Lemon Sweet Rolls

A bright, cheerful sweet roll full of sweet and tart lemon flavors.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Proofing Time2

Total Time2 35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 10

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add 210ml of room temperature buttermilk and 2 eggs
Pour 600 grams of bread flour over the buttermilk and eggs
Add 10 grams of instant yeast to one side of the bowl and 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 cup of granulated sugar to the other side of the bowl
Add 14 tablespoons of room temperature butter cubes over the other ingredients
Mix on low speed until the ingredients are combined
- If using a stand mixer, increase the speed to medium and knead for about 5 minutes or until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and the butter is fully incorporated
- If mixing by hand, knead the dough in the bowl until the ingredients are combined and then transfer to a floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic
Form the dough into a round ball and place it into a lightly flour bowl
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rest in a warm place for 1 hour or until the dough has nearly doubled in size
Transfer the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a large rectangle that is less than 1/4 inch thick throughout

Cream together 14 tablespoons of room temperature butter with 1 1/3 cups of granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon zest and a few drops of lemon extract. This can be done by hand with a stiff spatula or using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment
Spread the lemon sugar filling over the entire surface of the sweet roll dough
Roll the rectangle as you would for cinnamon rolls starting with the longer side of the rectangle and rolling tightly until you have a cigar shaped log
Cut the log into 16-20 equally sized rolls by cutting the log in half, then each half into half giving you 4 quarters and then divide each quarter into 4 or 5 equal portions resulting in 16-20 rolls
Place the rolls into greased muffin tins, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 45-60 minutes in a warm place
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
Once the rolls have rested, make an egg wash by whisking together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of whole milk and brush the egg wash over the top of each roll
Bake on the center rack of a 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until puffy and golden brown

While the rolls are baking, whisk together 2 cups of confectioners sugar with enough fresh lemon juice to create a pourable consistency (2-3 teaspoons)
As soon as the rolls are finished baking, transfer them out of the muffin tins and onto a cooling rack lined with a sheet of parchment paper, wax paper or paper towels
Glaze each roll with lemon glaze and serve warm