As you know, sweet rolls are my weakness. And every year for the holidays I try to make a new flavor which at this point is starting to become a challenge as I’ve made so many different versions over the years. These lemon pastries are so light and fresh tasting. They are tart but have just enough sweetness to make them a sweet roll. The cream cheese glaze however is quite sweet and you can add as much as you like to find that sweet spot that you enjoy. They are unlike any roll I’ve ever made in that they taste like sunshine and lemonade. I devoured a few over the holidays and put the rest in the freezer. I individually freeze them so I can pull out just one just when I have a craving. They keep for a couple month’s in the freezer and once thawed they can be microwaved for 20 – 30 seconds and taste just as good as the day they were made. If you love the flavor of citrusy tart lemon with a cream cheese glaze then look no further, these sweet rolls are for you!
Start with making the brioche dough. It’s my favorite dough to make sweet rolls. You’ll need flour, yeast, salt, water, honey, eggs, and softened butter.
Mix together in a small bowl the warm water, yeast and 1 tablespoon of honey. Let sit for a few minutes as it begins to foam and rise.
When the yeast is ready to go, pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the remaining honey, eggs and softened butter. Mix together with a wooden spatula.
Add the flour a little bit at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon until it begins to form into dough. Attach the dough hook and turn on low speed to knead the dough together.
Continue on low speed until the dough has formed and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. The dough will be sticky and wet.
Generously sprinkle flour over a work space and gently knead the dough. Use just enough flour to form the dough into a ball.
Place the dough into a large bowl and cover with a cup towel. Set in a warm place to rise (approximately 2-3 hours).
There is plenty of time to make the filling while the dough is raising. Since I’m making 2 pans of rolls I’m going to divide the filling into 2 bowls. For each bowl you’ll need 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest.
Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to each.
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter and pour into each bowl with the sugar/lemon mix.
Whisk until it resembles a sugary lemon paste. Set aside until ready to use.
The dough should double in size, like this.
Sprinkle a generous amount of flour on your work surface, divide the dough in half and shape into 2 rectangles.
Roll out one half of the dough into a large rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
Take half of the filling and use a pastry spatula to spread the lemony filling over the dough.
Begin rolling along the long edge toward you. When you have a long roll, pinch the edges underneath. Use a sharp knife or dental floss to make 1 inch slices. Roll out the other half of dough and use the other half of the filling as instructed above.
Prepare two 9 inch baking pans by spreading a pat of butter around the bottom and edges inside the pan. Place the cut rolls inside the pan allowing space around each roll to expand as they rise. Place a cup towel over the rolls, place in a warm place and allow to double in size.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until dough is golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before transferring to a plate.
While the rolls are cooling, make the lemon cream cheese glaze. Use a hand mixer with the whisk attachment to whip the softened cream cheese and lemon zest until it is creamy.
Add sifted powdered sugar, a little bit at a time mixing after each addition until you’ve added all of the powdered sugar.
Add the juice of 1 lemon and 2 tablespoons of whole milk. Whip until well combined. I like to drizzle it over the rolls so it will be thinner than you might think.
Place a plate over the baking pan and turn over. The rolls will be upside down so place another plate over top and flip over so that the rolls will now be upright. Drizzle the lemon cream cheese glaze over the rolls and serve.
Lemon Sweet Rolls
Brioche Dough
3/4 cup Lukewarm Water
3/4 tablespoons Yeast
3/4 tablespoons Kosher Salt
4 Eggs, beaten
1/4 cup Honey
1 1/2 sticks Unsalted Butter, softened
3 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour
Lemon Filling
1 cup Granulated Sugar, divided
Zest of 2 Lemons, divided
6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, divided
1/4 teaspoon Salt, divided
1/4 cup Lemon Juice, divided
Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze
1 small Lemon zested and juiced
4 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup Powdered Sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons Whole Milk
To make Brioche Dough: Add the water, yeast and 1 tablespoon of honey in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Let the yeast sit for a few minutes to activate and begin to bubble and foam. Add the remaining honey, eggs and softened butter. Stir with a wooden spatula.
Begin to add the flour a little at a time. Stir the flour into the liquid ingredients until it begins to form into a dough. Use your dough hook and mix on low to incorporate all the flour into the dough. Scrape the sides of the bowl if necessary. The dough will be sticky and wet. Prepare a work space and generously sprinkle with flour. Knead the dough with enough flour to form a round ball. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover with a cup towel and place in a warm area to rise (approximately 2 – 3 hours).
To make Lemon Filling: Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt and lemon zest of 1 lemon and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Add softened butter and whisk together until it resembles a sugary lemon paste. Make another bowl with the same amount of filling ingredients for the second pan of rolls. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
When dough has doubled in bulk, punch down the dough and using your previous works space knead the dough until it is easy to work with. Divide the dough in half and shape into 2 rectangles. Take one rectangle and roll out to approximately 1/4 inch thickness.
Spread half of the filling (1 bowl) over the rolled out dough leaving 1/4 inch free around the edges. Gently begin to roll the long side of the dough from the bottom up until you have a long roll. Tuck the ends underneath to seal. Slice the rolls or use dental floss to cut rolls in 1 inch slices.
Prepare (2) 9 inch round or square baking pans by rubbing a pat of butter on the bottom and around the sides of the pan. Place the cut rolls in the pan leaving a little bit of space around each roll to rise and expand. Prepare the reserved dough and fill with the remaining lemon filling to make another pan of rolls.
Place in a warm space and cover with a cup towel. Allow to rise and double in bulk. Bake rolls for 25 – 30 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven until golden brown.
To make Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze: Combine softened cream cheese and lemon zest. Use a hand mixer with the whisk attachment to whip the softened cream cheese and lemon zest until it is creamy. Add the sifted powdered sugar a little bit at a time, whipping after each addition until it has all been incorporated. Add the lemon juice and milk and blend until you have a creamy glaze. Drizzle glaze over warm rolls and enjoy.
Makes approximately 16 rolls.
5 thoughts on “Lemon Sweet Rolls”
Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen
Oh boy, pucker up and enjoy this delight!
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NativeNM
It is quite delightful!
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Karen
Sunshine and lemonade, now that sounds like the perfect way to start the day.
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NativeNM
Yes indeed! Today would be a good day for a lemon roll and tea in front of the fireplace. It’s quite cold and dreary this weekend. However we have a beautiful view of snow covered mountains that makes up for it.
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Karen
It is a dreary day here in Florida too but no fireplace or snowcapped mountain view. 😊
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