Description

Pillowy soft yeasted rolls made with buttermilk, butter, eggs, and generous fresh lemon zest, filled with a bright lemon sugar and brown sugar butter filling, and finished with a silky fresh lemon juice icing and extra lemon zest. A stunning, fragrant, show-stopping bake perfect for spring brunches, holidays, and any occasion worth celebrating.

Ingredients

For the Lemon Roll Dough:

4¼ cups (530g) all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed
4½ teaspoons / 2 packets (14g) instant dry yeast
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon poppy seeds, optional
1 teaspoon (6g) fine salt
1 cup (240g) buttermilk, room temperature
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons (6g) fresh lemon zest

For the Lemon Filling:

½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
½ cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons (6g) fresh lemon zest
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened

For the Lemon Icing:

2 cups (250g) powdered sugar
¼ cup (60g) fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
Fresh lemon zest for topping

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Instructions

In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl, combine the flour, instant yeast, poppy seeds if using, and salt. Whisk to combine.
Add the room temperature buttermilk, granulated sugar, softened butter, eggs, and lemon zest. Mix with a dough hook on medium speed for 6–8 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky — add extra flour a tablespoon at a time if the dough is too sticky to handle.
Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1–1.5 hours until doubled in size.
While the dough rises, make the filling. Beat together the softened butter, granulated sugar, packed brown sugar, and lemon zest until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
Once doubled, punch down the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a rectangle approximately 16×12 inches.
Spread the lemon sugar filling evenly across the entire surface of the rolled dough, reaching all the way to the edges.
Starting from the longer edge, roll the dough tightly into a log. Use a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss to cut into 12 equal rolls.
Place the rolls cut-side up in a greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover and let rise for another 30–45 minutes until puffy and the rolls are touching.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake for 22–26 minutes until the tops are lightly golden and the centers are set.
While the rolls cool for 10 minutes, whisk together the powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice, and melted butter until the icing is smooth and pourable.
Pour the icing generously over the warm rolls and top with fresh lemon zest. Serve warm.

Notes

All dairy and egg ingredients must be at room temperature before mixing — cold ingredients inhibit yeast activity and result in a slower, less reliable rise.
Use dental floss rather than a knife to cut the rolls — slide it under the log, cross the ends over the top, and pull in opposite directions for perfectly clean cuts that do not compress the dough.
Ice the rolls while they are still warm — warm rolls absorb the icing slightly and create a more cohesive, deeply flavored result than icing applied to fully cooled rolls.

Prep Time: 40 mins
rising time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 25 mins