Orange rolls are a cousin to the cinnamon roll and just as good! Use your Instant Pot to help raise your orange roll dough (or any yeast dough) faster. The warm environment cuts the time it takes to raise the bread in half.
Related: Speed Up The Process Of Raising Bread By Using Your Slow Cooker!

Orange Rolls with the help of the Instant Pot
Every year for Easter my mom would make orange rolls. They were so good I would look forward to them all year long. This year I made orange rolls for Easter and my family loved them. I don’t know why I never think to make them at any other time. That stops now. There is absolutely no reason to only make orange rolls once a year. Seriously. I love them as much or more than cinnamon rolls which get made at least 4 times a year.
You may be wondering what these rolls have to do with the Instant Pot. Well if you have a yogurt function on your Instant Pot you can use your Instant Pot to proof dough (raise dough) faster. It works so well. The ideal temperature for proofing bread is 78-90 degrees. And the lowest setting on the Instant Pot yogurt mode (usually used for Jiu Niang) has temps between 86-93.2°F.
All you do is oil the pot so that the dough doesn’t stick. Place the dough in the bottom of your pot. Then select the yogurt button. Use the adjust button to cycle through until the light is on the “less.” My pot says 24 hours on the display. Then cover the pot with a glass lid or a plate. DO NOT use the normal Instant Pot lid. If you do the dough might raise so high that it pushes the valve up and indicates to the pot that there is under pressure. You won’t be able to open the pot and the lid will be stuck. Let the dough double in size (or follow the instructions in your recipe). My dough only took 30 minutes to raise as opposed to the normal hour it would have taken sitting on the counter.
For those of you who want the rosemary bread recipe from my YouTube video here it is:
Jill’s Rosemary Bread Recipe:
1 Tbsp yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp dried rosemary
1 Tbsp butter
Dissolve yeast, sugar and water in mixer. Add butter, salt and 2 cups flour and mix. Add rosemary and the rest of the flour. Mix 5 minutes. Let rise for 1 hour on counter or 30 minutes in Instant Pot (using the yogurt setting). Split in half and form into loaf shape and place on a cookie sheet. Let rise for 30 minutes on the counter. Then bake at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Slice and serve with butter.
More Delicious Breads and Sweets…
Instant Pot Chocolate Chip Muffin Bites
Instant Pot Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cake

What Pressure Cooker Did You Use?
To make orange rolls I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. You will an Instant with a yogurt button. If your Instant Pot doesn’t have a yogurt button you cannot use this method to raise bread.
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Orange Rolls
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: about 15–20 rolls (depending on size) 1x
Description
Orange rolls are a cousin to the cinnamon roll and just as good! Use your Instant Pot to help raise your orange roll dough (or any yeast dough) faster. The warm environment cuts the time it takes to raise the bread in half.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 5–6 cups of cups all purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tbsp orange zest
- 1/4 cup orange juice
For the glaze:
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 2 Tbsp orange juice
- 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a small bowl pour the warm water and then sprinkle the yeast over the top. Set aside.
- In a 2 cup glass measuring cup warm the milk up in the microwave until it starts steaming and little bubbles will form around the edge of the dish. This took me 1 minute in my microwave. Then stir the shortening, sugar and salt into the milk. The milk will melt the shortening. Once it is melted add the mixture to the stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- Add in 2 cups flour and mix on low for 1 minute. Add in 2 eggs and mix on low for 1 minute. Add in the yeast mixture and mix on low for 20 seconds. Add in the orange zest, orange juice and enough flour to make a soft dough–about 3 or 3 ½ cups of flour. Mix on medium for 8 minutes.
- Swirl a bit of vegetable or canola oil around the bottom and sides of your Instant Pot liner (around 1 Tbsp) Place the dough in the bottom of your pot. Then select the yogurt button. Use the adjust button to cycle through until the light is on the “less.” My pot says 24 hours on the display. Then cover the pot with a glass lid or a plate. Let raise until doubled (mine took about 30 minutes).
- Turn off Instant Pot. Punch the dough down and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Roll dough in an 18 by 10 inch rectangle, ½ inch thick. Cut strips 10 inches long and ¾ inch wide. Roll each strip lightly under your fingers. Loosely tie in a knot. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment and tuck ends under.
