Lemon Sweet Rolls

Lemon Sweet Rolls

Print Recipe

Yield

12 rolls

Difficulty

Beginner

Prep Time

30 minutes

Bake Time

30 minutes

Proof Time

1 hour

Rise Time

1 hour

Total Time

3 hours

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Ingredients

For the Dough:

4–½ cups all-purpose-flour
1 packet Fleischmann’s^® RapidRise^® Instant Yeast (2-¼ teaspoons)
1 teaspoon salt
⅓ cup sugar
1–½ cups milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 egg, room temperature

For the Lemon Sugar Filling:

1 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 2 lemons (about 2 tablespoons of finely grated zest)
Pinch of salt
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened

For the Lemon Cream Cheese Icing:

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon lemon extract
Pinch of salt
Zest of 1 lemon

Directions

For the Dough:

In a large bowl combine 2 cups of the flour, Fleischmann’s^® RapidRise^® Yeast, salt and sugar in a bowl. Mix to combine.
In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the milk and butter for 30 seconds until warm and the butter is mostly melted. The mixture should be warm, but not hot (120° to 130°F). If it is too hot, make sure to let it cool before adding to the yeast to prevent killing the yeast. Add the warm milk and butter to the flour mixture. Then, add the egg.
Beat on low speed, gradually increasing to high until completely combined, about 2 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add 1-½ more cups of flour, beating until combined. Add the remaining cup of flour in a little at a time until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl to form a ball.
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and you can stretch a piece of dough out between your fingers without it breaking. This means the gluten has developed and your dough will be pillowy soft.
Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

For the Lemon Sugar Filling:

While the dough rises, combine the sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until it starts to smell very lemony and it clumps together slightly. Cover and set aside.

For Shaping & Baking:

Once the dough has risen, roll it out into a long rectangle about 18" x 12" on a well-floured surface. Spread the softened butter evenly to the edge of the dough, using an offset spatula, the back of a spoon, or your fingers. Sprinkle the lemon-infused sugar over the butter, patting it gently into the butter so it sticks.
From the long end, roll the dough away from you into a tight roll, sealing the bottom edge down by pinching the dough together.
Use unflavored dental floss or a very sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 even rolls. Place the rolls in a 9" x 13" pan lined with parchment paper. Cover loosely with a dish cloth and allow to rise for another hour until doubled in size and puffed up.
Bake the rolls at 350°F for 30 minutes or until they are golden brown and no longer doughy. Allow to cool.

For the Lemon Cream Cheese Icing:

While the rolls cool, make the lemon cream cheese frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon extract, salt and lemon zest. Beat on low speed, gradually increasing to high until light and fluffy. Spread the icing evenly over the 12 rolls. Enjoy warm!

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