Baking · Loaf

Lemon Poppy Seed Rolls

These are the rolls I make when I want something that feels a little more special than a standard cinnamon roll but requires the same level of effort. The lemon sugar filling is the part that makes them. Working the zest directly into the sugar with your fingers releases the oils and you can smell the difference immediately. The poppy seeds in the dough add a subtle nuttiness and the cream cheese frosting on top, spread while the rolls are still warm, melts into all the gaps and makes every bite richer than the last. The dough is adapted from Broma Bakery and the lemon sugar filling is adapted from The Kitchn.

Ingredients

Le Creuset Deep Rectangular Dish (6.3L capacity)

Dough (adapted from Broma Bakery)

Filling (adapted from The Kitchn)

Bake

Cream Cheese Frosting

Method

Make the Dough

  1. 1Combine 240g of the flour with the sugar, yeast, salt, poppy seeds, and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment. Run on low until evenly mixed.
  2. 2Warm the milk and butter together in the microwave in short bursts until the butter is mostly melted and the mixture feels warm, not hot, to the touch. Overheating can kill the yeast, so stop before it starts steaming.
  3. 3With the mixer on low, stream in the warm milk mixture and the egg. Once incorporated, bump the speed up to high and let it run for 2 minutes. It will look loose, almost like pancake batter. That is expected, it is how the gluten starts forming.
  4. 4Swap to the dough hook. Mix in another 180g of flour on low, scraping the bowl as needed, then work in the remaining 165g, pausing occasionally to push the dough back together, until it clears the sides of the bowl and gathers around the hook.
  5. 5Bump up to medium low speed and knead for about 10 minutes, until the dough turns smooth and elastic. To check it is ready, pull off a small piece and stretch it thin enough that light shows through without tearing. If it tears, give it a few more minutes and test again.
  6. 6Move the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it sit somewhere warm until doubled, about an hour.

Make the Filling and Shape

  1. 1Zest both lemons straight into a bowl with the sugar, then work the zest in with your fingers until fragrant.
  2. 2Once the dough has doubled, roll it out into a rectangle roughly 12 by 18 inches. Cover it edge to edge with the softened butter, then scatter the lemon sugar evenly on top.
  3. 3Roll the dough into a tight log starting from the long edge nearest you. Slice into 15 rolls, about 1 1/2 inches thick each.
  4. 4Drizzle the honey evenly across the bottom of a Le Creuset Deep Rectangular Dish (6.3L capacity), then set the rolls cut side up on top, spaced evenly in a 5 by 3 grid.
  5. 5Cover loosely and let the rolls proof somewhere warm until puffy and doubled, roughly another hour.

Bake

  1. 1Get the oven heating to 350°F about half an hour before the rolls finish proofing.
  2. 2Once proofed, pour the heavy cream evenly over the rolls, letting it pool into the gaps between them.
  3. 3Bake uncovered for around 25 minutes until deep golden on top. Let the pan rest on a wire rack for about 15 minutes before frosting.

Make the Frosting

  1. 1Beat the cream cheese and butter together on low speed until completely smooth.
  2. 2Add the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Start on low to bring it together, then increase to medium high until light and fluffy, about a minute. Loosen with an extra splash of milk if it feels too thick.
  3. 3Spread generously over the rolls while they are still warm, then let sit about ten minutes before slicing in.

Tips & Notes

Make sure your milk and butter mixture is warm but not hot before adding it to the yeast if it feels too hot to hold your finger in comfortably, let it cool down a little first or it will kill the yeast. The windowpane test is the most reliable way to know when the dough is properly kneaded. The honey on the bottom of the pan caramelises slightly in the oven and gives the base of the rolls a lovely sticky sweetness. Pour the heavy cream over just before baking, not before proofing. Frost while the rolls are still warm so the frosting melts into all the gaps.