Roll into new year with sweet, citrusy baked goodies

Orange zest gives zippy confectioners’ glaze to classic cinnamon roll.

It’s hard to beat a sweet roll, especially around the holidays. I’ve always thought of a homemade cinnamon roll as the capstone of the holiday baking season. In my life, they typically appear on Christmas morning. By that point, the two-month marathon of sweets, cakes, cookies, custards, tarts and pies has worn me down to the point that all I want are light, savory flavors.

The recipe for a sweet roll is simple. Once you get the hang of making a basic yeast dough, you can customize the recipe with any flavor you desire. This version leans into citrus. Far from cloyingly sweet, it calls for orange zest to brighten the confectioners’ glaze and bring a zippy balance to the pastry.

Chris Wilkins has been a professional baker for 12 years. He is a twotime James Beard Award nominee and the founder and co-owner of Root Baking Co. and Pizza Jeans. Submit your baking questions to bakebetterajc@gmail.com.

FOR THE FROSTING:

2 tablespoons (30 grams) milk ½ teaspoon (3 grams) vanilla extract Zest of ½ an orange

Pinch salt

½ cup (50 grams) powdered sugar

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, milk, egg, butter, caster sugar, yeast and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix with a dough hook on low/medium-low speed 2 minutes until the dough forms a shaggy mass.

Increase to high speed and mix 5 to 7 minutes, until dough is smooth, soft and doesn’t tear when you give it a gentle tug. Leave dough in the bowl of the mixer, cover with a clean tea towel, and set in a warm place 15 to 20 minutes until it has doubled in size.

Prepare an 8-inch square cake pan (or a round pan, if you desire 6 large rolls instead of 12 smaller rolls) with nonstick cooking spray, butter, or parchment paper.

On a very lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 9-by-6-inch rectangle.

Prepare cinnamon-sugar filling by mixing cinnamon and sugar in a clean bowl until well combined and there are no lumps.

Brush dough with melted butter and sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture evenly atop the butter, leaving a 1-inch border at the top of the dough.

Roll dough into a snug log, being careful not to roll too tightly. Slice log into 12 equal ¾-inch-wide pieces, or for 6 large sweet rolls, slice into 1½-inch pieces.

Place the rolls in an even layer in the prepared cake pan, cover with a tea towel, and proof in a warm place 15 minutes.

Bake rolls 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown and fragrant. While the rolls bake, assemble frosting by combining milk, vanilla, zest and salt in a mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until the frosting is smooth and thick.

Transfer rolls to a cooling rack, and frost immediately with a butter knife or offset spatula.

Makes 12 rolls.