Description
Delight in these soft, flavorful Lemon Rolls featuring a tender yeast dough infused with fresh lemon zest and a sweet lemon filling, topped with a tangy lemon icing. Perfect as a breakfast treat or dessert, these rolls combine a citrusy punch with a delicate, buttery texture that will brighten any meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Lemon Roll Dough
- 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (530g) plus additional flour for shaping
- 4 1/2 tsp instant dry yeast (14g, 2 packets)
- 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 (6g, zest of 2 large lemons)
Lemon Roll Filling
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (100g)
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon zest (6g, zest of 2 large lemons)
- 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 for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: Preheat oven to 200 F / 95 C. In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, mix 4 1/4 cups flour, instant dry yeast, poppy seeds (if using), and salt.
- Warm Buttermilk Mixture: In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, granulated sugar, and butter pieces. Microwave for 1 minute until butter is mostly melted. Stir and ensure mixture is warm, not hot.
- Combine Dough Ingredients: Slowly add warm buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and mix on medium speed with dough hook or by hand until sticky dough forms. Mix in eggs one at a time on medium-low speed until fully incorporated and dough becomes elastic.
- Add Lemon Zest and Flour: Mix in fresh lemon zest. Add additional flour 1 Tbsp at a time until dough leaves sides of bowl but remains tacky, not sticky. Total additional flour about 3 Tbsp.
- Rest Dough: Cover bowl with plastic wrap or towel and let dough rest for 20 minutes to make rolling easier.
- Make Filling: In a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, and lemon zest. Massage zest into sugars to release oils, then whisk in softened butter until well combined.
- Roll Out Dough: Lightly flour surface and roll dough into a 12 in x 18 in rectangle about 1/2 cm thick.
- Spread Filling: Evenly spread lemon filling over dough, leaving 1/2 inch border on one long side for sealing.
- Form Rolls and Cut: Roll dough horizontally towards uncovered border to form log. Use dental floss to cut into 12 equal pieces.
- First Rise in Oven: Place rolls in greased or parchment-lined 9×13-inch pan. Turn oven off and cover rolls with foil. Place pan inside for 30 minutes to rise until puffy and grown in size.
- Bake Rolls: Remove foil and preheat oven to 350 F / 175 C. Bake rolls for 32 minutes or until golden brown.
- Prepare Icing: Whisk powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice, and melted butter until smooth.
- Finish: Cool rolls for 10-20 minutes, drizzle with lemon icing, and garnish with fresh lemon zest before serving.
Notes
- Use instant yeast for best and faster rising; active dry yeast can be substituted if activated prior and longer rising time allowed.
- A ruler helps ensure dough is rolled evenly to 12×18 inches for uniform rolls.
- Dental floss cuts rolls cleanly without squashing the dough.
- If cutting is difficult, chill the rolled log for 20-30 minutes before slicing.
- Use a metal 9×13 inch pan for best baking results; reduce temperature to 325 F / 162 C if using glass pans.
- Allow rolls to cool 10-20 minutes before icing to allow glaze to set perfectly.
- Lemon rolls can be prepared the night before; refrigerate covered and bake the next morning by allowing them to warm and rise 1-2 hours and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
