Description
Delight in these soft, aromatic Lemon Rolls with a zesty lemon filling and a smooth lemon icing. Perfectly tender and sweet, these rolls combine fresh lemon zest with a buttery dough and a poppy seed hint, making them an irresistible treat for breakfast or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Lemon Roll Dough
- 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (530g), plus additional flour as needed
- 4 1/2 tsp instant dry yeast (14g, 1/2 oz)
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp poppy seeds (optional)
- 1 tsp fine salt (6g)
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature (240g)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (113g)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature (112g)
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon zest (from 2 large lemons, 6g)
Lemon Roll Filling
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (100g)
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon zest (from 2 large lemons, 6g)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (113g)
Lemon Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar (250g)
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (60g)
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted (28g)
Additional Topping
- Fresh lemon zest
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: Preheat the oven to 200 F / 95 C. In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, combine 4 1/4 cups flour, instant yeast, poppy seeds (if using), and salt.
- Heat Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix buttermilk, granulated sugar, and butter pieces; microwave for 1 minute. Stir so butter is mostly melted and the mixture is warm but not hot.
- Combine Dough Mixture: Gradually pour warm buttermilk mix into dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed with dough hook or dough whisk until sticky dough forms.
- Add Eggs and Lemon Zest: Mix in eggs one at a time on medium-low speed until fully incorporated, then mix lemon zest until combined and dough is elastic.
- Add Additional Flour: Add extra flour 1 Tbsp at a time until dough pulls away from bowl sides and feels tacky but not sticky.
- Rest the Dough: Cover dough with plastic wrap or towel and rest for 10-20 minutes to ease rolling.
- Prepare Filling: Mix granulated sugar, brown sugar, and lemon zest in a bowl. Massage zest into sugar until aromatic, then whisk in softened butter. Set aside.
- Roll Out Dough: On a floured surface, roll dough into a 12 x 18 inch rectangle about 1/2 cm thick.
- Spread Filling and Roll: Evenly spread filling over dough, leaving 1/2 inch uncovered on long side. Roll dough horizontally towards uncovered edge to form a log, then cut into 12 equal pieces using dental floss.
- First Rise in Warm Oven: Place rolls in greased or lined 9×13-inch pan. Turn oven off, cover rolls with foil, and place pan inside for about 30 minutes until puffy and risen.
- Bake the Rolls: Remove foil and turn oven on to 350 F / 175 C. Bake rolls for 32 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
- Make Icing: Whisk powdered sugar, lemon juice, and melted butter until smooth.
- Cool and Ice: Let rolls cool 10-20 minutes, spoon icing over rolls, and garnish with fresh lemon zest.
Notes
- Use instant dry yeast for best results; active dry yeast requires activation and longer rise time.
- Use a ruler to roll dough to correct size and dental floss to cut rolls evenly for uniform baking.
- If rolls are difficult to cut, chill the dough log in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes before slicing.
- Use a metal 9×13-inch pan; if using glass, reduce baking temperature to 325 F / 162 C.
- Let rolls cool before icing to allow icing to set nicely.
- Prepare rolls the night before by refrigerating them after slicing; bring to room temperature 1-2 hours before baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