- Cover with a dish towel and let raise until almost double (30-60 minutes).
- Bake at 400° F for 12 minutes.
- In a medium bowl make the glaze. Whisk together orange zest, orange juice and powdered sugar until smooth. Spread the glaze over the hot rolls with a pastry brush or drizzle it over the top.
- Eat and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days or store in the freezer. These last in the freezer up to 3 months but they won’t last that long!
Notes
To make orange rolls I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. You will an Instant with a yogurt button. If your Instant Pot doesn’t have a yogurt button you cannot use this method to raise bread.
- Category: Bread/Dessert
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
I made the 2X quantity. Is there a way to freeze half the amount, after the rolls are formed?
You could go through step 5. Then instead of raising the second time freeze on the cookie sheet covered in plastic. Then when ready to bake let raise on the counter for a couple hours and then bake.
Is there a way I could substitute instant yeast for active yeast? None of the stores near me have any active dry yeast in stock! 😭
Yes I think that would be just fine!
I have finally conquered my fear of baking with yeast! The rolls came out soft and sweet, and the glaze put the flavor over the top! Thanks for a great recipe! Love proofing in my instant pot! Btw, your new kitchen? Stunning!
★★★★★
Hooray Donna! Good job 👏👏👏
And I love my kitchen too!
Hi Karen. My daughter and I made these Orange Rolls this morning and they are fantastic! And we used our 8 qt duo Instant Pot to proof the dough and it came out perfect. Definitely going to proof dough this way in the future. Used to keep the IP only for stews and soups but now have promoted it to the kitchen counter. Thanks so much for your recipes. Going to make the rosemary bread tomorrow. BTW I love your kitchen remodel. Very nice. Thanks again.
★★★★★
I’m so happy to hear you tried these rolls and enjoyed them! I think the IP deserves a spot on the counter for sure! And I love the remodel too!!! Thank you.
I have an electric pressure cooker that I use just like the IP but it doesn’t have a yogurt setting. Do you know how I can fix yogurt or proof bread in a pot without this feature?
No I’m sorry I do not know another way besides the yogurt button 🙁
Hi!
Can you please explain this part — Roll each strip lightly under your fingers. Loosely tie in a knot. I picture rollong the strips into long snake like shape and literally knotting?
Thank you! They look delish!
Alyssa
yes that’s exactly right! Just tie in a knot and tuck under!
Do you think I could make this into monkey bread in a regular size bundt pan? I would cut the dough into chunks, toss with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger put them into the pan with walnuts let it rise and bake, after removing it from the pan drizzle with the icing. What are your thoughts?
Thank you for all your recipes, I receive them every day and have made many of them with great success!
Wow that sounds tasty! I really don’t know if it would work. Are you planning on baking in the oven? That’s what I would do. I bet it will taste good! I’ve only ever made monkey bread with biscuit dough in a package.
Sounds awesome can’t wait to try it…would like the rosemary bread recipe too!
I don’t have a stand mixer so no dough hook….how do I make these rolls without a stand mixer/dough hook? Thanks
★★★★
You can just use a big bowl and a spoon to mix and stir initially. Then when it says to do the 8 minutes of mixing you can knead on a lightly floured counter for 10 minutes. Enjoy! And I just added the rosemary bread recipe above!
Awesome recipe and instructions for proofing bread in the instant pot. I have been looking for a better way to proof bread. Thanks! I too would like to have the rosemary bread recipe.
Just added the rosemary bread recipe above! Enjoy!
Great going to make this bread on Sunday! Thanks.
Thank you for your video and the recipe. I would like to make the orange rolls, so can you tell me if i can substitute something for the shortening? I don’t use shortening. Also, you did mention that you would share the rosemary bread recipe and i look forward to seeing it. Your recipes are awesome!
Hi Sharon I just added the recipe for the rosemary bread recipe above right below the youtube video! Also I would use butter instead of shortening!
I was able to get your orange roll recipe but in your video you said you would share your friend Jill’s recipe for rosemary bread
Hi Nancy, I just added it in the blog post above! Enjoy! It is such a yummy bread. Especially with Italian food.