Fluffy Zesty Lemon Rolls (Printable Version)
# What You Need:
→ Lemon Roll Dough
01 -
4 1/4 cups regular flour (530g) plus extra flour when needed
02 -
4 1/2 tsp or 2 packets quick dry yeast (14g, 1/2 oz.)
03 -
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp seeds from poppy flowers (if you want)
04 -
1 tsp regular salt (6g)
05 -
1 cup buttermilk or full-fat milk (240g)
06 -
1/2 cup white sugar (100g)
07 -
1/2 cup sweet butter, soft (113g)
08 -
2 big eggs, not cold (112g)
09 -
2 Tbsp lemon skin shavings, roughly from 2 big lemons (6g)
→ Lemon Roll Filling
10 -
1/2 cup white sugar (100g)
11 -
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar (100g)
12 -
2 Tbsp lemon skin shavings, roughly from 2 big lemons (6g)
13 -
1/2 cup sweet butter, mushy (113g)
→ Lemon Icing
14 -
2 cups sugar dust (250g)
15 -
1/4 cup squeezed lemon liquid (60g)
16 -
2 Tbsp sweet butter, liquified (28g)
→ Additional Topping
17 -
Fresh lemon peel bits
# Steps to Follow:
01 -
Heat your oven to 200 F / 95 C. Grab a big bowl or mixer and throw in flour, yeast, poppy seeds (skip if you don't want them), and salt.
02 -
Get another bowl and mix buttermilk, white sugar, and butter together. Zap it in the microwave for 60 seconds till butter's almost completely melted. Make sure it's just warm, not hot, or you'll kill your yeast.
03 -
Slowly pour your warm buttermilk mix into the dry stuff. Stir with a dough hook or your hands until it comes together. Add eggs one by one, making sure each one's totally mixed in before adding another.
04 -
Stir in those lemon shavings. While you're mixing, toss in more flour, just 1 tablespoon at a time, until your dough feels sticky but doesn't cling to your fingers. Cover the bowl and let it sit for 10-20 minutes.
05 -
Dump white sugar, brown sugar, and lemon shavings in a bowl. Rub the zest into sugar until it smells good. Add soft butter and beat until it's smooth. Put it aside.
06 -
Put your rested dough on a floured counter. Roll it out to make a 12 x 18-inch flat rectangle, about 1/2 cm thick.
07 -
Smear the filling all over the dough, but leave a 1/2-inch empty strip along one long edge. Roll toward that empty edge and seal it tight. Cut into 12 chunks using some dental floss.
08 -
Put rolls in a greased or paper-lined 9x13-inch pan. Turn the oven off, cover rolls with foil, and let them puff up in the warm oven for 30 minutes.
09 -
Take rolls out and remove the foil. Heat the oven to 350 F / 175 C. Cook for 28-32 minutes until they turn golden brown.
10 -
Mix sugar dust, lemon juice, and melted butter until smooth. Let rolls cool down for 10-20 minutes before you pour icing on top. Sprinkle with fresh lemon peel bits.
# Additional Notes:
01 -
Quick yeast works best. If you've got active dry yeast instead, wake it up with warm water and sugar before adding it in.
02 -
Pop your dough log in the fridge if you want cleaner slices.
03 -
Metal pans cook more evenly than glass ones, so grab a metal 9x13-inch pan if you can.