Description
These soft and fluffy Lemon Rolls are bursting with bright lemon flavor, featuring gooey centers and topped with a tangy lemon icing. Perfect for a summer breakfast or brunch, these rolls take about 90 minutes to prepare, including rising and baking time. Made with a tender yeast dough enhanced by fresh lemon zest and a buttery lemon sugar filling, they’re rolled up, baked to golden perfection, and finished with a luscious lemon glaze and extra zest for garnish.
Ingredients
Lemon Roll Dough
- 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for kneading (530g)
- 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 (from about 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 about 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 for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the dough mixture: Preheat your oven to 200°F (95°C). In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, combine 4 1/4 cups flour, yeast, poppy seeds (optional), and salt. In a separate bowl, microwave buttermilk, sugar, and butter in small pieces for 1 minute until butter is mostly melted but the mixture is warm, not hot. Pour warm buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients and mix with a dough hook on medium speed or by hand with a dough whisk until sticky.
- Add eggs and lemon zest: Mix in eggs one at a time on medium-low speed until each is fully incorporated. Continue mixing until dough is elastic. Then add lemon zest and mix until blended.
- Add extra flour and rest dough: Add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time until dough pulls away from bowl and feels tacky but not sticky when poked. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or towel and let dough rest for 10-20 minutes to make rolling easier.
- Make lemon filling: While dough rests, combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, and lemon zest in a bowl. Massage zest into sugar to release oils. Whisk in softened butter until mixture is smooth and aromatic.
- Roll and fill dough: Roll dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12 by 18 inch rectangle about 1/2 cm thick. Spread the lemon filling evenly over the dough, leaving 1/2 inch of the long edge uncovered.
- Form rolls: Roll dough tightly from the long side towards the uncovered edge. Use dental floss to cut into 12 equal rolls. Place rolls into a greased or parchment-lined 9×13-inch pan.
- First rise in warm oven: Turn oven off and cover rolls with foil. Place pan in the oven for about 30 minutes to allow the rolls to rise and puff up.
- Bake rolls: Remove foil and turn oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake rolls for 28-32 minutes until golden brown on top.
- Prepare icing: Whisk powdered sugar, lemon juice, and melted butter together until smooth.
- Finish and serve: Cool rolls for 10-20 minutes, then spoon lemon icing over the top. Garnish with fresh lemon zest and serve warm.
Notes
- Letting the dough rest before rolling helps make it easier to handle and roll out smoothly.
- Using warm buttermilk mixture is important to activate yeast but should not be too hot to avoid killing the yeast.
- Dental floss is used for cleanly slicing the rolls without squashing them.
- The initial low-temperature oven rise gives the rolls a gentle assisted rise for fluffier texture.
- The lemon zest in both dough and filling boosts the bright lemon flavor distinctly.
- Optionally, you can add poppy seeds in the dough for slight texture and a subtle nutty flavor.
- Make sure to cool rolls slightly before icing to prevent icing from melting off entirely.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 28 minutes
- Category: Bread & Cinnamon Rolls
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
