, I'm going to get a vanilla bean and replace the orange zest with the vanilla seeds. If you choose to go that route (salted vanilla caramel? Hello!), mix the seeds and sugar the night before (leave the pod in there too) to allow the sweet vanillay goodness to come through.

Try it. You'll be a god.