Description
These Lemon Sweet Rolls are soft, fluffy, and bursting with bright lemon flavor. Made with a tender yeast dough enriched with butter and zest, they are filled with a sweet lemon sugar mixture, baked until golden brown, and finished with a luscious lemon cream cheese glaze. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a delightful dessert treat.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 ½ cups whole milk, warmed to 110°F
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast (1 packet)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3½ to 4¼ cups bread flour or all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- Olive oil or butter for greasing the bowl
Filling
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ tablespoons lemon zest (packed, about 2 large lemons)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter for greasing
Glaze
- 4 ounces full fat cream cheese, brick style
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
Garnish
- Lemon slices
- Lemon zest
Instructions
- Prepare the dough mixture: In the large bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm milk, instant yeast, egg, sugar, lemon zest, melted butter, and salt. Whisk together by hand until foamy, indicating the yeast is activating.
- Add and knead the flour: Gradually add the bread flour to the wet ingredients. Use a dough hook on your stand mixer to knead for 3 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky, or knead by hand for 5 minutes if no mixer is available. Adjust flour amount to prevent stickiness without making dough dry.
- First rise: Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough inside, turning to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour depending on room temperature.
- Roll the dough: Once risen, turn dough onto a floured surface. Roll out with a floured rolling pin into a 16×12 inch rectangle.
- Prepare the filling: Mix sugar and lemon zest together in a bowl. Dot the softened butter evenly over the dough surface, then spread with the back of a spoon or spatula. Sprinkle the lemon-sugar mixture evenly on top.
- Form the rolls: Starting with the long edge facing you, tightly roll the dough into a log. Pinch the seam shut. Cut the log in half, then slice each half into 6 equal pieces for a total of 12 rolls.
- Second rise: Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter. Place rolls spaced slightly apart in the dish. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place to rise until puffed and nearly touching, about 45-60 minutes.
- Preheat and bake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush the tops of rolls with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Bake rolls for 28-30 minutes until golden brown. Check at 25 minutes, tent with foil if crust browns too fast, and continue baking until fully cooked.
- Prepare the glaze: Beat cream cheese and softened butter together until smooth. Add powdered sugar, pinch of salt, and lemon juice. Beat until creamy and pourable. Adjust thickness with more powdered sugar or lemon juice as desired.
- Glaze and garnish: While rolls are still warm, drizzle the lemon cream cheese glaze over them. Scatter fresh lemon slices and lemon zest on top as garnish. Serve immediately for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Store leftover rolls airtight in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- Freeze cooled baked rolls wrapped tightly for up to 1 month; reheat in oven for 15 minutes from frozen.
- Reheat leftovers in microwave for 30 seconds to soften dough and glaze.
- Make ahead: after second rise, refrigerate rolls up to 48 hours; bring to room temperature before baking.
- Freeze unbaked rolls after second rise, thaw 24 hours in fridge before baking.
- Ensure milk is warmed to 110°F to avoid killing yeast; use finger test if no thermometer.
- Bread flour preferred for softer, fluffier dough; all-purpose flour works as well.
- Patience is key for first rise; dough should double and become dome-shaped to know it’s properly proofed.
- Adjust glaze consistency by adding lemon juice for thinner glaze or powdered sugar for thicker.
- Active dry yeast can be substituted for instant yeast with a slight modification: proof yeast with warm milk and 1 tbsp sugar until foamy before mixing other ingredients and adding extra 2 tbsp sugar.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
