lemon sweet rolls icing (Print Version)

Bright, fluffy rolls swirled with lemon-vanilla sugar and draped in tangy icing—tender, sweet, and zesty for breakfast.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 180 g whole milk, at room temperature
02 - 30 g unsalted butter, melted
03 - 1 large egg, at room temperature
04 - 375 g all-purpose flour
05 - 5 g instant yeast
06 - 40 g granulated sugar
07 - 3 g salt
08 - Vegetable oil, for greasing

→ Lemon Sugar Filling

09 - 60 g unsalted butter, softened
10 - 100 g granulated sugar
11 - 3 tablespoons lemon zest, divided (from about 3 lemons)
12 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Cream Cheese Icing

13 - 113 g cream cheese, softened
14 - 60 g confectioners' sugar
15 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
16 - 1 tablespoon lemon zest, optional for garnish

# How to Make It:

01 - In a medium bowl, whisk together whole milk, melted butter, and egg until combined. In a large bowl, whisk flour, instant yeast, granulated sugar, and salt. Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until no flour remains. Transfer dough to a clean surface and knead by hand for about 5 minutes until smooth and soft. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, cover, and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour or until doubled. For an overnight rise, refrigerate covered.
02 - Lightly flour work surface. Roll dough into a 50x35 cm rectangle. Gently spread softened butter over the surface. In a small bowl, combine granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon zest, and vanilla extract; sprinkle evenly over dough. Roll tightly from long side and pinch seam to seal. Slice into 12 even pieces, each about 4 cm wide. Arrange rolls, cut side up, in a greased 23x33 cm baking pan. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled.
03 - Preheat oven to 190°C. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon lemon zest over the risen rolls. Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden brown; if browning quickly, loosely cover with foil halfway through. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes.
04 - In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar and lemon juice, then beat until creamy and spreadable. Spread icing over warm rolls and garnish with additional lemon zest if desired. Serve warm.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • Uses ingredients most home bakers have in their kitchen
  • Incredibly fluffy rolls that stay soft for days
  • Bright lemon flavor running through dough, filling, and icing
  • Can be made ahead for special mornings
02 -
  • These rolls are made with a rich yeast dough for incredible softness
  • Lemon zest infuses every bite with fresh citrus aroma
  • Cream cheese icing keeps the rolls rich and tangy
03 -
  • Make sure all ingredients especially milk butter and egg are at room temperature for a soft fluffy dough
  • Always use fresh lemon zest and juice for the brightest flavor
  • For perfect swirls let the rolls rise fully in the pan until just touching before baking

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