Dreamy Decadent Orange Rolls

This uses a "sponge-method" sweet yeast dough and it rises three times: once in a near-liquid batter with about half the flour, once in a ball after kneading, and once in the final pan. A warm room will help tremendously with rising. The three hours includes rising and baking time. Juice of blood orange gives the frosting a unique color.

• Ready In: 3 hrs
• Serves: 30
• Yields: 30 rolls in two 9x13 pans, approx

Ingredients

• Rolls

• 1⁄2 cup water, lukewarm
• 4  tablespoons honey
• 2 (1/4ounce) packets  each active dry yeast
• 1 1⁄2 cups milk
• 3⁄4 cup shortening
• 2  teaspoons salt
• 8  cups flour, divided, plus some
•  flour, for the board
• 1  tablespoon  blood orange zest
• 1  cup granulated sugar
• 3  eggs
• 1 1⁄2 cups light brown sugar, plus
• 2  tablespoons cinnamon, ground
• 1⁄4 lb butter, melted
• 6  ounces pecans, chopped

• Frosting

• 6  tablespoons butter
• 1⁄4 cup  blood orange juice
• 1  tablespoon  blood orange zest
• 4  cups powdered sugar

Directions

1. Rolls:
2. Mix lukewarm water, yeast, and honey, stir to dissolve, and set aside.
3. Heat milk over medium heat until almost boiling. Remove from heat and stir in the shortening to melt it. Allow to stand 5-10 minutes to cool to lukewarm.
4. In a large bowl, mix milk (with shortening), salt, and 3 cups flour, then add yeast mixture. Beat thoroughly. Tent with a damp cloth and let rise 20 minutes in a warm place. It will be thick liquid at this stage, like pancake batter.
5. Beat the eggs slightly. Add eggs, granulated sugar, 4 cups more flour, and 1 T. orange zest; mix thoroughly, then coat with flour and turn onto a floured board. Knead, sprinkling just enough flour to keep it from sticking, until dough ball can be handled without sticking to hands. Ball and return to bowl. Tent again and let rise another half-hour.
6. Turn onto the board again, knead a little more, and divide in half. Flour surfaces and roll out each half, one at a time, to about 12x18 inches. Spread each with half the melted butter. Sprinkle half the brown sugar over the surface followed by pecans. (You can also add raisins, walnuts, and/or hazelnuts, and vary the amount of brown sugar.) Sprinkle with cinnamon.
7. Starting from the long edge, roll up the sheet of dough with the sugar, cinnamon and nuts inside. Work the roll into a long uniform shape. With a sharp buttered knife, slice the roll into fifteen equal sections. Arrange them, spiral up, in five rows of three, in a greased 9x13 pan. (A little space between them is OK.).
8. Tent and let rise until they fill the pan, about half an hour or somewhat more.
9. Heat oven to 400°F.
10. Bake in center of oven 22 minutes or until desired golden brown on top.
11. Frosting:
12. While rolls are baking, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add orange juice directly to pan.
13. Start adding powdered sugar about a cup at a time, beating with the mixer until sugar is all mixed inches.
14. Remove from heat. Add orange zest and mix well. Quickly spread on rolls as soon as they are out of the oven.