Make these up the day before and bake them off in the morning and torture your neighbors with the aromas of sugar, citrus, yeast dough and walnuts. This is a perfect weekend treat.
Citrus Walnut Sticky Rolls
The Dough:
4 1/2 – 5 cups flour
1 tsp. active dry yeast (or one packet)
2 T sugar
1 3/4 cup warm (not hot) water
1 T salt
1/2 cup olive oil
The Filling:
a large orange, zested and juiced
a grapefruit, zested and juiced
2 cups sugar
1 cup of softened butter, unsalted (2 sticks)
2 cups walnuts (toasted)
The Icing:
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted well
pinch of salt
orange and grapefruit juice (see above), ~2 T
additional butter for greasing the baking pans
Make the Dough:
In a large bowl or a KitchenAid mixer bowl add 2 cups of flour, the sugar, the yeast and the warm water and mix well. If you are unsure of your yeast’s health let this mixture stand for five minutes before continuing. Otherwise add the salt and mix well then knead with a dough hook, adding additional flour, until you have a well formed ball. Then pour in the olive oil and continue kneading with the machine on medium, adding more flour if needed, for five minutes or until the dough is smooth.
If you are doing this by hand, mix in the flour using a large, sturdy wooden spoon and then add the olive oil and using your hands mix in the remaining flour until you have a well formed ball, then remove to a floured surface and knead until smooth and satiny for 5-10 minutes.
Rub a large bowl with whatever oil is left in your measuring cup and add the ball of dough, cover loosely with plastic wrap or a thick, clean kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place for 90 minutes until the dough is doubled in size.
Make the Filling:
While the dough is rising, place the sugar in a bowl and add the citrus zest and mix well with a spoon until there are no lumps. A little at a time add a tablespoon of citrus juice at a time to the sugar, mixing well, to make a paste about the same consistency as strawberry jam but not as runny as honey.
Assemble the Rolls:
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle about 16″ long and 10″ wide.
Spread the softened butter all over the dough with your hands, and then spoon over the sugar mixture. Using a spatula, spread this all evenly over the dough but leave an inch margin of clean dough on each side. Then, sprinkle over the walnuts.
Roll up the dough on the long edge as tightly as you can to make a big log. Pinch the edges closed along the seam and on each open edge.
Wash your hands and then butter a 9×13 baking tray or your largest roasting pan well with butter. Use a sharp knife to cut the log of dough and filling into 12-16 even pieces and place into the baking pan. You might need an additional pan like I did. Cover the pan lightly with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise for 45 minutes in a warm place.
Bake until golden brown on the tops, and remove the pan(s) to a rack.
Make the Icing:
Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl and add the citrus juice, a tablespoon at a time, until the icing is a thick but spreadable consistency.
Spread the icing over the warm rolls.
Eat while warm, or rewarm them if you have leftovers.
Heather in SF 
