Lemon Rolls

Lemon Rolls

These lemon rolls are soft and fluffy. Inside, they have a sweet mix of lemon and vanilla sugar, and on top, there’s a homemade lemon cream cheese icing. They’re a tasty combination of sweetness, citrus flavor, and a bit of tartness.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Rise Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
Yield: 12 lemon rolls

INGREDIENTS

For the dough:

• 180g milk (¾ cup), at room temperature
• 30g butter, melted
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 375g all-purpose flour (3 cups)
• 5g instant yeast (1 + ½ tsp)
• 40g granulated sugar (2 tbsp)
• 3g salt (½ tsp)
• vegetable oil

For the lemon sugar filling:

• 60g butter (¼ cup), softened to room temperature
• 100g granulated sugar (½ cup)
• 3 tbsp lemon zest (from approximately 3 lemons), divided
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For cream cheese icing:

• ½ cup cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp lemon zest (optional, to sprinkle on top)

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare the Dough:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together milk, melted butter, and an egg until it’s all smooth.
2. In a larger bowl, combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Mix everything together evenly.
3. Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture. Stir well with a spatula until there’s no dry flour left. Make sure to scrape off any flour on the sides of the bowl.
4. Put the dough onto a clean and dry surface. Knead it for about 5 minutes until it becomes a soft and smooth dough ball. Because there’s a lot of fat (butter and milk) in this recipe, it’s easy to knead the dough by hand, and you don’t need a stand mixer.

Proof the dough (first rise):

1. Put the dough back into the mixing bowl. Lightly grease the dough ball with a bit of vegetable oil, and cover it with a lid. This helps the dough stay moist and prevents it from drying out. Let it rise at room temperature for 1 hour, or you can also put it in the refrigerator overnight. Wait until it doubles in size.

Shape Lemon Rolls (second rise):

1. Pour the dough onto a floured surface and use a rolling pin to make a rectangle about 20×14 inches in size.
2. Spread softened butter evenly over the rolled dough.
3. Mix sugar, 2 tablespoons of lemon zest, and vanilla extract until it’s all combined. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the butter.
4. Roll up the dough tightly into a log and pinch the ends to seal it.
5. Cut the log into 12 even pieces using a knife or bench scraper, each about 1.5 inches wide.
6. Arrange the rolls in a greased 9×13-inch casserole pan.
7. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or put it in a large Ziploc bag. Let it rise for a second time in a warm place for about 1 hour or until the rolls double in size.

Bake:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Sprinkle the remaining lemon zest evenly over the rolls.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the rolls turn golden brown. If they’re browning too much, cover the pan halfway with aluminum foil.
4. Allow the rolls to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before serving.

Cream Cheese Icing:

1. With a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese on medium speed until it becomes smooth.
2. Add confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice, and continue beating until the mixture is creamy and smooth. If you don’t have a mixer, you can also mix everything together using a whisk and spatula.
3. Spread the cream cheese icing over the rolls.
4. Serve the rolls while they’re still hot. If you like, sprinkle extra lemon zest on top for added flavor.

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