introduction
These lemon rolls are soft, bright, and easy to make at home. They smell of lemon and sugar and taste fresh out of the oven. For another simple lemon dish idea, see the lemon herb salmon recipe for a savory lemon pairing.
why make this recipe
Make these lemon rolls when you want a fresh, sweet bread with bright citrus. They work for breakfast, tea time, or a small party. If you like different roll styles, check a simple guide to sandwich rolls for more ideas.
how to make Lemon Rolls
This recipe uses a soft, slightly sweet dough. You roll the dough thin, spread lemon curd, add lemon sugar, roll it up, slice, and bake. For tips on working with soft roll dough, you can look at a crescent-roll pot pie post that shows shaping ideas in a different recipe: crescent roll pot pie tips.
Ingredients :
700 g Flour (plain, all-purpose), 14 g Yeast (quick, dry), 110 g Sugar (white, granulated), 480 g Soy Milk, 115 g Butter (+ extra to grease your tray), 1/2 tsp Salt, 100 g Sugar (white, granulated), 1 Lemon zest, 200 g Plain Yoghurt, 30 g Icing sugar, 5 tbsp Lemon curd
Directions :
Warm your milk up until it is luke warm (either in the stove or in the microwave). Once your milk is the right temperature, pour it into a large bowl. Add the sugar and the yeast. Combine together with a whisk very briefly, for 1-2 seconds. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
After the five minutes, add the melted butter, 600g / 5 cups flour and salt to the yeast bowl. Spoon it together (it will be quite wet and will look lumpy at this stage). Then, add your dough to a standing mixer with a dough mixer attached. Place it on a slow-medium speed and allow the dough to come together in the mixer. Add the rest of the flour (100g / 1 cup) as it mixes. A dough ball should form and the dough should pull away from the sides of the mixer. Continue mixing for a few minutes. Add slightly more flour if needed. Then, stop the mixer. Once ready, cover your bowl with a towel and let it rise for 30 minutes. Ideally let the dough rise in a warm area.
Pre-heat your oven to 180°C/ 356°F.
To make your lemon sugar, combine the sugar and lemon zest in a bowl using your fingers. Massage the peel into the sugar to allow all of the oils to flow into the sugar- this should smell amazing! You also need to get your lemon curd ready now, if you have bought this then you are ready to go. If you want to make this, see the text above this recipe for instructions!
After the 30 minutes is up, flour a clean surface generously. Put the dough onto the surface then scatter some more flour on top. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a large rectangular shape which is around 1-2cm thick.
Add the lemon curd to the dough and spread it out, evenly. Then, scatter the lemon sugar on top, evenly. Once this is done, roll the dough up!
Cut the rolled dough into 12 even portions. For easy cutting, use a cheese wire or floss! Add them to a greased baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes.
In a bowl, combine the yoghurt and icing sugar until fully incorporated to make the frosting.
When the lemon rolls are out of the oven, allow them to sit for a few minutes before spooning the frosting on top. Then, devour! I hope you love these as much as I do. When you eat these in the days after baking, I recommend microwaving them briefly – they return bake to their freshly baked texture/ flavour!
how to serve Lemon Rolls
Serve warm with a spoon of extra lemon curd or a light smear of butter. These rolls go well with tea, coffee, or a simple yogurt on the side. For more serving ideas with rolls, you can read a post about using rolls in savory dishes: roll serving ideas.
how to store Lemon Rolls
Let the rolls cool fully before storing. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days. For longer storage, freeze them in a sealed bag for up to 1 month. To reheat, microwave briefly or warm in the oven until soft.
tips to make Lemon Rolls
- Use lukewarm soy milk. Too hot will kill the yeast, too cold will slow the rise.
- Massage the lemon zest into the sugar well. This gives the sugar real lemon aroma.
- Roll the dough evenly so each roll bakes the same.
- If your dough is sticky, dust the surface and rolling pin with flour little by little.
- For more roll shaping ideas, you can review another roll guide here: crescent roll shaping tips.
variation (if any)
- Add poppy seeds to the lemon sugar for texture.
- Swap lemon curd for raspberry jam for a fruity twist.
- Make mini rolls by cutting smaller pieces and reduce bake time by a few minutes.
FAQs
Q: Can I use regular milk instead of soy milk?
A: Yes. Use the same amount of regular milk at the same temperature.
Q: Can I make the dough the night before?
A: Yes. Make the dough and let it rise in the fridge overnight. Bring to room temperature before rolling.
Q: How do I know when the rolls are done?
A: The rolls should be golden on top and sound hollow when you tap them lightly.
Q: Can I make the lemon curd from scratch?
A: Yes. You can make lemon curd ahead and cool it before using. Homemade curd gives great flavor.
Q: Can I skip the yogurt frosting?
A: Yes. You can dust with icing sugar or skip the topping if you prefer a simpler roll.
Lemon Rolls
Ingredients
Method
- Warm the soy milk until lukewarm, then pour it into a large bowl. Add sugar and yeast, whisk briefly, and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Add melted butter, 600g flour, and salt to the yeast mixture. Spoon together to create a lumpy mixture.
- Transfer the mixture to a standing mixer with a dough hook, mix on slow-medium speed and incorporate the remaining 100g flour. Continue until a dough ball forms.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rise in a warm area for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F.
- Combine the sugar and lemon zest in a bowl, massaging the zest into the sugar with your fingers.
- Flour a clean surface generously, place the dough on it, and roll it into a large rectangle about 1-2cm thick.
- Spread the lemon curd evenly over the dough, sprinkle the lemon sugar on top, then roll the dough up tightly.
- Cut the rolled dough into 12 equal portions and place them in a greased baking tray, then bake for 20 minutes.
- In a bowl, combine the yogurt and icing sugar until smooth to make the frosting.
- Once the rolls are baked, let them sit for a few minutes before applying the frosting.